Special to the Post

Jerry Wayne Varnado, who passed away on Sept. 8, 2021, was a leader of the most successful and long-lasting student strike in the history of U.S. education.  

He was a founder of the first Black Student Union in the country and later became a practicing attorney.

Born on July 7, 1944, in Jackson, Miss., Varnado was the first of nine children born to John Otis and Lula Mae Varnado. Jerry graduated from Jim Hill High School in 1962.

He was determined to leave the South and aspired to go to school in California. He joined the Air Force and upon discharge, he used his veteran benefits to go to college. 

He moved to San Francisco and lived with his aunt, within walking distance of San Francisco State University (SFSU). He was admitted to SF State in 1966 and initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc in 1967. His fraternity brothers recognized his leadership potential and immediately elected him chapter president. 

Varnado earned a B.A. in economics in 1969 and later a law degree from UC Hastings College of the Law.

As a student at S.F. State, he was involved with the Negro Students Association and co-founded the Black Student Union (BSU). In 1968, he and fellow BSU leaders established a coalition with the Third World Liberation Front, other students, faculty, and community members and organized the longest student strike in the history of the nation to protest the lack of access, misrepresentation, and the overall neglect of indigenous peoples and people of color within the university’s curriculum and programs. 

The strikers’ demands reflected a respect for the diverse intellectual traditions and cultural expressions of scholars, activists, and artists of color and indigenous people throughout the country. 

The strike fought for tenure for minority instructors, Dr. Nathan Hare and open enrollment for African American students, including actors Danny Glover and Clarence Williams III. 

Historically, SFSU, as a 4-year non HBCU, admitted more African American freshmen in the fall of 1969 than any other U.S. university. The activism and sacrifices of Varnado and other strikers were the impetus for the founding of the College of Ethnic Studies with departments in Africana Studies (formerly Black Studies), American Indian Studies, Asian American Studies, and Latina/o Studies (formerly La Raza Studies) in 1969. 

Their efforts enabled future generations of students at SFSU to learn about the histories, cultures, and intellectual traditions of communities of color and indigenous peoples in the U.S. in the first-person and also to practice theories of resistance and liberation to eliminate racism and other forms of oppression. 

Varnado lived a life of leadership, mentorship, and support to his community, family, and friends.

After completing his studies at SFSU and his law degree, he practiced law in the San Francisco Bay Area. He married the love of his life, Marilyn D. Jones in 1980, who he met at SFSU but later reunited in 1976. 

Jerry and Marilyn had two sons: Jerry R.H. Varnado and Charles C. Varnado. 

Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, he could not gather with friends and family, and this brought him more despair than being ill.

Preceding him in death were his father and mother John Otis and Lula Mae Varnado;  brother, John Otis Varnado Jr.; and sisters, State Senator Alice Varnado Harden (Dennis) and Mildred L. Robinson (Willie).

He leaves to cherish his memory his five sisters Wilma G. Butler (Alex), Dr. Phillis Varnado, Shirley Varnado, Sharron Porter (Andrew) and Dr Jacqueline Jackson (Wilton) along with a myriad of uncles, aunts, cousins, and dear friends, 

Donations Services will be held on October 8 and attendance will be limited to family and close friends due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Donations may be made with a check made payable to the “University Corporation, San Francisco” with “Jerry Varnado Scholarship Donation” noted on the memo line. Please mail donations to:

Office of University Development
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Ave., ADM 153
San Francisco, CA 94132

The San Francisco Post’s coverage of local news in San Francisco County is supported by the Ethnic Media Sustainability Initiative, a program created by California Black Media and Ethnic Media Services to support community newspapers across California.