lang: en
Summary
In 1985, the Rutgers Coalition for Total Divestment (RCTD) at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, campaigned for the university and state to divest from companies doing business with apartheid South Africa. Through a 28-day sit-in, rallies, a hunger strike, and coalition-building, the campaign pressured the New Jersey State Assembly to pass a divestment bill. The state eventually sold 6.4 million from ten companies, achieving its primary goal.
Background
South Africa’s apartheid system, legalized in 1948, sparked opposition in the United States, especially after the end of Jim Crow laws. Rutgers University had divested from companies not adhering to the Sullivan Principles in 1978 but later reinvested, angering students. The Rutgers Coalition for Total Divestment formed to demand complete divestiture at the university and state levels, and a national embargo of South Africa [source: nv-database].
What happened
The campaign began on April 12, 1985, with a rally of over 500 supporters, followed by a sit-in at the Rutgers Student Center with about 200 participants and a hunger strike by eight members [source: nv-database]. The coalition distributed information packets, posters, and received letters of support from groups like the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania and Columbia University [source: nv-database]. On April 15, the university president condemned the coalition’s methods but not its ideology [source: nv-database]. A rally on April 18 drew 1,500 supporters, and on April 23, Reverend Jesse Jackson spoke at a rally of over 4,500 people, criticizing the Reagan administration and the university [source: nv-database]. The hunger strike ended on April 22 due to health concerns and lack of presidential attention [source: nv-database]. On April 29, the coalition called for a joint board meeting, which was refused, leading to a national sleep-in and funeral march [source: nv-database]. The campaign gained state and national attention, and the New Jersey State Assembly approved a divestment bill on a 45-17 vote, prompting the coalition to end the sit-in on May 13 [source: nv-database]. After the campaign, the state senate approved a bill to sell 6.4 million from ten companies on October 17 [source: nv-database].
Key people & organizations
- Rutgers Coalition for Total Divestment (RCTD)
- Reverend Jesse Jackson
- New Jersey Anti-Apartheid Coalition
- Valorie Caffee
- President Dr. Edward J. Bloustein
- Donald M. Dickerson
- New Jersey State Assembly
- New Jersey State Senate
- Governor Thomas H. Kean
Tactics used
- boycotts-and-strikes
- nonviolent-direct-action
- civil-resistance
- coalition-building
- petitions-and-e-campaigning
- methods-of-nonviolent-action
The coalition combined a sustained sit-in and hunger strike to create moral pressure and media attention, while rallies, petitions, and coalition-building with other universities and the New Jersey Anti-Apartheid Coalition amplified the campaign’s reach and forced legislative action [source: nv-database].
Outcome
Verdict: won.
The campaign achieved its primary goal of complete divestiture at the university and state levels: New Jersey sold 6.4 million from ten companies. However, the secondary goal of a national embargo was not met. The success was driven by the sit-in’s duration, growing public support, and legislative allies [source: nv-database].
Lessons
- A sustained, visible occupation can force institutional and legislative responses even without immediate concessions.
- Building alliances with external groups and high-profile supporters amplifies pressure and legitimacy.
- Combining multiple tactics (sit-in, hunger strike, rallies, petitions) creates overlapping pressure points.
Sources
- Global Nonviolent Action Database —
[[nv-database]]
Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.
Sources & verification
nv-database— grounding: primary — license: link-only- Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via
worker_casestudies_v2.py