Interactive Portal

Background image: Collage of original 1969 TWLF protesters and modern day student protests in front of Sather Gate

About

Our interactive portal has been designed to centralize community resources, scholarship, and information on academic units engaged in research and activities related to the Third World Liberation Front. This portal aims to bridge gaps between units across campus and beyond, fostering collaboration and shared understanding among those studying or interested in TWLF’s history and legacy. By centering and uplifting resources and stories from campus and local communities, this portal serves as a comprehensive guide for educators, students, researchers, and community members seeking to deepen their knowledge of TWLF movements.


The portal not only facilitates access to research tools and collaborative opportunities but also encourages the exchange of ideas and findings. It’s crafted to promote synergies, ensuring that the collective work on TWLF is more impactful and interconnected. In the spirit of solidarity and community collaboration, we welcome submissions from people who have engaged in organizing, researching, projects, and stories that uplift this radical legacy of the TWLF.

Do you have a story, idea, or resource you'd like to see featured on our site? Please share your suggestions through our Google Form. Your insights help us enrich our collective narrative.

Historic TWLF Events Map

Preview key locations of the TWLF-related events on our interactive historic map.

UC Berkeley TWLF Academic & Research Network

Visit this page to learn about campus units and initiatives dedicated to developing TWLF research

Community Stories

Here you will find community stories about, related to, or in the spirit/legacy of the TWLF Strikes. These stories highlight the momentous efforts by students, faculty, and community members who have and continue to engage in work that pushes for a liberatory education.

Image of student Dayane Silva reading her children's book to students at Hoover Elementary School in Oakland.

UC Berkeley students combat K-12 book bans by creating their own children’s books

To combat the rampant rise of K-12 book bans, continuing lecturer in the Department of Ethnic Studies Dr. Pablo Gonzalez assigned students in his Chicano 50 class the task of writing and illustrating children’s books that highlighted significant figures in Chicano history. Once published, the hard copies of these books will be distributed to school districts in states where ethnic history is openly censored. This community story highlights the continuation of the TWLF principle of a relevant education that reflects the histories of students of color. Learn more.

Image of The Daily Californian logo

A project of love: Ethnic studies and the legacy of the Third World Liberation Front

This Daily Cal article by Saya Abney highlights the legacy of the TWLF Strikes, emphasizing how the discipline of Ethnic Studies itself is a project that is rooted in the value of love. Learn More.

Community Resources

Image of the High School Ethnic Studies Initiative logo

High School Ethnic Studies Initiative (HSESI)

The UC Berkeley High School Ethnic Studies Initiative (HSESI) is a collaboration between The American Cultures Center, The Department of Ethnic Studies, and History-Social Science Project developing curriculum materials to support Bay Area teachers and school districts meeting the 2025-26 school-year rollout of the California Ethnic Studies high school graduation requirement. 

Image of Liberated Ethnic Studies logo

Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Consortium

The LESMC's purpose is to promote the advancement and implementation of well-designed Ethnic Studies courses and programs for the purpose of advancing students’ academic achievement, educational equity, community activist scholarship, and community leadership skills.1 Learn more.

Image of Bienvenidxs sign at Chicanx Latinx Student Development Office

Multicultural Student Development (MSD) Offices

The seeds that were planted by the Third World Liberation Front and the struggle for Ethnic Studies led to the creation of various Multicultural Student Development Offices (MSD), including the Asian Pacific American Student Development (APASD), Chicanx Latinx Student Development (CLSD), African American Student Development (AASD) and Native American Student Development (NASD). According to an oral history interview, 1969 TWLF student striker, Francisco Hernandez, drew connections between the TWLF and the Multicultural Student Development offices. He recalled that immediately following the creation of the Chicanx Latinx Studies Program (then called Chicano Studies), the students began to organize after recognizing that their needs and their community members’ needs were being unmet, tackling the issue of recruitment. The Berkeley chapter of MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán) staged a sit-in in California Hall, insisting that the administration not go back on their word to recruit and admit more Latinx students. It was students advocating for recruitment and retention that eventually led to the establishment of the various MSD offices.

These MSD offices serve the changing needs of the diverse student body by providing students with accessible academic, campus, and mental health resources. These offices also provide students with support navigating UC Berkeley and a space to help them cultivate community.2 Learn More

Image of Multicultural Community Center Logo by Dignidad Rebelde

Multicultural Community Center (MCC)

The Multicultural Community Center (MCC) at UC Berkeley exists today as a part of TWLF’s enduring legacy. Established in the aftermath of the 1999 twLF Strike, which echoed the demands and spirit of the 1969 TWLF strike, the MCC was born out of student-led activism aiming to counteract cuts to UC Berkeley’s Department of Ethnic Studies. Since its inception, the MCC has been deeply rooted in the principles of TWLF, embracing a student-led vision that has been shaped by a “dynamic history of struggle” striving to expand its impact and nurture a community dedicated to justice, community empowerment, and self-determination.3  The MCC serves as a community space for student and community engagement offering a wide range of programs, events, and community resources. As it looks to the future, the MCC is committed to ensuring the legacy of TWLF remains a living and evolving at UC Berkeley. Learn more

image of bridges Multicultural Resource Center logo

bridges Multicultural Resource Center

The bridges Multicultural Resource Center at the University of California, Berkeley was established when five student-run and student-initiated organizations came together to form a collective to meet the needs of underrepresented students of color after the passing of Proposition 209 in 1996. They strive to recruit underrepresented students of color into higher education at all levels and are committed to providing resources to retain these students. ​Through multicultural collaboration, bridges Multicultural Resource Center seeks to:

-Empower underrepresented, students of color to pursue opportunities for post-secondary education

-Provide support for newly admitted first-year, transfer, as well as continuing and re-entry students of color

-Increase cross-cultural dialogue and solidarity, cultural awareness, and political mobilization

-Acquire the financial, institutional, and physical resources to facilitate the work of member organizations

Learn More.