Black Student Union at California State University, Los Angeles Issues Demands

Black Student Union

California State University, Los Angeles

Calstatelabsu@gmail.com

11/22/2015

To: William A. Covino           

California State University, Los Angeles
5151 State University Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90032

President Covino,

Black students at Cal State LA have been, and still are, consistently made the targets of racist attacks by fellow students, faculty, and administration.  These attacks come in many forms. Some are more overt and some subtle.  Racially insensitive remarks, and micro-aggressions, by professors and students create a learning environment that is not conducive to the overall learning atmosphere. This presents unnecessary barriers to the success of Black students here on campus.  As the percentage of Black students at Cal State L.A. decreases, the intensity and frequency of these racially driven occurrences has increased.  It is your duty as president of this university to address the concerns of ALL of your students, as well as, create and implement programs that will attract and increase the Black student population at Cal State L.A. (i.e., programs such as GO East LA but for Black students). CSLA continues to fail Black students, by not responding, or taking any steps towards the improvement of the campus atmosphere as it relates to its Black students. This university has a history of a poor racial climate, and we, as the Black Student Union and Black student body, will not take it anymore.  You must do all that you can to make sure that Black students, currently only 4% of the student body, feel welcomed, safe, and at home at the university that was built on our backs. CSLA must follow in the steps of UC Santa Barbara and UC Berkeley, to support Black students during such a critical time in our history.  However, since nothing has been done in recent years, the Black Student Union, along with the entire black student body of CSLA, is DEMANDING that CSLA administrators work with the Black student Union towards the development of a more positive campus climate by complying with the demands as set forth:

1. WE DEMAND $20,000.00 dollars per quarter allocated to the Black Student Union, an organization necessary for Black student development. The Black Student Union is one of the largest student organizations; yet, there is currently no operating budget.

2. WE DEMAND a CSLA Anti-discrimination policy. Furthermore, we demand that cultural competency training be given to all faculty and staff. It is a shame that discriminatory and racist incidents continue to happen on campus, and those responsible do not face any repercussions. An anti-discrimination policy would outline exactly what discriminatory behavior looks like, and what the consequences are when such policy is violated.

3. WE DEMAND a $30 million dollar endowment to help support Black students financially, akin to the initiative that is being implemented at UC Berkeley. Many Black students must work 2-3 jobs in order to pay for the continually rising cost of education. Funding is one of the reasons why many Black students do not apply to CSLA, and also a hindrance to many that are accepted. For a University that is as “diverse” as CSLA, something must be done to make sure that Black students are financially secure.

4. WE DEMAND Black scholarships geared to black students who are both athletes and non-athletes.

5. WE DEMAND that the Pan African Studies Department projects, programs, and initiatives be fully funded beginning with an additional $100,000.00 for the 2015/2016 academic year.

6. WE DEMAND the creation of a Master’s program in the Pan African Studies Department.

7. WE DEMAND the hiring of ten tenured track professors in the Pan African Studies Department. We also DEMAND a continuous commitment to the hiring of Black faculty across all academic disciplines. We want one in-house advisor for the Pan African Studies Department.

8. WE DEMAND $500,000 in funding for outreach programs that will focus on the recruitment of Black high school students as well as transfer students. This program should be facilitated and overseen by the Pan African Studies Department. There must be an increase in the Black student body from 4% to 15% minimum within two years and to increase Black student admissions to 25% within five years. Additionally, there must be an implementation of programs specifically designed to increase admission, retention, and graduation rates Black students.

9. WE DEMAND the hiring of 3 full time and permanent Black faculty counselors at the Student Health Center. There must be Black student representation on the Board of Directors and Black public safety and police officers.

10. WE DEMAND more Black students hired for on-campus, student assistant, work positions.

11. WE DEMAND CSLA immediately divests ALL its investment holdings (active, passive, direct and indirect) from the private prison corporations of Corrections Corporation of America and the GEO Group. We further demand CSLA immediately divest from Wells Fargo and any other institution that funds and bankrolls the for profit private prison industry.

12. WE DEMAND first and second year students fulfil a minimum of two ethnic studies courses, with one being a Pan African Studies course, as a graduation requirement.

13. WE DEMAND the creation and financial support of a CSLA housing space delegated for Black students and a full time Resident Director who can cater to the needs of Black students. Many Black CSLA students cannot afford to live in Alhambra or the surrounding area with the high prices of rent. A CSLA housing space delegated for Black students would provide a cheaper alternative housing solution for Black students. This space would also serve as a safe space for Black CSLA students to congregate, connect, and learn from each other.

