T.I.S. Protest

About 85 members of the

Black Student Union

protest Feb. 27 outside of T.I.S. Bookstore. Protesters

'aimed that the firing of store employee sophomore Dionne Grady one month earlier was racially motivated.

ALLEGED DISCRIMINATION IGNITES

"They are willing to work with us. They want to see change, and they don't want this type of thing to continue ..."

PROTESTS

(right) The T.I.S. Bookstore showcase window catches

a reflection of senior lawan

Strader. During the protest, BSU exectives and

Assistant Dean of Students

Jim Gibson spoke with Corporate Marketing Director John Carlson

inside the store. The

meeting took place in order to discuss alleged discrimination on the part of the bookstore.

ngry students lined the sidewalk and embittered chants rang through the air the afternoon of Feb. 17. About 40 students had gathered outside of T.I.S. Bookstore, 1302 E. Third St., to protest the controversial Jan. 18 dismissal of sophomore Dionne Grady, an African-American employee, from the bookstore.

Senior Guykesha Denson, Black Student Union secretary, led chants like "Injustice to one is injustice to all!" and "People united can't be defeated!" and ordered protesters to raise their fists in the air.

Their demand: racial equality in Bloomington.

Protesters claimed Grady's firing was racially motivated and was insufficiently tOunded. They claimed it only further pointed to daily racial tensions they encountered while at IU when they frequented local businesses. "I shouldn't have to be harassed, 'May I help you? May I help you?' every time I go into a store," said senior Jawan Strader, president of the IU Association of Black Journalists.

T.I.S. management refused to comment directly, but claimed the charge was untrue. They said they based the firing on an incident during which two assistant store managers said they saw Grady help an African American steal items.

In a meeting with BSU President Tameka Wheeler the morning before the protest, Wheeler said Greg Lloyd, T.I.S. store manager, said he did in fact decide to fire Grady based on the word of his store managers.

BSU members were not satisfied with T.I.S.'s response and boycotted the store. "Personally, I plan on boycotting T.I.S. until the problem is corrected. I can probably speak for everyone here," Wheeler, a senior, said.

Still unsatisfied with the bookstore's response to their concerns, Wheeler scheduled a private meeting Feb. 27 for representatives from T.I.S. and BSU executives. But the scheduled meeting never took place and three hours later, about 85 marchers again lined in front of the store and angrily protested. "Openly and honestly, we're surprised. The conversation we had this morning over the phone was that we were working to address the issues," John Carlson, corporate marketing director for T.I.S. Bookstore, said.

Despite the scheduled meeting that never took place, Wheeler said the reason for the protest was to symbolize the need for awareness

in local businesses. "This is something they should not just do because of our actions. This is something that they should do to make their establishment a better place," she said.

This time, Carlson was present at the protest and came out and shook hands with Wheeler and two other BSU executives, treasurer sophomore Holly Ferrell and external vice president junior Che Wright. Carlson invited them and Student Activities Adviser Jim Gibson into the store office.

During the 30-minute spontaneous meeting, Carlson informed them that Bloomington's Chamber of Commerce was contacted to help the bookstore establish a diversity training workshop management team. He also said University organizations would also be contacted to help hold diversity

training workshops. As the meeting took place, the rallygoers continued to chant. The chants stopped and protesters gathered around the three BSU executives after they and Gibson walked out of T.I.S. Wright related the terms of the discussion. "They have taken some steps as far as looking into diversity workshops for all employees," Wright said to the protesting crowd. "So as far as action being taken, they're trying and they have said they are willing to work with us. They want to see change, and they don't want this type of thing to continue in their institution. Basically, what I am trying to tell you is that they have made little progress, but it is some." Voices started mumbling and feet started shuffling as some members from the crowd appeared to be confused on whether to resume marching after Wright's speech. But Denson calmed the crowd down again and reminded them why they were there. "Our purpose: This is a student thing. This is a 'we' thing. This is not just a Dionne [Grady] thing. It just so happened Sari) Riche that what happened to

Dionne started this thing. But this type of thing happens to all of us, not just Dionne," Denson said. But Denson still encouraged the marchers to continue. "People are out here, and they are looking out here laughing," Denson said. "You got to pump those fists. You got to keep your voices strong.

You got to mean business." During the second half of the protest, chants rang out louder and more fists raised in the air than they had before. "It's no longer a

BSU issue or a Dionne issue," junior Patrick Cook said. "It's more of an individual issue. It deals with the welfare of every student. It's not just the pressure we feel from T.I.S. Bookstore. It goes a whole lot farther than

T.I.S., I'm afraid." El

Linda Yung