student organizing – Penn Disorientation Guide

Remembering the MOVE Bombing

The MOVE bombing killed 11 people, including 5 children, and leveled two blocks containing over 60 homes. This image shows the massive destruction in the following days.

updated 2025 On May 13th, 1985, the Philadelphia government used military explosives to bomb the headquarters of MOVE, a radical Black environmentalist group, in the neighborhood of Cobbs Creek in West Philadelphia. As a result of this horrifying act of police violence, the bomb and resulting fire killed 11 MOVE members, including five children, andContinue reading “Remembering the MOVE Bombing”

Lynching victims in the dissecting room: Penn’s record of desecrating Black human remains

Clipping from the Inquirer (1894) by Anonymous, 2025 The University of Pennsylvania’s history is a story of scientific racism and dehumanizing practices. In 2021, facing pressure from racial justice community organizers, the Penn Museum and the University issued long overdue apologies for displaying the skulls of enslaved Africans in a eugenist collection and for stealingContinue reading “Lynching victims in the dissecting room: Penn’s record of desecrating Black human remains”

Cultural Resource Centers: A Decades-long Battle

Over time, marginalized students and staff formed their own communities on campus and advocated for formal recognition from the University of Pennsylvania. These are their stories.

On-Campus Organizations

There are many organizations at Penn striving to improve the University for its students, workers, and surrounding community members. We encourage you to find a group that aligns with your identity and values and get involved.

Off-Campus Organizations

There are countless Philly-based organizations doing transformative work in the city, whether that be in labor reform, housing advocacy, racial justice, or food security. Here are a few groups to get involved with!

Defanging Radicals

Penn continuously undermines its own students and community members to preserve its institutional power. Here are some of their strategies, so you can name and successfully oppose them…

Tying it All Together

Antiwar demonstrators following the Penn marching band during Hey Day in 1972. Students rallied to protest the U.S.'s involvement in the Vietnam War and Penn's role in funding the war effort. In a black and white photo, students with signs and a megaphone confront band members playing their instruments. Photo courtesy of Penn Archives.

We hope that, rather than being demoralized by Penn’s lengthy list of faults recorded in these articles, the DG inspires you to partake in collective action, and that the resources you can find at the end of this guide help you with your efforts. In the wise words of activist Mariame Kaba…“let this radicalize you rather than lead you to despair.”

A Protestor’s Guide: How to Navigate Penn’s Administrators and Disciplinary System

Hidden in plain sight along Locust Walk is Penn’s very own Center for Community Standards and Accountability (CSA), right next to the Arts, Research, & Cultural House. Formerly known as the Office of Student Conduct (OSC), this office handles disciplinary cases at Penn, including multiple recent cases against peaceful protestors.

Penn’s Problematic History of Union-busting

As workers across the country demand better treatment and stronger representation, Penn stands in the way of organizing workers on campus and acts as a bystander while companies across Philadelphia implement similar union-busting tactics. Corporations, like Penn, use common union-busting strategies to keep workers divided, demoralized, and controlled.

Penn Can do More to Support FGLI Students

Despite receiving varying degrees of financial aid, many FGLI students still struggle with their financial circumstances while attending Penn. Only 3.3 percent of students at Penn are from America’s bottom 20 percent of family income, while 71 percent are from the top 20 percent and 19 percent are from the top 1 percent.