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UC Berkeley Students Protest UCSD Racist Acts

Nourbese — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:42:14 +0000

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Wednesday March 03, 2010

UC Berkeley became the scene of yet another protest Monday when a group of students and supporters staged a “Blackout 2010” blockade of Sather Gate.

The group—comprised mainly of black students on campus—wore black clothing, with black scarves around their mouth, to silently protest racist acts at UC San Diego, including an off-campus event mocking Black History Month. The situation escalated when a noose was found hanging in UCSD’s Geisel Library two weeks later.

An e-mail message from Blackout’s organizers said the Feb. 14 “Compton Cookout” themed party encouraged “female participants to be ‘ghetto chicks’ with gold teeth, cheap clothes and ‘short, nappy hair …’ and ‘a limited vocabulary,’ while consuming ‘chicken and watermelon.’”

It pointed out that state Bill AB 412 makes placing a noose on school property a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.

“It is deplorable that while our students, faculty and staff work to heal the campus, a few misguided individuals tried to divide it,” UC San Diego Chancellor Marye Anne Fox said in a statement Feb. 26. “We are feeling real pain, and we will take real action. The safety of our students, faculty, and staff is my primary concern.”

Fox said that an individual had come forward and admitted responsibility for the latest incident due to pressure from the UCSD community.

“This underscores the fact that our university is banding together,” her statement said. “We will not tolerate hate on our campus, and all criminal acts will be punished.”

UC President Mark Yudof met with students in Sacramento today and pledged to focus on system-wide strategies to prevent further acts of intolerance.

The Berkeley campus protesters stood or sat silently back-to-back, arms linked, blocking a major part of Sather Gate, the main entrance to campus, from 11: 30 a.m. to 2 p.m., after which they marched to California Hall, where Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and other administrators have their offices.

“We are brothers and sisters in a nonviolent, silent demonstration, standing in solidarity with the UCSD students who have been affected by blatant acts of ignorance and hatred,” a flyer from protest organizers said.

UC Berkeley senior Lajuanda M. Asemota, who helped organize the “Blackout,” said the protest also wanted “to call attention to all the things happening on the Berkeley campus despite the administration’s promises about racial diversity.”

The protest, which remained non-violent, had about 200 students at its peak. Pedestrians were able to pass through the narrow side arches of Sather Gate, although a female protester was reportedly pushed by a student trying to squeeze through.

In front of California Hall, the group read out a letter addressed to Birgeneau which expressed disappointment with a message he sent to the student body on Feb. 24.

In his letter, Birgeneau condemned the racist acts at UCSD and outlined the steps UC Berkeley has taken to promote equity and inclusion among faculty, staff and students

“We are distressed by the recent event involving UC San Diego students that mocked the commemoration of Black History Month,” Birgeneau’s letter said. “We have zero tolerance for deliberate acts that discriminate or demean others based on race, gender, national original, sexual orientation, or any other personal characteristic, and know that all UC campuses share that view.”

Birgeneau said that a team comprising of students and staff was working with the Vice Chancellor to organize a Climate Forum later this semester.

“They expressed their outrage regarding the UCSD event and are working to discourage and prevent such incidents at Berkeley,” his letter said. “An excellent step in this direction was the early response by the CalGreeks community deploring and distancing themselves from the actions at UCSD.”

The letter to Birgeneau from the Berkeley protesters said that his message “failed to explicitly address the ‘deliberate acts that discriminate[d] and demean[ed] others based on race…” at UCSD.”

“We are disgusted that the administration is merely ‘distressed’” by the offenses,” the students’ letter said.

The letter went on to outline what they said were racist incidents on the UCB campus, including:

• “A hate crime committed by the men’s crew team in which members encircled, assaulted, and poured beer on a black female student while calling her “n***er” repeatedly. UCPD was called, and did nothing.”

• “An incident in science class in which the professor turned out the lights for a classroom presentation and a student yelled, “Where did all the black people go?” The professor made no rebuke.”

• “An on-campus PETA demonstration comparing enslaved Africans, lynched Black Americans, and Tuskegee experiment subjects to chickens, pigs, and cows. Canines were brought to a peaceful protest to “calm” the situation.”

• “A hate crime in which the African-American Theme House Co-Op was vandalized with swastikas.”

• “An article in the [campus student newspaper] Daily Cal which stated that Blacks are seven times more likely to kill than whites”

“Though these incidents seem isolated, they are in fact symptomatic of a deeper issue that plagues the University of California as a whole—a continued marginalization of the Black student body,” the letter said.

The letter criticized the low population of black students on campus—3.49 percent of 35,843 students—since the passage of Proposition 209 and the failure of the UC administration to recruit and retain Black students or appoint Black faculty members.

Signed “3.49 percent,” the letter concluded by saying that the protesters hoped that the “few hours of discomfort” they had caused would “be indicative of the anguish experienced daily by Black UC students.”

“The UC Berkeley Black community stands here silent,” the letter said. “Silent because we fear for the future. Silent because the past is prologue. Silent because there is nothing left to say. Our silence, then, is your opportunity to act.”

