HBCU administrations have a long history of being disconnected from the student body and their needs. Emerging student activism organizations like The Live Movement are making an effort to close that gap.
After 33 days, student protests at Howard University have come to an end. For those unaware, the university has heightened its disconnect with the student body to a point where students were (and still are) fed up. There were a total of 3 demands being made by student protesters, as presented in the graphic below, but the fight extends way beyond the #BlackburnTakeover.
These demands should have never had to be requested. Why were students, alumni and faculty voices on the Board of Trustees ever in question? Why was housing not in order before students got to campus? Why is our university president so inaccessible that a protest had to be held to get his attention? All valuable questions, none of which have an answer. While the university finally decided to comply after a month of students participating in a sit-in, sleeping outside in the cold, major news networks reporting and thousands of eyes on the situation, their initial responses are duly noted. The university gaslit, withheld the information and in some cases ignored the cries of their students, faculty and alumni. That will not be swept under the rug.
This protest may be over, but there is still mold in student dorms. Students will remember how they were ignored until mainstream media got involved. They’ll remember being in the hospital for respiratory issues. They’ll remember the cold concrete they had to sleep on. Howard’s PR team can do damage control, but the articles written about this event, the stories to be told, the social media posts, and the camaraderie between faculty, students, and volunteers will live on.
As a student who experienced and documented this monumental event, I would be remiss not to thank Aniyah Vines, founder of The Live Movement, Channing Hill, president of the HU chapter of the NAACP, the Hilltop, the HU chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists Association, all the protesters, and even celebrity figures like Rev. Jesse Jackson, Yandy Smith and 1017 Artists that helped raise awareness.
The Live Movement is aware that other HBCU students want the same opportunity to hold their schools accountable and make structural change within their universities. As The Live Movement founder, Aniyah Vines, states, “Please know there is a lot in store, we’re not done at Howard. There’s a historic disconnect between administration and student bodies not just at Howard but at a lot of HBCUs… So the Blackburn Takeover is over but the Live Movement is just starting.” While this chapter is over, the next chapter will begin soon.
While much has been accomplished, the student body has not received details on the settlement made between protesters and administration. This is ironic, given that the demonstration was based on transparency, and the inclusion of student, faculty and alumni voices. However, students have expressed they don’t feel those immediate changes. Many were not present at Blackburn during the protest, but supported it through monetary donations and spreading awareness on social media, which both proved instrumental to the success of this protest. The “what’s next” has yet to be illuminated, but students remain hopeful for further information. Let’s hope those 33 days were not in vain.
If you are at an HBCU and you feel like you are not being heard by your administration, please refer to the graphic below and reach out!