Howard University students were tired of the poor housing conditions they were dealing with on campus.
In a show of nonviolent protest, students had been sleeping in tents outside of the Blackburn University Center, a social hub and cafeteria located in the central yard of the campus.
But now the protestors have finished camping out and come to an agreement with university officials.
Howard University President Wayne Frederick released a video message addressing the ending of the student protests and the improvement of housing conditions on campus. His statement:
“The health and well-being of our students is the most important part of my job as president. As I have said before, even one issue in one of our dormitories is too many, and we will continue to remain vigilant in our pledge to maintain safe and high-end housing.”
Sounds like progress, but Frederick did not offer the specific details on the agreement University officials and students came to.
He also did not offer any concrete solutions to how the housing conditions will be improved for students on campus.
Per a report from ABC News:
In their protests, students demanded an in-person town hall with Howard’s president and other officials, the permanent reinstatement of student, alumni and faculty affiliate positions that are being removed from the school’s board of trustees, a meeting with university leaders about housing and legal, disciplinary and academic immunity for protesters. Student organizers also want to weigh in on Howard’s new housing plan.
The protests have gained national attention and even brought out some of the university’s most famous alumni, such as Phylicia Rashad who, with some notable backlash, “checked in” on students who were protesting outside of Blackburn University Center.
Hopefully the students’ protests actually made a difference and they can now count on more healthy living conditions. Because if living in a tent was better than living in a dorm, something is very wrong.