The Five Demands: participants recall historic 1969 CCNY takeover ahead of first documentary film

A little more than half a century after the transformative student strike that would remake The City College of New York campus into one of the most diverse in the nation, five participants discuss the 1969 takeover in a special virtual presentation 4 p.m., Sunday, June 6. The discussion is a prelude to Jezebel Productions’ “The Five Demands,” the first ever documentary film on the historic event that is currently in development.

The five former student leaders, alumni and Five Demands cast members are: 

• Henry Arce, Class of 1973, educator, former president of PRISA (Puerto Ricans Involved in Student Action) and member of the Committee of Ten which organized the strike;
   
• Francee Covington, Class of 1970, television producer. The only woman on the Committee of Ten;
   
• Dorothy Randall Gray, Class of 1970, author, teacher and activist;
   
• Charles Powell, Class of 1971, former Black Panther, deacon, civil rights lawyer, and member of the Committee of Ten; and 
   
• James Small, Class of 1971, professor and Imam; Member of the Committee of Ten.

In April 1969, Black and Puerto Rican students shut down City College with five basic demands. Fueled by the revolutionary fervor sweeping the nation, the strike soon turned into an uprising, leading to the extended occupation of the South Campus, classes being canceled, buildings set on fire, and the resignation of the college president.

“The Five Demands” tells the story of the explosive student takeover from a myriad of perspectives and its consequent, controversial 25-year experiment of Open Admissions which radically remade CCNY into a campus of unparalleled diversity in the nation. To move the film  into the next stage of production, Jezebel Productions has launched a crowdfunding campaign on the Seed & Spark platform.

About Jezebel Productions
Founded in 1984 by Greta Schiller and Andrea Weiss, remains steadfast in its determination to tell stories that make us reflect on our purpose on earth. Our films on social issues, women’s and LGBT history, and science and society have garnered two Emmy Awards, three Fulbright Awards, and numerous international film festival awards. The Five Demands, produced by Tracy Daniels and Andrea Weiss and directed by Greta Schiller, continues Jezebel’s tradition of creating innovative, thought-provoking and entertaining films that make deep connections between the historical past and present.

About the City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Emsi puts at $1.9 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 16,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.