The Militant (logo)  

Vol. 73/No. 45      November 23, 2009

 
Maryland students
defend affirmative action
 
BY SUSAN LAMONT  
COLLEGE PARK, Maryland—Hundreds of students at the University of Maryland’s main campus here marched from the Nyumburu Cultural Center to the Administration Building November 5 to protest growing attacks on university programs aimed at recruiting and retaining Black and other students of oppressed nationalities and faculty. A mass meeting of 700 students the previous day called the march.

Anu Kothan, president of the Graduate Student Body, said, “They don’t want to see Black and brown faces here. The administration is using budget cuts to get rid of minorities. They don’t care about students and faculty of color. They don’t want to support African American and Women’s Studies. All they care about is science and business.”

In August, the state legislature voted to cut $46 million from the University of Maryland system.

Students were especially concerned that the enrollment of first-year students who are Black fell by 28 percent this year, dropping from 539 in 2008 to 387 in 2009. The percentage of Latino students has also fallen by 9 percent in the last three years.

Dozens of student groups, fraternities, and sororities, especially those involving Black and Latino students, participated in the march.

Many speakers pointed to the increasing "corporate” approach of the university, which spends millions on sports and other programs designed to attract business investment, while raising tuition and cutting programs that make it possible for Black, Latino, and other working-class students to attend and stay in school.

Students were especially scornful of the administration’s recent decision to spend $250,000 on a new campus slogan—“Unstoppable starts here!”—while cuts in Black and Latino programs and faculty were being justified on the basis of lack of funds. They chanted, “Injustice stops here!” as a response to the administration’s pricey slogan campaign.

“Bring back Black!” was one of the most popular chants at the rally. Students are demanding reinstatement of Dr. Cordell Black, who helped found the Nyumburu Center and has been associate provost for equity and diversity at the university for many years. “I wouldn’t be here without Doctor Black and the programs he helped fight for,” said sophomore Thomas Dawson, 19, who is studying economics.

Students announced a November 10 follow-up meeting to plan further actions.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home