Washington — A small group of students voiced their frustrations Monday night as student protesters hit day five of the Howard University school sit-in. One of the students in the group, Natazah O’Neil, says many seniors may stand to lose if the protest continues.
“For a lot of seniors, if you don’t get your graduate school application done, what are your next steps?” O’Neil said.
The Howard University student told WUSA9 she is also a senior and she wasn’t alone. She and five other students voiced their concerns as part of a newly formed group called, Howard United.
Just to be clear, they’re not against the protest itself. The group says they agree on many of the issues raised.
Members of Howard United are against protesters’ demands, especially the call for Howard University’s President to resign.
“We respect what you’re doing, but you don’t speak necessarily for the entire student body,” said “HUnited” President Jordan Jean, “and that there are members of the entire student body, that you know, respect President Frederick.”
O’Neil specifically mentioned a situation where she says President Frederick directly helped her and several of her fellow students who were studying abroad in Africa last semester.
Online, the Howard University Alumni Association expressed support for the Schools’ President and Board of Trustees.
However just like O’Neil said this about HUResist: “Three hundred students isn’t even the size of one of our dorms.”
Talib Karim says one group doesn’t represent two. He’s actually one of several alumni members supporting student protesters. There is also a list of faculty members online.
Of the school’s President, Karim said, “He lost the faith of the two main constituent bodies here: that being the students as well as the faculty.” Karim continued, “As Alumni, we owe it to our university to support the [student protesters].”
“We have been trying to help seniors,” said a HUResist student protest leader at a Monday night news conference.
When asked about the senior concerns, the students said they do not want to be occupying the building. They, along with everyone involved, want to come to a solution sooner rather than later.
HUResist leaders said they were able to discuss at least two more demands with the Board of Trustees on Monday. Due to legal reasons, student protesters did not want to say what the two other demands discussed were just yet.
