The SEEK Program: A SEEK Student's View. Community Issues, July 1970.

The Search for Elevation through Education and Knowledge (SEEK) experience at Queens College has been a hectic and strained undertaking, culminating in a confrontation between black and white students which gained national attention. The white community at Queens reacted negatively towards SEEK students, faculty, and counseling staff. The frustration of the black and Puerto Rican community was the result of almost three years of coping with racism, budgetary mismanagement, and a dearth of black courses and teachers, and was aggravated by organizational changes which were seen as a move to destroy the SEEK program. This led to the formulation of the black and Puerto Rican Student-Faculty-Counselor Coalition. The Coalition outlined proposals designed to improve the quality of education. Demonstrations were planned to force the college to negotiate in good faith, but most of the efforts to improve education were frustrated. Black educational complexes are the only alternative to poor education of black people. [Not available in hard copy due to marginal legibility of original document.] (Author/DM)