14. Lastly, WE DEMAND an in-person meeting with you on Monday, November 23, 2015 at 3:00p.m in the Pan African Student Resource Center. During this meeting we will discuss the fulfillment and implementation of each demand. We are dedicated to seeking equality and security for each Black student on Cal State L.A’s campus, and we will not stop until each demand has been met.

Onwards till Freedom!

The Black Student Union at Cal State L.A.!

Black Student Union at SFSU: Solidarity with Black Students at Mizzou

SFSU BSU

Statement of Solidarity 

It is not often that we as a community can watch history unravel and repeat itself in front of us as it has in Mizzou; and it is even less common that we are given an opportunity to directly affect the course of history. The events at the University of Missouri are a reminder that we have not left an age of institutional racism. Even more apparent is the blatant bigotry that is safeguarded by incompetent public officials; which is a reminder of the circumstances in which we have to operate under as Black Students. It is also a reminder that we have the power as a collective to determine our fate, and enact change. 

We the collective will stand up and show our brothers and sisters at Mizzou and around the country that we support them in OUR shared fight for self determination and liberation from this racist system. It is within our capacity as Students, more so as Black students to stand and fight for what we know is right. We cannot turn a blind eye or stay silent as many media outlets or groups do when issues of racism arise within the modern academic institution. We must mobilize, organize and address issues within our communities.  

The battle will not stop at Mizzou as it did not stop here at San Francisco State in 1969 when the Third World Liberation Front, and Black Student Union ended one of the nation's longest campus strikes fighting against institutional racism.  

Our struggle, our blood, our battle will not be swept under the rug, it will not be a forgotten hashtag. Our fight is one of liberation, an undying flame which will grow to burn all who try to extinguish it. We are scholars, we are fighters, we are the means of liberation for our communities.  

         Our Demands

1. Increase of enrollment and retention of Black students, Increase of Black faculty and faculty with tenure.

2. Mandatory racial sensitivity training for all incoming employees, faculty of San Francisco State University including UPD.

3. Increase support and funding for College of Ethnic Studies and Ethnic Organizations.

4. Expansion of Multi Cultural Center and addition of a retention center into The Mashouf Wellness Center.

5. Afrocentric residential floor for Black students to address unrealistic housing fees on and around campus.

San Francisco State 

BLACK STUDENT UNION

Black Student Union is in Solidarity with #ConcernedStudent1950

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: chair.calbsu@gmail.com

Black Student Union is in Solidarity with #ConcernedStudent1950

The Black Student Union at UC Berkeley is in solidarity with Black students, faculty, and staff at Missouri. Today, November 18th we take to the streets to show and demonstrate that all Black Lives Matter, from the hood to the classroom, we as Black people are united. Today and everyday we are reminded that Black life is of no value to white America. Klu Klux Klan sympathizers made threats to Black students at Berkeley High, and the same threats are happening towards Black students as Mizzou.  Even at a school known for it’s progressive movements, Black students at Cal still face racial injustices while Black lives are constantly jeopardized. These injustices include microaggressions, racially hostile learning environments,  the consistent silencing of Black voices, and buildings named after slave owning racists such as LeConte Hall.

The educational system does nothing to provide help, show solidarity, or act upon it. Therefore, it is our duty to combat these oppressive forces by speaking our truths and bringing to light the systematic marginalization of Black students across the nation.  We will fight back against oppressive systems and we will win!

In struggle,

The Black Student Union at UC Berkeley.

Racist Breach of Berkeley High School Library Webpage

For Immediate Release: Racist Breach of Berkeley High School Library Webpage
Contact: Berkeley High School Black Student Union
berkeleyhighschoolbsu@gmail.com

Berkeley, California- November 4, 2015

Tonight the BSU was made aware of a hateful message that was posted on the Berkeley High website. The words “Fuck all the niggers in the world,” "KKK forever public lynching December 9th 2015," and "I hung a n*gger by his neck in my backyard" were left on the library homepage. All of the students have access to this page and it is clear the author intended for it to be spread. The attached image shows what was posted on the library website. The perpetrator sympathizes with the racist cause of the KKK and makes a clear threat to lynch Black students this December. The terrorists call for the death of all Black people in the message.

This is an act of blatant terrorism towards the Black students and staff members at Berkeley High, and though the BSU is disappointed that this happened, but we are not surprised. The image we have attached has already been circulated amongst students on Twitter and it will no doubt continue to spread.

We are disgusted by this act of terror and demand it be investigated as such. The safety of Black students has been explicitly threatened, and we as the Black Student Union demand that this is addressed immediately by the Berkeley High administration and Berkeley Police Department. In the past acts of terror committed against the Black student body have been ignored such as the racist statement written into last year’s yearbook and the noose that was found on campus. We will not allow this to be trivialized like these other horrific instances.

