Campus Alert Archive
Princeton

The 32 Hours Inside Eisgruber's Office: Princeton's Black Justice League Sit-In

NJcivil unrestadvisorymedium confidence

At 11:30 AM EST on November 18, 2015, more than 200 Princeton students walked out of classes and marched to Nassau Hall, the administrative seat of Princeton. Members of the Black Justice League entered the office of President Christopher L. Eisgruber and began a sit-in that lasted approximately 32 hours. Their demands included removing the name of Woodrow Wilson (Class of 1879) from the policy school and a residential college; cultural-competency training for faculty; affinity housing; and a distribution requirement focused on the history of marginalized peoples. Princeton's communications office handled the event with community messages and Department of Public Safety advisories rather than TigerAlert emergency notifications.

Alerts
3
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
Princeton University
Private R1 · NJ
~8,000 studentsPrinceton TigerAlert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

ADVISORYEmail
Approximate reconstruction400 chars
Princeton University Community Notice: A peaceful student demonstration is currently underway at Nassau Hall. Students from the Black Justice League and other community members have entered the building and are speaking with administrators. Department of Public Safety is on site to ensure safety. There is no public-safety emergency. Other administrative offices remain available by phone and email.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from Princeton Alumni Weekly and Daily Princetonian coverage of the November 18 walkout and sit-in
Princeton classified this as a community notice rather than a TigerAlert because the demonstration was peaceful and announced — no continuing physical threat
Specifying that other administrative offices remain reachable is a practical operational note, not boilerplate — Nassau Hall houses the President's, Provost's, and many other administrative functions
Department of Public Safety presence was deliberately low-key, consistent with Princeton's policy of avoiding visible police response to peaceful demonstrations
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction379 chars
Princeton University Update: The student sit-in in the office of President Eisgruber continues into a second day. Conversations between students and administrators are ongoing. The University respects the right of community members to engage in peaceful protest and remains committed to substantive dialogue about the issues raised. Other University operations continue normally.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from Princeton Alumni Weekly's coverage noting the sit-in extended past 24 hours into a second day
The 'substantive dialogue' framing was deliberate — Princeton was signaling willingness to engage with demands without conceding to all of them
Other University operations continuing normally is the standard reassurance to non-participating students and parents
FOLLOW-UPEmail
Approximate reconstructionReconstructed from Princeton Alumni Weekly coverage of the November 19 sit-in conclusion427 chars
Princeton University Update: The sit-in at Nassau Hall has concluded. President Eisgruber and student representatives have agreed to a process for considering a set of revised proposals on issues including the legacy of Woodrow Wilson, faculty cultural-competency training, affinity housing, and the curriculum. The University thanks the community for engaging civilly. Substantive discussions will continue in the weeks ahead.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Eisgruber signed a revised set of demands at the conclusion — a formal commitment to a process, not to specific outcomes
The 32-hour duration of the sit-in is documented in the Daily Princetonian's five-years-later project
Princeton's April 2016 Board of Trustees decision to retain Wilson's name was a setback for the Black Justice League; the name was ultimately removed in 2020 after the George Floyd protests
Context

Background

The Black Justice League was founded in September 2014 by 15 Princeton students to bring Black Lives Matter to campus. On November 18, 2015 — exactly nine days after the Concerned Student 1950 victories at Mizzou — more than 200 Princeton students walked out of classes at 11:30 AM EST and marched to Nassau Hall. BJL members entered President Christopher Eisgruber's office and began a sit-in that lasted approximately 32 hours. Demands centered on Woodrow Wilson's legacy: Wilson (Class of 1879, U.S. President, and Princeton president 1902-1910) had segregated the federal government during his presidency, and his name was on the School of Public and International Affairs and a residential college. BJL also demanded affinity housing, faculty cultural-competency training, and a curriculum requirement on the history of marginalized peoples. Princeton's communications office handled the event through community notices and Department of Public Safety advisories rather than TigerAlert emergency notifications — a deliberate institutional choice reflecting the protest's peaceful and announced character. President Eisgruber signed a revised set of demands at the sit-in's conclusion. In April 2016, Princeton's Board of Trustees voted to retain Wilson's name on campus buildings — a setback that BJL leaders publicly criticized. After the George Floyd protests in 2020, Princeton removed Wilson's name from the School of Public and International Affairs and Wilson College. Affinity housing was ultimately established. The case is the canonical example of how Princeton's communications operation distinguishes peaceful occupation events from Clery emergency notifications, and how a 32-hour sit-in can produce both immediate process commitments and delayed structural change.
Analysis

Key Findings

Princeton used community notices rather than TigerAlert emergency notifications because the sit-in was peaceful and announced — no continuing physical threat
The 32-hour sit-in concluded with Eisgruber signing a revised set of demands, not specific outcome concessions
Princeton's April 2016 Board of Trustees vote to retain Wilson's name was a setback for the Black Justice League
Wilson's name was ultimately removed from the School of Public and International Affairs and Wilson College in 2020, after the George Floyd protests
Affinity housing — one of the BJL demands — was ultimately established, demonstrating delayed implementation
The case is a defining example of how universities communicate during a peaceful, announced occupation versus a Clery emergency
Outcome
Sit-in concluded after approximately 32 hours with President Eisgruber signing a revised set of demands. In April 2016, Princeton's Board of Trustees voted to retain Wilson's name on campus buildings — a result the Black Justice League considered a setback. In 2020, after the George Floyd protests, Princeton ultimately removed Wilson's name from the School of Public and International Affairs and Wilson College. Affinity housing was eventually established.
Provenance

Sources

  1. encyclopedia
    Black Justice League — Wikipedia
    en.wikipedia.org
  2. News
    Black Justice League at Princeton University Stages Sit-in, Demands School Remove Woodrow Wilson's Name from Buildings — Planet Princeton (November 18, 2015)
    planetprinceton.com
  3. Official
    PART I | 'Resurfacing History': A Look Back at the Black Justice League's Campus Activism — Princeton AAS Department
    aas.princeton.edu
  4. alumni publication
    Occupying Nassau Hall — Princeton Alumni Weekly
    paw.princeton.edu
  5. alumni publication
    Updates: The Nassau Hall Sit-In and Wilson's Legacy — Princeton Alumni Weekly
    paw.princeton.edu
  6. Student Paper
    The BJL sit-in five years later — The Daily Princetonian project
    projects.dailyprincetonian.com
Tags
civil-unrestsit-inblack-justice-leaguewoodrow-wilsonprincetonprivate-r1new-jerseynassau-halltitle-viraceadvisorynovember-2015
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion