The Students Afro-American Society (SAS)

The Students Afro-American Society gained prominence during the 1968 protests over the construction of the gymnasium in Morningside Park as well as their occupation of Hamilton Hall. SAS was a student group that included the small number of Columbia's black students. They published a journal called the Black Student and organized a black student conference months before the 1968 protests and occupations. Joining with other student groups, they organized the primarily black and Puerto Rican cafeteria workers at Columbia. SAS became more politically active. The building takeovers in April 23-30 placed SAS in the forefront of the campus protests.