In Struggle,

The Black Student Union at Berkeley High School

Black students at UC Berkeley demand institutional changes

BERKELEY, Calif. – The Black Student Union and other key Black student organizations on UC Berkeley’s campus have demanded that Chancellor Nicholas Dirks implement institutional changes to address the conditions of Black students at the university.

“Black students, staff, and faculty on UC Berkeley’s campus are in a state of emergency requiring immediate attention,” said Gabrielle Shuman, co-chair of political affairs for the BSU. On Feb. 13, Black student leaders met with Chancellor Dirks and Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Claude Steele to demand changes. These demands of the Chancellor include increased space for Black students, increased staffing for recruitment and retention of Black students, mental health resources, support for Black student athletes, and recruitment of more Black graduate students and faculty.

Admissions and enrollment of Black undergraduate and graduate students at UC Berkeley is abysmal. Black students also report high levels of disrespect, stereotypes and an anti-black campus climate. “The Chancellor told the campus he is working with the Black Student Union to improve campus climate,” said Spencer Pritchard, chair of the CalSERVE coalition. “We worked with multiple campus partners to bring the Chancellor tangible proposals that are ready to be implemented.”

We found both the February 13th and the March 6th meetings to be positive, and were looking forward to the next concrete steps Chancellor Dirks would take to address our demands. However, we were frustrated when Chancellor Dirks defaulted on the March 6th, 2015 deadline we gave him to respond to the Black Student Union Demands, and did not respond until Tuesday, March 10th. We were further frustrated when the response we received did not adequately address our concerns - rather Chancellor Dirks circumvented having to directly respond to each of our demands as we had requested. He instead removed his office from the responsibility to implement solutions to the issues we face, shifting the focus to other departments, and left several critical issues we raised unaddressed entirely. We understand this action to demonstrate disrespect to the Black Student Union and our efforts to better our conditions on this campus.

BSU member Alana Banks said, “Black people have been oppressed by this university since its creation. The fact that we have to come up with demands for long-overdue support, to us, is a testament of our condition.”

Students found the meeting to be positive and look forward to the next concrete steps Chancellor Dirks will take to address their demands. Nzingha Dugas, Director of African American Student Development, also attended the meeting.

“We hope the chancellor stays true to his word and works with us. We need leadership, not rhetoric, in order to improve campus climate,” Pritchard said. “He must follow up his words with action.”

Furthermore, if studnets do not receive a written response from Chancellor Dirks addressing in detail, each of the individual demands as they were presented, by 5:00PM on Tuesday, March 17th, students will understand that the Chancellor has not prioritized the dire needs of Black students on this campus. And as such, students and allies will proceed accordingly.

UC Merced Black Student Union Demands Resources for Black Students

“Even though UC Merced likes to promote itself as being diverse, the university does not provide adequate resources for Black students."
- Carli Bardier, UC Merced Black Student Union

MERCED, California – Over 40 Black students marched and rallied at UC Merced on February 26 to call attention to the lack of resources for Black students. Students marched from the dining commons through campus holding signs calling and chanting for better treatment and services for Black students.

“Even though UC Merced likes to promote itself as being diverse, the university does not provide adequate resources for Black students,” said Carli Bardier, president of the Black Student Union (BSU). Approximately 5.7 percent of UC Merced students identify as African American/Black, but that percentage is declining, according to the BSU.

The UC Merced BSU issued six demands for UC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland to address systemic barriers for Black students. Students have demanded the creation and permanent funding of a Black Resource Center and a Black Studies Department. With the lack of targeted resources for Black students on our campus, the center can serve as a targeted resource for Black students. This Black Resource Center will serve as the “umbrella” for all support, resources, and programs for students from the African diaspora at UCM. The center will provide leadership training, collaborative meeting/study rooms, networking/scholarships, community service efforts, advisement, and advocacy for the diaspora community on campus.

"Providing resources for Black student success and eliminating the hostile, and anti-Black campus climate needs to be one of Chancellor Leland’s top priorities."
- Xavier Harris

The Black Studies Department would join the growing movement of research about Black people. Students believe that in order for change in the African-American community we must first be educated on our past. Black Studies units exist at most of the other UC campuses, many California State Universities, and many California Community Colleges. Students also demanded two-full time Black psychologists that could support students mental health needs, especially the stress dealing with racial discrimination. Black students frequently experience disrespect and exclusion from faculty and students on campus based on race, according to a recent campus climate study conducted by the University of California system.

