In response to some of the questions we have received we would like to state that we, the students occupying the President's Row of the Waterman Building, feel that all the demands are realistic and possible. To prioritize them would delegitimize the underlying issue. It must be recognized that the specifics of our demands merely address the symptoms of the disease, our true demand is that the disease itself be irradicated [sic] and therefore all of the symptoms will be resolved.
1. CURRICULUM
Each Department shall have no less than eight people of color and the Chairperson of each Department shall be a person of color. The courses will be cross listed in the catalogues under the appropriate Departments (e.g.: An African American Literature course would be in the ALANA Studies Department and cross listed in the English Department.)
Clarification:
Cultural diversity in the University curriculum is a matter of urgent concern. Educational equality is not merely the ability of ALANA students to enter into a Eurocentric curriculum. True education requires that all students have the broadest possible base of course study. American history has traditionally been taught from a White Male Anglo-Saxon point of view. People of color were present in this country long before Europeans invaded yet their history and culture has been marginalized and ignored. Therefore, a department focusing on people of color in pre-Columbus America is essential. People of color have also played an integral part in the shaping of this country after the invasion, these experiences are distinct from people of color in Asia and the Pacific Islands, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Therefore along with these departments a separate department focusing on people of color in the United States is necessary.
It is important that the students have the opportunity to open their minds and learn from a more global point of view instead of being confined to the traditionally Eurocentric point of view of the world. As a child who closes his/her eyes believes that all the world cannot see so too does the Eurocentric Educational System maintain the belief that only itself is valid. For this reason, the aforementioned departments are needed. It is important that people of color are directly linked to these departments because people of color understand their experience best. Eight people of color are needed to create a solid base for each department.
2. An investigation by a representative committee on all cases of faculty, staff, and administration of color who have left, been fired, or let go. This committee shall include majority representation of people of color chosen by faculty, staff and students of color on campus. The Chairperson of this committee shall be elected by the committee as a whole. Full legal costs will be paid for by the University for those who wish to press a case.
Clarification:
The specific circumstances of certain cases lead to the conclusion that there are faculty, staff, and administration of color that have either been forced to leave due to institutional racism and/or have been subject to the conscious bigotry of those in power. These cases must be investigated.
3. The reinstatement of and tenure for Marla Ling.
Clarification: Marla will speak on her own behalf: "My name is Marla Carter Lyng [sic], I am a Research Assistant Professor of Animal Sciences the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Vermont. After an appeal procedure which lasted eighteen months, the University of Vermont has confirmed its decision of my non-reappointment after June 30, 1991. This is the situation which puts an end to a continual history of discrimination. This decision was based in the outcome of the Green Sheet evaluation process which was performed under flagrant due process in two occasions. Such notification was as issued by the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Donald McLean, on letter dated April 11, 1991. I am presently looking forward to challenge the University of Vermont's decision both at the VSRLE (Vermont State Relation Board) and in Court.
The reasons for such abuse of authority are many.
In conclusion, because the University does not have the courage to terminateme, as well as other minorities for the above reasons of being different, I have been declared incompetent of fulfilling the duties of my position."
4. Tenure granted to Mbulelo Mzamane.
Clarification:
The 1988 agreements required the hiring of professors of color. As a result, Professor Mzamane was hired, but solely as a window dressing. Only the students insistence that he remain has Professor Mzamane been able to stay this long. Institutional racism and the internalized racism of the members of this university ensure the fact that Professor Mzamane will not get tenure, but Professor Mzamane deserves tenure.
5. We demand the education of all faculty and staff on issues of racism and on the history of people of color in the United States.
Clarification:
Being a professor does not make one exempt from the internalization of Eurocentric beliefs which are present in most institutions. In order to deal with students and teach all students effectively, they must be made to recognize and deal with their own biases. Staff as well must be made to recognize and deal with their own biases in order to deal with students, faculty, and other staff members on an equal basis.
6. An increase in faculty of color in every department. If qualified faculty of color are unavailable in a particular field, then the University must establish a graduate and PhD program specifically for people of color in those fields. If there is an absence of a specific group or groups of color in a given field, then those groups shall be the focus of the aforementioned program.
Clarification:
If application for vacancies in a department with under-representation of ALANA faculty fail to turn up candidates of color, appropriate steps in staff development need to be taken. This would entail identifying promising UVM undergrads for graduate and post graduate training in the appropriate disciplines, or recruiting students of color into such programs.
7. A significant increase in ALANA student scholarships.
8. A clear and explicit policy concerning hate crimes must be stated in The Cat's Tale.
9. Voting members of the search committees who will be chosen by students, staff, and faculty of color. These people will be involved from the beginning of the selection process.
