Black Student Union lists 9 demands for Wayne State University

Not much action has been taken by the Wayne State University administration to meet its Black students’ needs  —  as multiple students of color say they still feel unheard.

One week after a protest organized in solidarity with a student whose door was vandalized in Wayne State’s housing, the Black Student Union held a news conference on campus stating nine demands from the university’s policy makers.

The demands, read by Black Student Union President Jeremiah Wheeler, included a public and bold stance against racism from the university and housing office, funding for the Department of African American Studies, an increase in faculty and housing staff with ethnic and diverse backgrounds, a physical space for Black students on campus, an increase in the funding of Black student programs and organizations and the establishment of a legal defense fund to fight the legislation that bans affirmative action.

The Black Student Union’s housing demands also highlighted the removal of Head of Housing Nikki Dunham, or radical behavior change, as she has repeatedly avoided accountability instead of taking proactive steps against racist incidents within student housing, Wheeler said.

The actions against Zoriana Martinez, the first-year transfer student and victim of the hate crime, shined light on a much larger issue within the university that students of color face. 

More:Wayne State students protest after dorm door vandalized, racial motive seen

“This one situation is a really good indicator of a bigger institutional problem, not just at Wayne State, but kind of within all predominantly white institutions,” Martinez said. “We’re using this opportunity as one to take stock, recognize and also recognize the power that we have as students and what we can do to get actual policy change and implementation.”

The Black Student Union met with Wayne State University President M. Roy Wilson and Board of Governors member Shirley Stancato the night before the news conference, sharing their concerns and demands.

They agreed with some of the demands listed, but many others were ignored, Wheeler said, causing the Black Student Union to take action and publicly announce its demands from the university.

“We’re not policy makers, and we’re not trustees,” Wheeler said. “We’re not the Board of Governors, we don’t balance the budget for the university. So we really are challenging the university to adhere to that. We know there’s money that can be spent on students, we know that the university has its outlets. We know that there is an emergency fund and this is an emergency.”

Administration members agreed that student housing could be more affordable and that the African American Studies Department is due for some expansion, Wheeler said. The last hire in that department was in 2015, and the one before that was in 2000.

“We actually have the full support of the African American Studies department,” Martinez said. “I actually received personal letters from the majority of them basically expressing solidarity after the whole situation happened a few weeks ago, when we had our protests last week.”

Social media has played a large role in rallying community support, especially during COVID-19. The Black Student Union gained about 200 new Instagram followers since its protest.

“A lot of what we’ve been able to do, we’ve been able to do because of social media,” Martinez said. “I think that’s one of the benefits of being in our generation, Gen Z. We have the power to say our feelings, say what we want, and then press a button and then it gets to hundreds of people like that.”

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Martinez’s original video on Instagram, sharing the vandalism of her door and property, has received more than 1,200 likes.

“We hope that students will wake up,” Wheeler said. “With the support of more students and more organizations, (we hope) that these demands come to light. We hope that the president, the Board of Governors can champion every one of these demands because they are the voice of the students, the voice of the faculty and the voice of the community.”

Ileana Bell, a Black Student Union general body member, said these changes need to be implemented now.

“We want Black students on campus to be comfortable,” Bell said. “Especially in this time, now, because in the fall I believe we’re coming back (to campus). It is of extreme importance to us, and it should be of extreme importance to the university. Given what happened last summer with all the police brutality, I think it should be of the utmost importance for Black students to feel comfortable.”

Despite being on spring break right now, students are demanding change and putting in the work to make it happen, Martinez and Bell said.

“Even though like we technically have a break … come next week, the grind starts back,” Bell said. “So this is the perfect time for us to to be active and be moving in addressing the university because us as students are very busy. So even on our break time, you have to take the time to address this institution.”

The full list of demands will be posted on the Black Student Union’s Instagram. 

Contact Nour Rahal: nrahal@freepress.com and follow her on Twitter  @nrahal1.

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