New York, NY – On October 9, students gathered at Garibaldi Plaza in Washington Square Park for a rally organized by the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at NYU, to launch a new campaign by SDS demanding the NYU administration do more to better the Black student experience at NYU.

The rally was endorsed by the NYU Black Student Union, NYU Brown Sugar Brilliance and Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) at NYU.

The campaign, with the slogan “Education is a right, not just for the rich and white! Increase Black enrollment now!” was launched publicly on October 2 and has garnered over 125 signatures. The campaign demands are: Increase Black enrollment at NYU to 20% within the next five years to match the demographics of NYC; publicly release enrollment and admissions racial data so that students can keep track of progress; create a Black space on campus within a year; release demographic data on faculty, and hire more Black faculty.

Oko Kangnigan, a member of SDS, was the protest emcee. He led protesters chants such as, “We want justice, you say how? Increase Black enrollment now!” “Black enrollment’s through the floor! We won’t take it anymore” and “Hear us admin you can’t hide! We can see your racist side!” Several people walked by taking fliers to sign on to the petition, staying around to take videos and listen to chants, and expressed their support by pumping their fists.

Several speakers talked about their experiences as Black students at NYU and called out the failure of the administration to make them feel welcomed on campus. They highlighted the necessity to organize and fight for a place on campus and to better the Black student experience through these demands.

“I started by asking ‘Do I really belong here?’ but I want NYU to start answering a different question: ‘What is the admin willing to do to make sure Black students know that we belong here?’ Not just a statement, not just a website, not just in a diversity brochure. But in the classrooms, in the faculty, in the enrollment numbers, the resources and the spaces we are given. As Black students, we do belong here,” said Raoul Estinvil, who is a Black student at NYU.

“We deserve community and the opportunity to take as much space as we possibly need here. It is simply not enough for them to include us in their pedagogies. We must be the ones to tell our own stories. To take back the pens and data used to talk about us as though we have no mouths for ourselves,” said Tapuwanashe Hightower, who spoke for YDSA, adding, “We are not asking, we are demanding for the increase of Black enrollment at NYU.”

“Black students have received threats on our lives that were not properly addressed by the administration, we have watched individuals try to bring white supremacists onto this campus, and we have had our university’s systems hacked, with our intelligence slandered with racial slurs, and our achievements dismissed with the lie that we only got in due to affirmative action. These are realities we have lived through, and the administration’s response has too often been silence, delay or half measures. So yes, we want more Black students at NYU, but we also want a campus where those students can thrive, not just survive. Administration needs to be held accountable, and answer for the harms that have been done and to commit to real, structural change,” read a statement from the Black Student Union, which was read aloud by Jolin Wu, a member of SDS.

“Black students have worked hard for their position at NYU, and we have had to overcome barriers within education and it won’t stop now. We will not stop until NYU gives in to our demands! So, my fellow classmates and peers, I implore you. Get out! Come to protests, come to rallies, come to speak-outs because NYU cannot silence your voice!” said Kangnigan in his speech to end the rally.

After speakers, protesters marched through Washington Square Park. Police followed them from behind, in an attempt to intimidate them. Protesters marched to Bobst Library and stopped right in front. To end off the rally, Kangnigan led the crowd in doing a chant, “Dare to struggle! Dare to win!”

#NewYorkNY #NY #StudentMovement #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #SDS #NYUBSU

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