Clarification:
Search committees perform several functions, they create a job pool (collection of applicants), they compile a long and short list of applicants from the pool and finally, the committee requests that the dean finalize the decision. Although the committee receives input from the respective department the final recommendation to the dean comes from the committee. Unfortunately, the formulation of these search committees are founded on an "old-boy"" network. Since the University is predominantly white across the board, people of color are systematically excluded from the search process. It is also important to note that although the candidates on the short list have different characteristics they usually are ideologically indistinguishable. Therefore, the real choice is already made. We demand to be part of the process from its outset.
10. Provision of space on campus for a display which would educate the campus on issues of racism and the struggle of people of color.
11. Publications and advertisements put out by the University...[with] true representation of people of color.
Clarification:
UVM has gone from nearly excluding people of color from its promotional literature to intentionally over representing people of color in the aforementioned literature. This misleads interested students about the true nature of the atmosphere at UVM.
12. The removal of the Ira Allen statue. No monuments of racists on campus.
Clarification:
Ira Allen was one of the Founding "Fathers" of this University and also one of the Founding "Fathers" of the State of Vermont. Ira Allen and his brother were members of the green mountain boys, a group that committed cultural genocide against the native people of Vermont. The statue is a blatant symbol of racism.
13. Community responsibility for community action on campus. No POLICE on campus. Security on campus may not carry guns.
Clarification:
As students of color we feel that the idea of having police on campus or security with guns is totally unacceptable. Historically police have been used to merely protect private property and people in power AND have been used to systematically harass and abuse people of color. Numerous incidents which we are aware of, make clear to us the level of bigotry present in the present police community. For example, there is a Vermont State form used by UVM police that delineates the racially discriminatory categories of "Hispanic/Non-Hispanic." First of all, the term "Hispanic" is a derogatory term coined by the Spaniards during colonization and was forced upon the people. Secondly, the fact that this form has only these two categories reinforces the stereotype that Spanish speaking people in America (Chicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban and Latinos) are inherently prone to crime. Unfortunately these stereotypes are translated into racist actions as can be seen in the following examples. Two Asian men were in the Marsh-Austin-Tupper lounge when they were attacked for racially motivated reasons. When campus security arrived they immediately moved to apprehend the Asian men who were unsuccessfully attempting to defend themselves. The white attackers fled and were never apprehended. Another example occurred when all of the black men on campus were rounded up in the middle of the night and forced into a line-up, all because a white woman claimed to have been mugged by a black man.
It is all too clear that the presence of less than conscious police threatens our safety. We also believe that the community must take responsibility for community action. When this takes place the need for a police force becomes outdated and unnecessary. We, the people, must protect our communities. We want a democratic security system for the people, not protection for the power.
14. Billings Student Center and the Library open 24 hrs/day. Community access to these facilities on campus.
Clarification:
True education is our primary concern, therefore Billings Student Center and the library must be ope 24 hours a day, allowing us to educate ourselves to the fullest extent possible. Because the University of Vermont is a state University and because people of color exist within the lowest strata of society we feel that the University must be made open to all members of its community. People who do not have access to resources should not be denied access to education.
15. University commitment to cultural diversity will be concretely evident in budget expenditures. As such, we demand that there be no further spending of the University funds until the issues of racism are resolved and the needs of people of color are addressed. A freeze on all capital budgeting projects. Specifically, the Stafford Building.
16. The removal of Marriott from campus. Marriott is a Multi-National, racist corporation that has monopolized the food service on campus. At SUNY Binghamton this year, Marriott used racist decorations of offense to the Asian community to adorn their dining halls. Marriott has not divested from South Africa.
17. An increase in pay for the staff which is higher than the increae in the cost of living. We also want adequate medical and health insurance guaranteed for the staff.
Clarification:
Due to the Institutional Racism, people of color have been traditionally denied access to equality, freedom and justice. As a result, people of color constitute the lowest economic strata of U.S. society. In this context staff positions are usually reserved for those people with a limited choice of job opportunities. Therefore we find a large percentage of people of color in service industries. This is also true of the University of Vermont. Recently the increase in salary has been lower than the increase in the standard of living, therefore constituting an actual decrease in pay. This is intolerable. Health and medical benefits have been steadily cut back by the University, we feel this is even more intolerable.
18. No action taken against the occupants of President's Row.
Clarification:
All participants of this occupation have taken a moral and principled stand against the injustices of this institution. For any sanctions to be taken against us, we feel, would be demonstrating that the University is once again attempting to invalidate our beliefs and undermine the University's public commitment to "cultural diversity." We as members of the human race and the young generation of oppressed people, have decided to take this action for the betterment of us all (Faculty, staff, administrators and students). The purpose of a college education is to help students learn about themselves as well as others. College is the place for the development of values and beliefs. It is a place where we are taught to take a stand, and we have done exactly that. We wish to ensure that we will not be victimized by way of expulsion or suspension, that we shall be given every reasonable opportunity to complete our outstanding school assignments and exams, and no legal action shall be taken against us. We do not want our cause to be delegitimized.
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