Silent Vigil Photograph

Silent Vigil Photograph

In response to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and later in support of increased wages for striking food service and housekeeping workers, Duke students staged the Silent Vigil in April 1968. The students first peacefully occupied the house of President Douglas Knight, then moved to the main quad. The weeklong Vigil, which included speeches, singing, and periods of silence, led to an increase in the minimum wage for the largely Black dining and housekeeping staff.

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 DEED

1968

Silent Vigil Photograph, University Archives Photograph Collection, box 54, The Vigil, 1968 Folder, Duke University Archives, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

Black and white photograph of students on a quad with signs.

staff; photographs

1968