Cal State Long Beach students protested yesterday to spread awareness about the low number of black students on campus and demand an increase in those numbers.
The protest, called “The Blackout,” began at 12:30 p.m. at the Speaker’s Platform and was held by the Africana Studies Student Association (ASSA).
“Its initial purpose is to demonstrate the solidarity of African-Americans on campus, and we intend on asserting our power as a collective unit,” said Ejiro Okoro, ASSA president.
Protestors sold and wore shirts that read, “Blackout 2009: 1 in 2,074,” meaning that one in 2,074 CSULB students is black, according to Jennifer Beasley, the ASSA public relations representative. According to the CSULB website, there were approximately 2,092 black CSULB students in fall 2008, comprising of 5.5 percent of the student body.
“I think it’s because the CSU system is racist,” Beasley said. “If there were people as equal as they say there are, there wouldn’t be a problem.”
Petitions were signed in support for increasing the number of black students enrolled at CSULB. Signatures consisted of a list of people “who feel the same as we do, not just African-Americans,” Beasley said. The goal of the protest was to have “more people get informed and see that there’s a problem,” she said.
“Many people ask me, ‘Why are you protesting?'” Beasley said. “My question to them is, ‘Why aren’t you?'”
The protest began with chants of “When I say ‘black,’ you say ‘out'” in an effort to get the crowd to make noise and make their presence known on campus.
After a prayer, CSULB student supporters gave short speeches.
The speakers represented various on-campus organizations, including the ASSA, the African Student Union, the Black Psychology Student Association, the Black Business Student Association and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
The ASSA made a list of five demands that they hope will increase the number of black students on campus to total at least 12 percent of the student body. Beasley said the organization does not require an immediate change, but a change that will gradually happen over three to five years.
“‘Power concedes nothing without demand,'” Okoro said quoting Frederick Douglass, “and we’re demanding better recruiting and retention for African-Americans on the campus of CSULB.”
If the demands, which will be sent to campus administrators with the petition, are not responded to within 30 days, the ASSA said it will stop buying products from the university and will provide paper bag lunches once a week until changes have been made, Beasley said. The boycott includes textbooks, on-campus food and other university merchandise.
“If we don’t have to give them our money,” Beasley said, “we won’t.”
The demands include the creation of a high school retreat, a community-based program advocating higher education in Long Beach, a Student Orientation Advising and Registration Day (SOAR) specifically for black students, a more diverse counseling system with more black counselors, more general education ethnic studies classes and the general education certification of AFRS 120 and 121, or African-American History.
Beasley also said that students should be supported while in high school to encourage them to pursue higher education.
After the speakers, the protestors lined up and marched through upper campus, chanting and holding signs about the ASSA.
“I was in the library studying and I stepped outside for a break,” said Enrique Avalos, a graduate English student. “I saw them walking around and I thought I’d join … get some exercise, if anything.”
However, before reaching Brotman Hall, the protestors stopped, quieted and resumed marching in silence with their fists raised in the air. The silence was meant to honor those who fought in the past so that the students could have their rights.
“It was through the struggle of our ancestors that I am able to go to school here,” said Saliem Aregaye, vice president of the ASSA.
Once at Brotman Hall, the students circled the nearby fountain, continued chanting and walked back to the Speaker’s Platform. They chanted many phrases, including “Left, right,” “When I say ‘black,’ you say ‘proud'” and “No justice, no peace.”
The event continued later at 6 p.m. at The Nugget with an open mic and live music.
“Today wasn’t just a protest, but the first step in many actions to follow,” Okoro said.
michael- yea i figured that out, but its not what the story implies “Blackout 2009: 1 in 2,074,” meaning that one in 2,074 CSULB students is black” either way, this whole thing is a joke. The whole state of CA is 6.2% black, and 96% of the CSU students are CA residents, so its fitting that CSULB has this proportion.. but then again, everything has to be a race issue, regardless of it making any sense…
I like how they demand better retention for black students? Does that mean black students will get a GPA boost and reduced tuition based solely on their skin color? Will that follow by black-only cafeterias that are better than the non-black ones?
They’re not demanding equality, they’re demanding being treated better than someone else because of the color of their skin.