Asemota said UC Berkeley Executive Vice Chancellor George Breslauer and Vice Chancellor Harry Le Grande came out to talk with the group after they finished reading out the letter.

“Breslauer said he was really sorry about the things outlined in the letter and that stuff like that continued to happen on campus,” she said. “He said that the campus administration would come forward with a resolution.”

KKK hood found at UCSD campus

Nourbese — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:59:54 +0000

A hood similar to those worm by these Ku Klux Klansmen was found in a prominent place at University of California San Diego

From the new york daily news

SAN DIEGO – University of California San Diego police were investigating a KKK-style hood that was placed on a statue outside the main campus library.

The incident was the third targeting black students at UC San Diego in as many weeks. The other incidents were a “Compton Cookout” party that mocked Black History month and a noose in a library.

A university statement said the hood was found about 11 p.m. Monday. The object appeared to be a white pillowcase that had been crudely fashioned into a hood with a hand-drawn symbol. A rose had also been inserted into the statue’s fingers.

The university said an aggressive investigation was under way, including fingerprint and DNA analysis, and vowed to punish the culprits to the fullest extent of the law.

University officials also said a student admitted she and two other people were responsible for hanging the noose. A statement did not identify the students or their race or include a motive.

In a news conference Friday, Chancellor Marye Anne Fox said the student has been suspended but declined to discuss her motive or other students involved.

“This person admitted her involvement in what we consider to be an abhorrent act,” Fox said.

UC and campus authorities did not indicate whether the students would be charged with a hate crime. Under state law, hanging a noose to terrorize is punishable by up to a year in jail.

Hundreds of students rallied for several hours outside the university administration building Friday, where speakers denounced the noose as an example of intolerance on a campus where less than 2 percent of students are black.

The school — where about 2 percent students are black — has been in turmoil over an off-campus “Compton Cookout” party organized by some students that urged people to dress as ghetto stereotypes and promised there would be chicken, watermelon and malt liquor.

Fox condemned the party, and the school began an investigation to determine if any students might face discipline. The school also initiated a campus-wide “Battle Hate” campaign.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/03/02/2010-03-02_kkkstyle_hood_found_on_statue_at_college_campus_as_cops_probe_third_racist_incid.html#ixzz0h5dWjmVZ

Noose found at UCSD campus

Nourbese — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 05:14:56 +0000

Written by: Sarah Alaoui

On Thursday February 25, 2010, a noose was found hanging from a bookshelf on the seventh floor of the UCSD Geisel library. This tragedy the third controversial incident in the past two weeks condemned by UCSD faculty and staff.

The first controversy being the “Compton Cookout” party and the second its subsequent Koala broadcast that used highly offensive language and called those who were outraged by the party “ungrateful.” A student called into the police department this morning at 9am to confess putting up the noose, according to the school’s vice chancellor.

These events have caused a major uproar on the university’s campus, and action has been taken by authorities. Minority students were quick to act upon these occurrences, and they a declared “state of emergency” on February 19 as they met with campus administrators.

Today, February 26, a rally was held as a response to the noose incident. The predominant theme of the rally being that it is not okay to hang a noose in a public university’s library in 2010 or any other time. Many students and professors from many ethnicities/backgrounds spoke (white, Latino, from UCLA, black professors, Latino professors, high school students/teachers) all united by this horrendous action.

It is clear that racial tensions at UCSD are not just about the Compton Cookout anymore. These events are evidence of an entrenched system where words and actions have been decontextualized and where people feel like it’s part of their freedom of speech to hang a noose in a public library.

Members of UCSD’s Black Student Union issued 4 pages of demands, one of which includes building a safe haven for black students to go when feeling threatened or intimidated. Faculty responded by holding a teach-in on Wednesday, and 300 outraged students came together for a rally in the Price Center. Some read poetry and others spoke to their peers about the importance of racial unity and harmony.

Many students feel threatened because of all the racial tension on campus, and several students have raised their voices about how these issues are not to be taken lightly. Black students make up less than 2% of the university’s population.

The UCSD Principles of Community reads:

“We value the cultural diversity of UCSD because it enriches our lives and the university. We celebrate this diversity and support respect for all cultures, by both individuals and the university as a whole. We are a university that adapts responsibly to cultural differences among the faculty, staff, students, and community.”

Update on UCSD “Compton Cookout”

Nourbese — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:12:36 +0000

If anyone would like to see the original facebook invite click here

Check out this video report where they found Compton lynching in the student run tv lounge…

A reunion of black alumni of UC San Diego is scheduled for this week amid controversy over a ghetto-themed, off-campus party and a satirical program aired on the closed-circuit campus television station that defended the party.

The alumni gathering is scheduled for Friday evening at The Stage @ The Pub at the La Jolla campus and is being put together by the Black Alumni Council and the UCSD Alumni Association, according to the university’s Web site.

Last weekend’s party that sparked the controversy was billed as the “Compton Cookout,” and an invitation urged party-goers to dress and act “ghetto.” The school’s Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity has denied media reports that it sponsored the off-campus party.

When the invitation was posted on Facebook, it drew fire, especially from civil rights groups and black students, who are about 2 percent of the 29,000 enrolled on the campus, compared to 6.7 percent of the state’s population.