Marches and rallies may be rare today on campus, but Black students experience racism every day, according to BSU members.

“Providing resources for Black student success and eliminating the hostile, and anti-Black campus climate needs to be one of Chancellor Leland’s top priorities,” Xavier Harris, secretary of the BSU said. “It’s a shame that we have to come up with demands on how the university can better serve us.”

The BSU’s other demands include access to contact information of new first year and Black transfer students, as well as Black alumni. The BSU demands implementation of the demands within the next 3-6 months.

UC Irvine Black Student Union Demands

The Black Student Union at UC Irvine released its demands for institutional resources to Chancellor Howard Gillman at the 2015 ABC Conference. Sign their petition below. Here are their demands:

1. WE DEMAND that the UCI administration create and fund the Marsha P. Johnson Black Student Resource, Outreach, and Retention Center, similar to those on the campuses of UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UC Los Angeles, and UC Riverside. The 2015 Black Student Union Demands Team should choose this space. 

The violence Black students face on and off campus has documented negative effects on our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. These are sources of stress and ultimately impede on Black students’ success, academic pursuits, intellectual developments, and required resources. If the university administration is committed to combating the climate of anti-Blackness at UCI, then it must also mitigate such negative effects in order for Black students to thrive. The UCI Student Outreach and Retention Center (SOAR) is unable to address the specific negative effects of anti-Blackness and the particular barriers to recruiting and retaining Black students to UCI. Two BLOC-elected student representatives and three African-American Studies core faculty members, will be pivotal in determining what candidates to hire as the Marsha P. Johnson Black Resource, Outreach, and Retention Center’s director, and staff.

Constituent Elements of the Marsha P. Johnson Black Resource, Outreach, and Retention Center are to include:

1. Each new academic school year, the hire of 2 Black program coordinators from the previous graduating class.

2. Two full-time Black professional psychologists and 4 full-time Black peer counselors, from the previous graduating class, to accommodate the specific mental health needs of the Black graduate and undergraduate community here at UCI.

3. Black Academic Counselors to ensure that Black students understand how to navigate university curriculum

4. A consolidation of job opportunities and academic scholarships

5. The center should be able to assist and advocate for the educational advancements of Black students. This should include but is not limited to supplying free course and testing materials i.e. studying space, tutoring, printing, scantrons, blue books, course textbooks, writing materials, computers, projectors, whiteboards, etc.

6. We demand the University provide programs geared toward financial education and counseling; teaching students from low-income and underprivileged communities how to manage their money.

7. Permanent quarterly funding and implementation of Sandra D. Johnson’s Black Afrikan Retention program.

8. The center should have monetary funds to extend to Black Student Organizations, as a supplement to funds obtained through the Vice Chancellors Office, in order to conduct programs.

THE EXCLUSION OF ANY OPPRESSED FACTIONS OF THE BLACK STUDENT COMMUNITY FROM THE CENTER’S PROGRAMS OR SERVICES WILL NOT BE TOLERATED OR PERMITTED.

2. WE DEMAND that the African-American Studies Program be promoted to full departmental status with all the attendant rights, privileges, funding and FTEs. 

As the only consistent source of scholarship at UCI about the history, culture and politics of African-derived peoples, African-American Studies’ stability and growth must be ensured. The budget cuts that have plagued the Program in African-American Studies in recent years are another means through which the UCI administration has allowed institutional anti-Blackness to fester. The award-winning, internationally recognized research and teaching carried out by the faculty of African-American Studies are essential to the struggle for Black Liberation.

3. WE DEMAND that the UCI administration restore the dedicated Housing Assistant position to the Rosa Parks African-American Studies Theme House. 

4. We DEMAND the creation of a Black Scholars’ Hall with a dedicated Housing Assistant to house first year Black students by reserving two floors in the new MESA COURT for such purposes. 

5. WE DEMAND a Permanent Task Force to be created and funded immediately for more outreach efforts and to create more opportunities for the hiring and retention of Black Faculty and staff. 

6. WE DEMAND that the Multiculturalism course requirement for every undergraduate student be satisfied ONLY by a new Political Education course, with an entirely new curriculum developed and overseen by Dr. Frank B. Wilderson III. 

7. WE DEMAND that the UCI administration cease referring to incidents of anti-Blackness as “isolated” or “rare,” including the Lambda Theta Delta (LTD) videos recently circulated on the Internet. 

a. WE DEMAND that the UCI administration create and implement a zero- 
tolerance policy for anti-Blackness on campus. 

b. WE DEMAND that the UCI administration create three BLOC-elected, UCI-funded paid undergraduate student position to supervise the implementation of the university’s zero-tolerance policy on anti- Blackness. 

