Eric Canin Campus Activism collection

The collection consists of eleven items documenting campus activism and faculty advocacy at California State University, Fullerton between 2012 and 2024, along with one item of contextual scholarly writing. Materials fall into four thematic areas: the 2017 Milo Yiannopoulos campus visit and its aftermath, the 2024 California Faculty Association (CFA) strike, the 2012 Kelly Thomas art exhibit, and Dr. Canin's professional scholarship.

Items related to the 2017 Yiannopoulos visit include a flyer advertising the Unity Block Party (October 31, 2017), organized as an alternative event to Yiannopoulos's appearance during his "Troll Tour," and a printout of a screenshot (captured May 8, 2017) of the CSUF College Republicans' Facebook page posing a comparison between Dr. Canin and North Korea as campus threats. The screenshot references a confrontation between Dr. Canin and the College Republicans on February 7, 2017. Also present is a CSUF campus flyer bearing the heading "Beware of Professor," which relates to allegations against Dr. Canin that were subsequently disproven at an arbitration hearing.

CFA strike materials (January 22, 2024) include noise-making realia used during the strike action: a red whistle with neck chain, a kazoo, and a cowbell, all bearing or associated with CFA branding. Also included is a CFA sticker on which the printed text "Time for 12%" was altered by hand to read "Time for Respect," with the raised index finger graphic modified to resemble a raised middle finger. The Kelly Thomas materials consist of one item: a black cotton t-shirt (size XL, white lettering) advertising "Art with an Agenda: The Life and Murder of Kelly Thomas," an art exhibit held July 6, 2012 at PAS Gallery.

The scholarly item is a two-page editorial authored by Dr. Canin titled "Rise of the Trolls: Studying Mediated Hate," published in the Southwestern Anthropological Association Newsletter, Winter 2017-2018, volume 58, number 4, pages 9-10.

Several items in this collection were included in the University Archives and Special Collections exhibition "It Can't Happen Here: Campus Activism at Cal State Fullerton, 1967-2024," displayed in Fall 2025.