San Diego 6 has reported plans for a second Compton Cookout, scheduled for March.

The Black Student Union declared a “racial state of emergency” after the student-run campus TV channel on Thursday aired a defense of the party by an irreverent student group.

According to the BSU, the broadcast called critics of the party ungrateful and used the n-word. Students searching for a tape of the broadcast found a scrap of cardboard in the TV station with the words “Compton lynching” written on it, further fueling tensions.

Student government shut down the student-run closed-circuit TV station while the incident is investigated, and about 200 students, mostly black, staged a march across the campus on Friday and met with school administrators to present a list of 32 demands that included more funding for minority recruitment and retention programs and creation of a safe space on campus for black students.

Tearful black students told administrators they do not feel safe on campus, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, who has called the party and TV show offensive, listened to the group’s concerns and agreed to implement many of their demands, but many of the students were still angry.

Vice Chancellor Penny Rue is scheduled to lead a “teach-in” on Wednesday from noon to 2 p.m. at the Price Center, exploring “why racially stereotyped events still occur and the impact of these events in our community,” according to the university’s Web site.

Rue issued a statement saying university staff are working on disciplinary processes with the national arm of the fraternity that allegedly sponsored the party, and are trying to determine whether organizers violated the school’s code of conduct.

“I understand that students of color, already finding themselves seriously under-represented on our campus, see this incident as an example of UC San Diego’s unwelcoming climate,” Rue said in a statement posted on the university’s Web site.

“The remedy for dangerous, offensive or extreme speech is more speech, not less,” Rue said in an effort to encourage students to participate in Wednesday’s forum.

Read more: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-02-21/local-county-news/ucsd-race-tensions-rise-in-aftermath-of-compton-cookout-use-of-n-word##ixzz0gGLJmBZt

Follow Up to UCSD Pikes Compton Cookout

Nourbese — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 04:25:36 +0000

From the San Francisco Chronicle

Last weekend, UC San Diego was the site of an off-campus party held that mocked Black History Month. The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity was pointed to as the organization that held the party, but its president says that’s not the case.

California Assembly Speaker Karen Bass called for an investigation and issued a video statement: (Seen above)

In the video, Bass said “It seems as though every single year this situation happens.” That, in itself, is a chilling report on the state of race relations on California’s college campuses.

At the party, called “Compton Cookout” women were given these instructions:

“Ghetto chicks have a very limited vocabulary, and attempt to make up for it, by forming new words, such as ‘constipulated’, or simply cursing persistently, or using other types of vulgarities, and making noises, such as ‘hmmg!’, or smacking their lips, and making other angry noises, grunts, and faces.”

Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity President Garron Engstrom released this statement:

The UCSD chapter of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity denies any association with the controversial “Compton Cookout” party held by a “group of [UCSD] students”, identified by the University. Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike) strongly condemns such actions and prejudices as the fraternity prides itself of representing a diverse cross-section of the UCSD student body.

This party was not a Pike event, nor was it endorsed by the fraternity. The fraternity regrets the display of ignorance and error-of-judgment made by any individual members who may have attended or were associated via social-media with the racially-offensive party. These actions are in direct violation of Pike’s code of conduct, and appropriate disciplinary actions will be taken with such members.

While Pi Kappa Alpha accepts no direct involvement in the planning of this party, the fraternity encourages all in attendance to reach out to the African American community, as well as the UCSD community at large, with a sincere and effective reconciliation program. Such a program will be focused toward the education and individual growth of the chapter members relating to cultural awareness at UCSD.

The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at UCSD has proudly represented the ideals of diversity, scholarship, leadership, athletics and gentlemanly conduct on the UCSD campus since 1997.

Garron Engstrom

President, Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity – UCSD Chapter

This is the statement issued by UCSD Chancellor Marye Anne Fox:

OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR

OFFICE OF THE VICE CHANCELLOR – STUDENT AFFAIRS

February 16, 2010

ALL ACADEMICS AND STAFF AT UCSD ALL STUDENTS AT UCSD SUBJECT: Condemnation of Off-Campus Party and Affirmation of Principles of Community

We were distressed to learn that over the weekend an offensively themed student party, mocking the commemoration of Black History Month, took place off campus. We strongly condemn this event and the blatant disregard of our campus values. Although the party was not a UC San Diego student-organization sponsored event, participants did include UC San Diego students and that causes us great concern.

As stated in our Principles of Community, http://blink.ucsd.edu/HR/policies/POC/principles-of-community.html, we reject acts of discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, and political beliefs, and, we will confront and appropriately respond to such acts. We reaffirm our Principles of Community http://blink.ucsd.edu/HR/policies/POC/principles-of-community.html and encourage the campus to join us in our affirmation.

In addition, we invite students, staff and faculty to participate in a teach-in from noon to 2 p.m. on February 24 in the Price Center East Ballroom to explore how such incidents continue to occur today and to discuss the importance of mutual respect and civility on our campus.

Marye Anne Fox

Chancellor

Penny Rue

Vice Chancellor – Student Affairs