Historically, the students at the Black University in Washington said that the conditions were very poor, they would rather sleep in the student center than in the dormitory

Last modified on Monday, October 25, 2021 10.15 EDT

mold. mouse. cockroach. Mushrooms grew under the sink. For undergraduates studying at Howard University, Washington’s historic black college, these and other conditions have prompted student protests to sit and sleep in the university’s main student center for the past two weeks.

Social media applications such as Instagram and TikTok were organized under #Blackburntakeover, and as many as 150 students held sit-ins at Howard’s Blackburn University Center, which Howard described as "the social center of the university."

Since October 12, they have been protesting what they call poor housing conditions, including mold, rats and cockroaches on expired air filters, and mushrooms blooming under dormitory ceilings and sinks. The cost is as high as $12,000.

The students recorded the sit-ins using their Instagram account "Live Sports". They also slept in the center to protest and stated that they would not leave until their requests were met.

"[Sleep] outside and inside Blackburn Center is better than many of our dorms," ​​said 18-year-old Nikkya, a freshman and sit-in participant at Howard University.

Student organizers have been using the student center to carry out mutual aid activities, provide free food for Howard University students, provide free haircuts and hold yoga classes.

The group’s requirements focused on the university’s specific plans to address housing issues and address transparency issues. They hope to have a face-to-face City Hall meeting with Howard’s President Wayne AI Frederick, permanently restore all affiliated positions on the Howard Board of Directors, and hold meetings with student leaders to outline plans to resolve housing-related issues. And waivers—laws, disciplines, and academics—are used to protest against students because participants are threatened with expulsion and other punishments for participating.

Although there has been a wave of funding for the university recently, including a $40 million donation from the philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, and a multi-million dollar endowment fund-as reported in 2017 of $647 million , But Howard has been publicly struggling with housing for students in Washington, DC, especially after the surge in enrollment this year.

In addition to dilapidated on-campus housing, sit-in participants said that senior students-third and fourth graders-had difficulty finding off-campus housing in the Washington area, where the average rent for a studio apartment was $1,843, an increase of nearly 7% Since last year.

18-year-old Eja said: "It is incredible that the money Howard University receives every year, whether it comes from the government, tuition, miscellaneous fees or donations, we still have buildings that have not been updated for many years," Howard University freshmen and protests Participant.

Students dealing with unhealthy housing conditions said that their complaints encountered what they called "Howard run-in", which is a long-term bureaucratic problem. The students said that from housing to financial aid to Howard’s appointment, this long-term Bureaucratic issues make it difficult for them to obtain campus resources. health centre.

Even if the fix was made, the students still claimed that the solution was incomplete. According to 19-year-old Jasmine, the health of many students has been affected due to problems such as mold in the dormitory. Jasmine and Eja have asthma. They both said that they had been sick most of the first semester, not sure what was the problem, and then found that mold and liquid leaked from the ceiling, which may be the cause of their illness.

Jasmine said: "Because my air filter has not been properly cleaned, so that we think it may be Covid, I have been sick for about a month and a half."

The protests received widespread support from some influential allies, such as the Chairman and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Derek Johnson, Bernice King and Gucci Mann, who withdrew from Howard’s home Performed in solidarity with the protesters.

But they were met with hostility from university officials. Howard University's vice president of student affairs Cynthia Evers and other Howard University officials also threatened to punish students who participated in the sit-in, including expulsion.

When the students tried to host the city hall with university officials on Tuesday night, they encountered policemen sent to drive the protesters out of the center, and progress stalled further. Although no students were arrested, Nikkya pointed out that some police officers have been aggressive, most male police officers walked through the sleeping space, and most female protesters, even though they could use other corridors.

Officials at Howard University could not be reached for comment. Howard University is currently cooperating with Howard University Covias Property Management Company defended its records.

"A recent inspection found that less than 1% of the rooms are moldy-34 out of 3,300 rooms. We encourage students to contact the front desk staff by phone or online to report service needs as soon as possible," a spokesperson said.

But the protesting students are unlikely to be satisfied with this response.

"We hope that the future Howard Class will not protest and sit down like we do," Jasmine said, noting the long history of Howard students protesting on campus issues.