Third World Liberation Front Panel 2.0

Third World Liberation Front Panel 2.0

About

On June 10, 2024, UC Berkeley's High School Ethnic Studies Initiative hosted a panel on the history of the 1969 Third World Liberation Front at UC Berkeley, the movement that led to the creation of the first Ethnic Studies Department.  This panel, following a similar one held in 2023, featured original strikers from the 1969 Third World Liberation Front strike at UC Berkeley, and Professor Waldo Martin, UC Berkeley historian specializing in social movements of the 1960s. UC Berkeley Ethnic Studies undergraduate students moderated a discussion tailored to high school educators teaching Ethnic Studies courses. It covered the intentionality behind the creation of Ethnic Studies, hopes for its future, and included a special message for instructors.

Featured panelists:

  • Clementina Duron is a 1969 TWLF Student Striker, and UC Berkeley Alum, and a public school teacher and principal for 30 years in Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco
  • Harvey Dong has been a Lecturer in the Asian American & Asian Diaspora Program at UC Berkeley for 22 years. He was active in the Asian American Political Alliance and the TWLF strike of 1969 which led to the establishment of Ethnic Studies and Asian Studies at UC Berkeley. As part of the work of Asian Studies in the community, he became involved in the opening of the Asian Studies Field Office in San Francisco Manilatown-Chinatown which evolved into the Asian Community Center. He uses his community work experience to bring life to his Asian American history, Chinese American history, and Asian American Community Issues courses.
  • Vicci Wong is a 1969 TWLF UC Berkeley Student Striker, UC Berkeley Alum and co-founder of the Asian American Political Alliance (AAPA) that originated the term and concept of Asian American; and cofounder of the Salinas chapter of the United Farmworkers Union. While a community and labor organizer, was elected Manager of the Chinatown Co-op, the first workers-owned garment factory in the world that was part of the International Hotel. Cofounder of the May 4th Singers, the 1st Asian American anti-imperialist cultural group, lead singer of several revolutionary rock bands like Repe
  • Waldo Martin is the Alexander F. & May T. Morrison Professor of American History & Citizenship, History UC Berkeley

Moderators

  • Clara Mangali (they/she) is a UC Berkeley Undergraduate majoring in Sociology and minoring in Ethnic Studies. They currently work as a Program Assistant at the American Cultures Center. They are an organizer with the League of Filipino Students, an anti-imperialist youth and student organization fighting for genuine democracy in the Philippines. 

  • Melissa Palmerin (she/her), UC Berkeley Alum, majored in Chicanx Studies, cofounded LUCHA (Established in the Summer of 2023 to combat the forced displacement of the Latinx community from the Latinx Student Resource Center, this Latinx organization upholds the legacy of MASC and MEChA, fighting for the dignity of our people.