Student Organization for Black Unity facts for kids

The Student Organization for Black Unity (SOBU) was a group of African American students in North Carolina, United States. It was started in 1969 in Greensboro by Nelson Johnson. The group first aimed to keep schools for Black students separate. They wanted to make sure Black students felt proud and equal, not less than white students.

SOBU was part of the Black Power movement, which worked for Black people's rights and pride. Later, the group changed its name to the Youth Organization for Black Unity (YOBU). It started working for the civil rights of all Black people in the community. Roderick D. Bush changed the name.

In the early 1960s, the Black sit-in movement began in North Carolina. Students and the Black community held many protests. In 1968 and 1969, there were conflicts between Black students and police. By the early 1970s, YOBU was based in Greensboro. It had many Black student members across the state. In 1972, YOBU organized a "Save Black School" campaign. Nearly five thousand Black students protested at the State Capital in Raleigh. Nelson Johnson, as chairman of YOBU, and other activists helped organize Black community groups. These groups led protests for fair rent and workers' rights into the 1970s.

Why the Group Started

For a long time in North Carolina, laws called Jim Crow laws kept Black people and white people separate. This meant Black colleges, like North Carolina A&T State University and Bennett College, were created. These schools gave Black students an education when white colleges would not accept them.

In the 1970s, after the Civil Rights Movement, there was a push to mix students of all races in these schools. The Student Organization for Black Unity (SOBU) was formed to keep these schools mainly for Black students. They wanted to help students feel proud of their heritage and build a strong community. SOBU members worried that mixing schools might lower the quality of education for Black students. They also feared that Black leaders and teachers might be replaced.

About the Founder

Nelson Johnson was a leader who believed in equal rights for all races. He thought people should either be completely equal or completely separate, but with equal resources. He was very active in the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power movement. Johnson was part of groups like Youth Educational Services. He also worked with the Greensboro Association for Poor People. Johnson started the Student Organization for Black Unity in May 1969.

What the Group Did

SOBU mostly focused on helping communities at a local level. They worked to improve neighborhoods rather than just protesting against unfairness. This way, they gained a lot of support from people in the community.

Sometimes, they took a more direct role in the Black Power movement. When schools were going to be mixed, SOBU members took part in a sit-in. About sixty students occupied the Allen Building on Duke University's campus. The group also held a "black week" to share their message. This event also helped students feel proud of their African heritage.

Members of SOBU also wrote a report for the United Nations. As time went on, the group, now called YOBU, became more focused on political ideas about equality and Black pride. When the organization later ended, many of its leaders joined the Communist Workers Party.