Unrest in Nigeria: How We’re Supporting Our Howard Family The global coronavirus pandemic has reinforced Howard’s
initiative for open discussions with staff and faculty to
guiding principle to ensure the safety and wellbeing
better understand any unique concerns and challenges so
of our students, faculty and staff – those who live in
we may identify ways the University can be additionally
Washington, D.C., across the United States and around
supportive. Our Division of Student Affairs is poised to
the world. Amidst ongoing unrest in Nigeria, we are
offer support and assistance as needed. The staff in the
making every effort we can to support our Howard family
University Counseling Center is available to provide a
that is affected by violence in the country.
place of healing.
Howard has a long, rich history of welcoming, hosting
It is not lost on us that the tumult in Nigeria over the
and educating Nigerian students, who are an important
EndSARS movement protesting police brutality has
part of our community. Additionally, the University
coincided with our country’s own protest movement
has conducted various humanitarian, research and
decrying police violence. In America, in Nigeria and in any
training projects in Nigeria, where we have established
country anywhere, we condemn and denounce violence
a nonprofit entity, Howard University Global Initiative in
and brutality, and support efforts toward peaceful redress
Nigeria (HUGIN), employing several staff. It is these deep
of concerns. Just as Howard is committed to putting
ties that prepare us to support our Howard University
forward policies to solve the many problems the United
students, faculty and staff in Nigeria.
States is facing, so too will we leverage our institutional expertise and power to bring forth solutions to issues
We are in communication with our staff in Nigeria, who are all safe, and we are providing any necessary additional support. We are in constant contact with our students who have been continuing their Howard education remotely from Nigeria. We have started an
PAGE 6 | Bison Beat Monthly Newsletter OCTOBER 2020
around the globe.
