noTagainsu

#NO TAGAINSU

The #NotAgainSU movement has been transformative. Bringing so much of the student body together, we inspired the support of alumni, faculty, and presidential candidates. The masses came to support as we organized, protected, and supported ourselves against a string of hate crimes and an administration that was remarkably complicit.

Students responded to the crisis by coming together in solidarity. The student body rose up against the toxic climate, which peaked at the point of campus-wide terror.

The demands of the #NotAgainSU movement were very clear.

The chancellor signed 16/19 of these student demands, supposedly without revision—a significant step to progress and equity on this campus. After five years of persistent issues, despite a complete lack of trust, university leadership verbally and contractually agreed to address the issue.

The schools’ public relations and media teams worked very hard to control our narrative. But eventually, our story will leave the mainstream. The momentary fame will pass and all that’s left will be the legacy of what we’ve accomplished.

Do not let the administration taint our legacy.

This experience should teach us why we must remain diligent in the fight. With or without the support of the administration, we must actively work amongst each other to create safe spaces, equal representation, and positive student experiences for all of us.

#NotAgainSU has proved the power of student solidarity. “These last two weeks have been the most supported I have ever felt in this predominantly white institution,” says senior Eduardo Gomez. “We came together as a community to show that our people MATTER and we will not rest until we are RECOGNIZED!”

For many students, this time was one of the scariest, most emotionally-taxing, powerful, and riveting moments of their college careers.

Together we felt anxiety, we felt pain, and we felt doubt. We gathered in collective protest while we felt a collective tension each time our phones buzzed. But together, we found the courage to overcome it.

Student Isabella Bai put it best, saying, “I am afraid, but that fear has been overcome by the pride in my peers and the power of the people.”

The power of the student voices was put on full display during the latter parts of the protest. Feeling abandoned by the administration, we stood in solidarity to raise attention to the issue, we collectively decided to cancel our own classes, and together we marched out of Hendricks Chapel when our demands were not met.

A student in the protest, sophomore Joelle Wright, remembered the moment well. “Seeing a large number of people leaving Hendricks Chapel after the forum, it felt like true solidarity,” she said. “When I saw a hundred people in front of me and a hundred people behind me, I knew we were all in this together.”

In the (hopeful) aftermath of this terribly surreal week, we must remember the story of #NotAgainSU and be diligent in protecting its legacy. In these past ten days, we have fallen in love with a vision— one where solidarity can trump division, courage can conquer fear, and people are more valuable than profits.

We must remember the fear, remember the tears, remember the struggle, recognize the demands, and remember how each of these things made our vision more clear.

“#NotAgainSU, a Black student-led movement, believes transparency from the administration is necessary. The safety of ALL students on this campus—specifically the safety of underrepresented and underserved students—is paramount.”

Remember why we fought so hard for this and never forget the power we have.