Directed by Greta Schiller and Andrea Weiss (USA, 2023, 74 min.).

The Five Demands is the riveting story of a student strike that changed the face of higher education forever. In April 1969 a small group of Black and Puerto Rican students shut down the City College of New York, an elite public university located in Harlem. Fueled by the revolutionary fervor sweeping the United States at the time, the strike soon turned into an uprising, leading to an extended campus occupation, canceled classes, student arrests, and the college president’s resignation.

Through archival footage and present-day interviews, follow the students’ struggle against the institutional racism that had shut out people of color from City College and other public universities for more than a century. The Five Demands uncovers the story of this explosive student takeover and proves that a handful of ordinary citizens can affect meaningful change.

Preceded By

A Call to Action: The Freedom Budget of 1966

Directed by Jenny Alexander (USA, 2023, 8 min.)

This short tells the story of a little-known grassroots push for guaranteed income during the civil rights movement.

Followed By

Q and A Discussion

Enjoy a Q and A session with the filmmakers after the screening.