Robert Bennett oral history interview May Be Restricted

This Scope and Content note was originally generated using GPT-4 (gpt-4o-2024-08-06) and ChatGPT (gpt-4o) on 2024-10-14. It was then reviewed/edited by a human.

Oral history interview with Robert Bennett, Class of 1969, on his experience as a Black student at Dartmouth during the civil rights era. Bennett describes growing up with his mother and grandparents in a segregated neighborhood in Georgia before moving to Cincinnati and later Chicago as a high schooler. He discusses his decision to attend Dartmouth on a National Achievement Scholarship, where he majored in history and played on the football team. He describes instances of elitism and racism he saw in white, wealthy classmates. He describes his role in helping to found and lead the Afro-American Society and spearheading and planning direct actions such as the protest against Governor George Wallace's visit in 1967. He reflects on the changes effected by the Afro-American Society, including the creation of the Shabazz Center and increased Black student and faculty recruitment. Bennet recounts his life and career after Dartmouth, earning a law degree from Yale, working with the African National Congress, and participating in the movement against South African apartheid. He ends by reflecting on his time at Dartmouth and encourages young students of color to seek intellectual liberation."