8. WE DEMAND the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, and Chief Diversity Officer meet with the chair and vice chair of the Black Student Union at least once every academic quarter. 

9. WE DEMAND that all of our demands be fully implemented within the next 3-6 months and we expect the Chancellor to give us his official response no later than 5PM on January 30th 2015. 

The leaders of the Black Student Union are sending out this press release because we want to inform the UC Irvine student body of the steps we are taking to address issues of systemic racism that we as Black students face at the University and what we are doing to promote a more inclusive and better resourced campus for the underserved Black students, staff and faculty.

This is also a call for support from the rest of the University in assisting us with this project. We ask that all of the demands listed above be implemented within the next 3-6 months. As a follow-up to this press release, we invite all supportive members of the UC Irvine community to sign our online petition at: https://www.change.org/p/howard- gillman-implement-institutional-resources-for-black-students

Black Studies movement still alive in UC System, report says

After four decades, the field of African American Studies, or Black Studies, is still alive in the University of California System, according to a new report from the African Black Coalition.

Through an Internet-based survey of nine UC campuses, the report notes that every UC campus with undergraduates has some form of Black Studies courses. Two campuses have Departments (UC Berkeley and Santa Barbara); three have programs (Davis, Irvine and Los Angeles), while the others have courses within Ethnic Studies or other departments. UCLA recently submitted a proposal to departmentalize.

Read full story in The ABC Movement.

The full report is available for download at AfrikanBlackCoalition.org.

Update: (Nov. 1) Reginald James changed his name to Rasheed Shabazz. Reports citing this report may choose to reflect this change.

ABC Statement on George Zimmerman Verdict

The recent Zimmerman verdict has led to righteous rage across America.  In cities across the nation including Oakland and Los Angeles, Black sisters and brothers have taken to the streets to reclaim their voice.  Black students throughout the state of California have responded to the Zimmerman trial by both questioning how America values Black life and by taking direct action to empower ourselves and our community.  This comes at a pivotal moment in American his(her)tory where Black people have realized that in order to truly liberate ourselves from the shackles of racism and white supremacy we must not depend upon hope inspired by talented oratory and misleading rhetoric but by seizing the reins of our own destiny.

The Afrikan/Black Coalition (ABC), a coalition of Black students throughout the University of California system, recognizes that the not guilty verdict of the George Zimmerman trial is once again another manifestation of America’s racist justice system that terrorizes the Black community. This (in)justice system is plagued with militarization, unlawful surveillance, vigilante justice, and feeds into the Prison-Industrial Complex. Black people in America are constantly at risk of falling victim to the violence that this country’s institutions perpetuate. This can be seen from the Stop and Frisk tactics of the New York Police Department to the inhumane prison system of California and the rest of America where currently 30,000 inmates are participating in the largest hunger strike in American his(her)tory.

‘Stand-Your-Ground Laws’, which are practiced in over 30 states, including California, were created to protect a privileged class and to perpetuate a system of white supremacy. Thus, it is important to understand that every system is exquisitely designed to produce the results it gets. To change the results you have to change the system.

Thus, it is crucial to comprehend that this legal system is connected with other racist institutions and projects that operate as mechanisms of social, political, and economic control over the black community within the US. This verdict comes in light of the appointment of Janet Napolitano, an expert military defense strategist and former Secretary of Homeland Security, as president of the UC System. It comes in light of an unsatisfactory judgement around Affirmative Action, reinforcing Proposition 209, a law that negatively affected thousands of otherwise qualified (black, brown and indigenous 'American') students who have been systematically denied the opportunity to attend a UC. It comes in light of the US Congress taking away welfare benefits from members of our community. The Black community exists in a constant state of crisis. Black America is constantly facing injustice. We should not need headline stories to agitate us to action. They should simply be fuel to the fire.

We cannot afford to wait for another Trayvon Martin story. We must strategize, organize, and mobilize in order to bring tangible solutions to our community and to change the condition of our people. We must have a concrete agenda that addresses how we plan to deconstruct and dismantle America’s racist institutions. We must feed ourselves, employ ourselves, heal ourselves, and most importantly protect ourselves, because we cannot afford to leave the fate of our community up to those who currently hold power in America.

As Black students we understand that we must develop innovative solutions to complicated problems. We must constantly organize and be more persistent than the struggles that oppress us. Our place will always be at the forefront of movements and the forefront of progress. Thus, our collective goal is to demonstrate our distrust and disgust of the American legal/judicial system and to continue to advocate for real restorative justice.