during the second semester of the 1966-'67 academic year, richard w. roper, one of 20 black students enrolled at the time, was elected president of the naacp campus chapter. roper and his like-minded colleagues wanted social justice and demanded greater democratic access. they began to push for more radicalized direction of the group fueled by national debates, the assassination of dr. king and malcolm x, protests about integration, state power and freedom. a new organization was launched. the black organization of students, or b.o.s., established a powerful narrative of justice, peaceful discontent and equitable opportunity in the history of rutgers university through a bloodless coup. it received support from cross-sections of the rutgers newark communities. similar to the convergence of black and anti-war movements in 1967, it was the joining of these forces and ideals by b.o.s. members and their supporters particularly the puerto rican organization of students that led to petitioning of the university's administration to tear down the physical fence that