In the spring of 1968, the Afro-American Student Union at Berkeley submitted their proposal for a Black Studies program the  administration. Declaring that Black students all over America were in state of crisis, the AASU demanded that the university implement “a program which will be of, by, and for Black people.” The AASU contended that the Black Studies program would reflect a more relevant education for Black students at Berkeley. They expected the program to evolve into an autonomous department that would ensure that Black students would be educated rather than indoctrinated.