The morning of Willard Straight Hall's occupation, April 18th, 1969, eleven fire alarms sounded across Cornell's campus responding to a burning cross outside of Wari House, the black women's cooperative housing. This event, alongside innumerable others across the United States, led to a two-day occupation of Cornell's Student Union. The result was a kick-started dialogue between students and faculty on racial equity across campus. The commemorative courtyard serves to teach and to promote contemplation as Cornell and the larger community continue to pursue racial justice.
