Lessons from the Rally and Strike of the Fall of 1989

So here are some of the lessons that we learned from the Strike and Rally in the Fall of 1989:

1. In my experience, direct action at UMass is usually only really effective when it is used as a tactic and not as strategy. Maybe things have changed on campus, but in the 1980's and early 90's, there were too many people and organizations on campus that believed that the ONLY formula for fighting was; 1) rally on the Student Union steps (at noon!); 2) march on Whitmore and demand/beg them to fix the problem, which is incredibly ironic; 3) go home and sleep soundly knowing that your work is done.

As any textbook on the subject will tell you, organizing, planning and message must come first. Actions and tactics should follow strategy and message, and should be part of a campaign that builds awareness, gets peoples attention, and then gets them actively (or even partially) involved - either organizing others, writing a letter, making a phone call to elected leaders.


2. This is just my opinion but generally speaking, actions against the administration are only effective when they ask the administrators to a) sign an agreement, and b) ask for something specific and realistic that will allow the students to go and fix the problem themselves.

For example, in 2007 student leaders on campus wanted to increase minority enrollment and access to UMass for students from urban communities in Massachusetts. Instead of naively demanding the administration to do these things for them, they demanded the money from the administration so that the students could do it themselves. Thus, Student Bridges was born. In my opinion, this was an excellent use of direct action as a tactic.

Another example: in 1995 the SGA leadership wanted to go to Beacon Hill to fight for an increase in the University's budget allocation. But they were unwilling to do this unless the administration guaranteed not to raise tuition and fees for the following year. The administration refused, so the SGA leadership and SCERA staged a building take over. They did it for a very simple reason. Successful lobbying on Beacon Hill required grassroots participation by students and parents. Students and parents were not going to lobby the state house for more money if the administration was going to raise tuition and fees.

I guess my point is that direction action can be successful when it is well planned and thought out, well executed, and doesn't lose focus, go on endlessly or take on the circus atmosphere.

3. The public higher education system is designed to disempower everyone within it - students and administrators alike. Yes, administrators have marginally more power than students, but not much. Even if they had the power to fix the problem (which they usually don't), most of them are part of a culture that guards and promotes the status quo. Unless you have the plan to fix the problem yourself, then 'marching on Whitmore' to 'demand' change is essentially akin to begging.

4. Apathy is a myth. Mobilizing people is a question of how salient the issue is, how strong your message is, the amount of resources, time and money at your disposal, the vehicle(s) you use to deliver your message, the allies and coalitions you form, and the number of times you are able to get your message across to your target audience. If you line up enough of these in the right way, you can and will mobilize thousands of people - if you need to. Read and study books on marketing, advertising and organizing.

5. Usually 50 targetted phone calls to the right elected official at the right time will have more effect than 5000 students marching with picket signs. Yes, massive actions can be exhilirating and transformative, but you don't need thousands to be effective and powerful. Be judicious in your use of protests and marches.

6. If you let the administration go to Beacon Hill without you - expect to get screwed. A few weeks after the administration paid to get us all to Beacon Hill for the largest rally since the Vietnam War, those same administrators went to a meeting with key elected officials and asked for 'tuition retention' - a plan that almost guarantees increased tuition and fee increases. Because we were not at the table with them as equal partners, the administration used all of our collective power against us. In the end, that amazing rally became a rally FOR tuition and fee increases.

7. Sometimes, all the grassroots organizing and lobbying in the world cannot stop budget cuts. It can help soften the blow. Sometimes 'victory' means minimizing the damage, not stopping it all together.

8. If the SGA leadership (President and Trustee) are not part of your effort, then your opponents (the administration and elected officials) will use this as a wedge against you. They will either drag their feet waiting to 'hear from the students official representatives', or they will to coopt the student leadership into coming out against you. This is why you have to have the SGA leadership in your corner - even if you can't stand them.

9. If you start your efforts by going to Beacon Hill to lobby on 'big picture issues', you will build the grassroots and legislative power you need to solve the local issues on campus. This is very Zen, but if you focus on the big issues, then the small ones will take care of themselves.

10. UMass needs a permanent, organized active legislative base. For years, there has been a growing number of alumni and students who recognize that the only way to fully protect and promote the University is to create an organization that will mobilize all of the related constituencies and get them moving in the same direction.

We learned that 'effective lobbying' isn't about vaguely asking a crowd of 18,000 to 'write' or sign a postcard to a legislator just one time. It is about gradually building up an organized legislative base, and then using that mobilized base to keep the pressure on - not for days or weeks, but for months and years. And that all of this has to start BEFORE the crisis starts if you are going to effectively blunt its effects.