Howard University’s president penned a letter to the community on Tuesday, October 26, saying the students’ sit-in on the campus that has been ongoing for two weeks “must end.”
Protesters who have been occupying the university’s Armour J. Blackburn Center are demanding that the mold issue in students’ dorms be sorted out, a housing plan be created, and student representation be restored on the university’s Board of Trustees.
While acknowledging that protest has always been part of Howard’s “institutional culture,” Wayne Frederick said past movements, despite being rarely quiet or tranquil, maintained “a fidelity to recognizing objective facts and verifiable truths.”
October 26, 2021: Letter from The President
Full statement here: https://t.co/pBoo0a1gUm pic.twitter.com/92crZ55ZXn
— Howard University (@HowardU) October 26, 2021
“There may be areas where we agree to disagree. That’s the nature of a vibrant community. However, Howard University’s proud tradition of student protest has never been – and can never be – invoked as a justification for tactics that harm our students. The current occupation of the Armour J. Blackburn Center is a departure from past norms,” Frederick said in his letter.
“There is a distinct difference between peaceful protest and freedom of expression and the occupation of a University building that impedes operations and access to essential services and creates health and safety risks,” he continued.
Frederick called for an end to the sit-in, but stated that all students deserved a best-in-class dormitory experience, Howard would continue to do its best to ensure that and that it is willing to continue holding talks with student protesters and leaders about their concerns.