This is evident in Cornell history by the 1969 Willard Straight Hall Occupation, which arose as a result of students being punished for protesting the lack of a Black studies program. The Descendants Project is an example of a modern group of Black activists who refuse to be defined by boundaries. Writing this article reminded me that I am not alone and following in the well-worn trail of Black activists and scholars like bell hooks who refused to be siloed. Cornell University is a land grant institution which profited off the dispossession of the traditional indigenous homelands. Even compared to other land grant institutions, Cornell University has profited the most significantly from this dispossession.
