A group of Washington University students that has led Ferguson protests on campus delivered a list of 16 demands to senior administrators that’s reminiscent of a 1960s “Black Manifesto.”
The list includes everything from revising course requirements to using a phone app specifically designed for reporting police bias.
“We must recognize that the policies and actions of Washington University are complicit in the racial and economic inequality in St. Louis,” states the foreword of their demands list, “and that this institution is complacent towards issues faced by its black students.”
The Students in Solidarity presented the list on January 23 while meeting with Chancellor Mark Wrighton, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Holden Thorpe and Associate Vice Chancellor for Students Rob Wild.
The group formed shortly after Michael Brown’s shooting death and seeks justice for victims of police brutality, said David Dwight, a group spokesperson and a biomedical engineering major. Five campuses – Maryville, Harris-Stowe State, Saint Louis, Webster and Washington universities – all have chapters of Students in Solidarity.
Dwight said they strive to “use the privilege we have as students to recognize issues going on in St. Louis.”
The extensively-bulleted list aims to achieve three main goals, according to the statement: “the improvement of the experience of people of color on campus, the development of a culturally conscientious campus population, and the repairing of Washington University’s relationship with the greater St. Louis community.”
The report even includes historical background on students in 1968 who presented a Black Position Paper (later called the Black Manifesto) to then Chancellor Thomas H. Eliot. Their ten demands followed the assault of a black student by three university police officers. And while many of their demands were met back then, 47 years later they believe “racism is just as pervasive, deeply entrenched in our educational, criminal justice and capitalist system.”
“As students, we did our research,” said Jacqui Germain, a group spokesperson and an African and African-American Studies major. “We picked these demands specifically and intentionally. It relies on administration and how committed they are to doing this type of work. The ball is in their court.”
Administrators agreed to meet with the students after their protest before winter break, said Thorpe. He believes none of their demands are unreasonable.
“I was very impressed with the thought they put into it,” said Thorpe, who came to Wash. U. in 2013 from a chancellor position at University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. “This was best researched and most carefully-thought-through set of demands I’ve ever been asked to respond to.”
Some of the demands had administrators excited about the possibilities, Thorpe said. And others would require long-term planning.
At the university’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. commemoration ceremony, Thorpe mentioned that the university was creating a diversity course. The group asked to allow student representatives to have a hand in developing and implementing the course. Thorpe said the request comes at a “good time,” since they are just getting started on that process.
Yet, they also asked the university to require all students to take a course that addresses the “social, political, economic, and history and landscape of St. Louis.” However, in order to change course requirements, the faculty would have to vote in favor of it, Thorpe said. University leaders could only make a suggestion to faculty.
The group also asked the university to publicly support Board Bill 208 for the creation of a civilian oversight board in St. Louis City. Thorpe said they already told students that they were not going to do that. When it comes to electoral policies, “we tend to stay out of things,” he said.
Thorpe thought one of the students’ creative suggestions was committing to develop university-owned land around Forest Park Southeast such that at least 50 percent of the housing development is dedicated to affordable housing.
Regarding their request for bias training for police, Thorpe said that campus police currently undergo training on “fair and impartial policing.”
Students asked that the university shared information about incidents of bias reporting with a student committee appointed by the Diversity Affairs Council and Center for Diversity and Inclusion. Thorpe said they do follow up on bias reports, but “we have not done a good job on explaining how we do that.”
As far as sharing the report information, he said that’s a slippery slope.
“We don’t want to do anything that would discourage reporting,” he said.
Administrators will meet with representatives on Monday to fully respond to their demands.
Read the full list of demands here: https://stlstudentsinsolidarity.wordpress.com.