Sheila Knox, one of the Oshkosh 94, shares a conversation with UW-Oshkosh senior Larson Lewis beneath an archival Oshkosh Advance-Titan front page covering the 1968 Black Thursday protest.
Sheila Knox paused in front of a black-and-white photo of the 1968 Dempsey Hall protest, her eyes moving across the faces of classmates arrested with her more than half a century ago. Beside her stood Larson Lewis, a senior public relations major from Stevens Point, and vice president of the Black Student Union, leaning in to listen as she shared a memory—one generation passing a story to the next.
Members of the Oshkosh 94 gather inside Dr. Dorian Boyland University Hall during this year’s Remembering the Oshkosh 94: A Campus Legacy of Courage and Change event. Front row, from left: Noreen Johnson, Juanita Collier and Sheila Knox. Back row, from left: Jerrel Malone, Glenn Ross, Joel Johnson, Robert Hayes, Ervin Weatherby and Bradley Thurman.
Inside Dr. Boyland University Hall, members of the UW-Oshkosh community gathered Wednesday evening for Remembering the Oshkosh 94: A Campus Legacy of Courage and Change.
For Knox, being inside Boyland University Hall brought the past and present together.
“Standing here for a campus-wide event, in a building that came into existence because of what we fought for during Black Thursday, feels like a full-circle moment,” said Knox, who received an honorary doctorate in December 2018 for her role as one of the Oshkosh 94. “It’s amazing, and I’m very happy about it.”
This year’s Black Thursday remembrance marked the first time the event has been held under the newly renamed and renovated Boyland University Hall—the restored Victorian-style home on Algoma Boulevard that for decades served as UW-Oshkosh’s Multicultural Education Center (MEC). The MEC itself was created in the early 1970s as a direct result of the activism of the Oshkosh 94, whose courage on Nov. 21, 1968, forever changed the University.
Through photos, letters and film clips, visitors experienced the story of Black Thursday, the protest when 94 Black students stood together to demand justice and equity on their campus.
A Defining Moment
Fifty-seven years ago, the students who became known as the Oshkosh 94 entered the president’s office in Dempsey Hall, protesting the racial hostility they faced daily. Their demands included hiring more Black faculty, fairer treatment in residence halls and classrooms, and better support for students of color.
UW-Oshkosh senior Larson Lewis, Anthony Miller Jr. ’13, ’15 MSE, and Sheila Knox, one of the Oshkosh 94, speak in the O94 room, where historic photos and reflection questions invite visitors to think about the legacy of Black Thursday.
When the protest ended, all 94 were arrested, jailed and expelled. Many eventually rebuilt their lives—some entering the workforce, some joining the military, others continuing their education elsewhere.
At the 50-year anniversary in 2018, then-Chancellor Andrew Leavitt formally apologized for the injustices of that day.
BSU adviser Wendell Ray emphasized why the story must keep being told.
“Each year, a new group of students, faculty and staff is on campus,” said Ray, RTF instructor and General Manager, 90.3 WRST-FM. “They should have the opportunity to learn about what happened.”
This year, in addition to Knox, eight members of the Oshkosh 94 attended the remembrance: Jerrel Malone, Juanita Collier, Robert Hayes, Noreen Johnson, Joel Johnson, Glenn Ross, Bradley Thurman and Ervin Weatherby. Their presence gave students a rare chance to speak directly with those who shaped this history.
A Student-Driven Vision
As vice president of the Black Student Union, Lewis—a senior public relations major from Stevens Point—helped lead the planning for this year’s remembrance alongside his fellow BSU members. Recalling past events, he said the team wanted a more personal and engaging experience.
Wendell Ray
“We didn’t want it to feel like another class where you just sit there and listen to someone lecture,” he said. “We wanted an atmosphere where people could come and go as they pleased and take as much time as they needed.”
The walk-through exhibit featured archival photos, artifacts and a short film retelling the events of 1968. Conversations with members of the Oshkosh 94 helped students understand the emotional weight of the protest.
On the first floor of Boyland University Hall, visitors gathered in small groups for open conversations and Q&A sessions with members of the Oshkosh 94. Upstairs, a projector played Black Thursday Remembered, the documentary produced by UWO history professor Stephen Kercher, while a nearby room invited guests to move through black-and-white photographs paired with reflection questions encouraging deeper thought about the protest and its legacy.
Ray said the continued involvement of the original Oshkosh 94 makes a profound impact on today’s students.
UW-Oshkosh history professor Stephen Kercher examines newspaper coverage of the 1968 Black Thursday protest with students inside Boyland University Hall, where his documentary Black Thursday Remembered was shown as part of the campus remembrance event.
He said meeting them face-to-face is powerful for students.
“I hope they recognize the tremendous price these students paid and ultimately the tremendous benefit their actions provide,” Ray said.
Among those deeply moved was Citlalli Torres, a junior nursing major from Fort Atkinson, who attended with her classmates from an Introduction to Social Justice course.
“One of the biggest takeaways I took from this was that they were regular students who decided they couldn’t stay silent anymore,” Torres said. “Many of the Oshkosh 94 kept pushing for equality, education and change. Talking to them shows how courage is often just young people refusing to accept what’s unfair.”
Reflections from Leadership
UW-Oshkosh Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Ed Martini said the event’s student leadership made the evening especially meaningful.
“It’s a great event, and the fact that it’s organized primarily by students is particularly appropriate, given that we’re honoring students who did so much as part of the Oshkosh 94,” Martini said. “And holding it here in Boyland Hall adds significance as we work to redefine what this building is and what it means to our current students.”
As a historian, Martini emphasized why this history still matters today.
“It’s a huge part of our institutional history. The world was very different 57 years ago, and it’s important to understand where we’ve been,” he said. “While we’ve come a long way since that period, we still have work left to do. If we really want to honor the legacy of our former and current students, we need to keep asking what more we can do.”
Oshkosh 94 Student Leadership Award
Created in 2014, the African-American Student Leadership Award—now known as the Oshkosh 94 Student Leadership Award—was established for full-time African American undergraduates of junior status or higher who demonstrate academic achievement and leadership that strengthens the experiences of African American students at UW-Oshkosh. The annual $2,500 award is given in memory of the Oshkosh 94, recognizing students who advance equity, inclusion and social justice on campus. Members of the O94 remain closely connected to the award, with Knox serving as liaison each year.
“It is a very satisfying feeling to know that this scholarship will help students complete their education and carry on our legacy,” Knox said.
Black Thursday Remembered | Moving Forward – YouTube
The Long Road to Healing
For Knox, each return to campus brings mixed emotions.
“We stood up for our rights as students and as human beings to be treated with respect and fairness,” she said. “We looked out for each other and after all these years we are still together as friends and work in our communities to help others.”
Knox said the healing process has unfolded slowly over the years.
“Our real healing began when Chancellor Andrew Leavitt brought us all together in 2018 to apologize for how we were harshly treated as young students in 1968,” she said, adding, “even after all this time, the healing continues.”
Closing the evening, Lewis said he hopes visitors left inspired to act.
“I hope people leave with a better understanding of not just this campus but also themselves,” Lewis said. “The 94 people who stood for what they believed in were no different than the students walking on campus today. I hope everyone leaves with the idea that they too can make a change.”
Learn more:
Black Thursday Remember – Moving Forward video