The student sit-in at Howard University that started over housing conditions more than four weeks ago is coming to an end after students reached an agreement with the administration.
The announcement came from Donald Temple, an attorney who represents the Howard protesters. “The students courageously journeyed on a path towards greater university accountability and transparency and public safety,” Temple said.
The university also shared the news on Twitter, saying “Howard University is pleased to announce we have come to an agreement with the students who occupied Blackburn, and will share a longer message from Dr. Wayne Frederick on this topic later today.”
Students conducted negotiations with Howard officials for around three weeks after the protest began on October 12.
The protesters, who have been occupying the university’s Armour J. Blackburn Center, have been demanding a solution for the alleged mold and rodent issues in students’ dorms, along with other improvements and a new housing plan.
They have also called for the restoration of student representation on the university’s Board of Trustees.
Howard University is pleased to announce we have come to an agreement with the students who occupied Blackburn, and will share a longer message from Dr. Wayne Frederick on this topic later today.
— Howard University (@HowardU) November 15, 2021
On October 26, Howard University’s President Wayne Frederick sent a letter to the community, saying that the weeks-long sit-in on the campus “must end.”
He acknowledged that protest has always been part of Howard’s “institutional culture,” but added that past movements maintained “a fidelity to recognizing objective facts and verifiable truths.”
“There may be areas where we agree to disagree,” said Frederick in the October letter. “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.”
Howard University President Calls for End to Student Protest Over Housing Conditions