I’ve often wondered when the Irish-American population is going to get our own study room. When am I going to be allowed to start the German Heritage Honor Society (open to all races, of course!)? How many people in the group that protest could clearly explain the purpose of their actions, and how many could explain the reasons, citing proper data. Where did they randomly decide that 12% of the population should be black? I would really like to see their meeting notes, why they came to this decision. If anybody from that group would care to enlighten me, I’d certainly appreciate it. [email protected]
Joel – the shirt isn’t 1/2074 total population. Them wearing the shirt means that they’re one of 2,074 black students there.
DDUB, WHAT IS SO CONFUSING AND MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT AFRICAN-AMERICANS? DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU ARE THE ONLY GROUP OF PEOPLE TO HAVE BEEN THROUGH TOUGH TIMES? WHAT ABOUT JEWS? JAPANESE AMERICANS DURING WW2? MY GOD MAN, GET EDUCATED, AND STOP FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF. WE ARE ALL AMERICANS, NOT HYPHENATED AMERICANS.
GREAT JOB get your point across it will depend on my children”s future
“haha” That person with the long hair is walking against the grain, LOL. I would like to see the facial expression.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION ANYONE? instead of insisting any one race be given more enrollment, why not give QUALIFIED APPLICANTS ACCEPTANCE INTO CSULB! As a student of CSULB, that makes more sense! Why have a segregated SOAR? why have only african american counselors for african american students only? this whole thing is a joke and makes them look bad.
If there was only 1 african american student out of every 2074 at this school like it says, that would mean there’s only 18 african americans at the whole school.(“Blackout 2009: 1 in 2,074,” meaning that one in 2,074 CSULB students is black) Now what they probably mean is that there are 2074 african americans at the school, which given the population of about 37,000, would lead to the 5.5% number that was given. I was unable to find the stats, but i would be very surprised if more than 8-10% of total applications were from african american students. Catering to the demands would make the selection committee base everything on race, and thats a whole mess too. This is ridiculous. I’m all for equality, but i dont see any other race or religion doing this.
I definitely think the demands for this protest are great ideas and people need to read them and not just what the writer wrote in the paper. There’s more to them. Either way, there just aren’t enough African Americans.
Okay Protestors, what are you ding to insure the AA high school students are prepared to successfully enter into higher education specifically CSULB, besides staging your protest? REAL POWER begins whe you take it and you yourself begin to lead and mentor others, protests and groups making noise do nothing to accomplish this all it does is make you feel like you are doing something. No I don’t know what it is like to be black and nothing can change that. But I do know what it is like to be considered a nothing and the expectation for you is prison or some menial job. I also learned what it is like to have a mentor that can show you that there is a different future for you. Forget the protests go out and teach the youth of your community that they can go on to greater and better things! No power is given if you expect the “man” to do it for you!
I understand that there is still racism in the wold today, and that is extremely sad for a country that is founded on the principles of freedom and equality. Our nation has been struggling with racial equality from day one, and though we have shown drastic improvements, there is still more to be done. We have elected our first black president, who has a sky-high approval rating. That was an ENORMOUS step for this county.
That being said, after reading this article I feel a bit uneasy about some of the ways we are trying to go about this at our school. The demand to increase the black enrollment at CSULB seems a little odd to me, considering African Americans only make up 6.7% of the population in the state of California. If the numbers were raised to 12% that would either mean CSULB would be getting a huge increase in out-of-state students OR that the student body numbers would be wildly disproportionate to the population of the state as a whole.
In terms of the segregated SOAR day… how would this benefit to any part of our racial community? Wouldn’t this lead to a deeper divide between the races? We have learned from our past that separate is never equal. It would be wrong for our public school to push for such a separation, for this would not benefit the pursuit of true freedom and equality.
Another demand is that we should require all students to enroll in (and pass) an African American course. First of all, we don’t need any more GEs than we already have. It takes long enough to graduate as it is. Also, if we were required to take an African American studies class, would we not have to take an Asian, Hispanic, Armenian, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc. class as well? Why require that we study one group of people if we do not require we study all peoples. I took an African American studies class my freshman year and I was the only white person in the entire class… I guess I can fairly respond to the “walking in my shoes” claim. All I needed to do was walk up to people and introduce myself and everything was fine. The only way people can judge “by the cover of the book” is if one allows them to do so. If one never introduces themselves and purposely separates, assuming others are looking with degrading eyes, we fall into the cycle all over again.
Again, the progress we have made in this country has been great, and we need to go further. The demands laid out in this protest, however, seem to undermine progression and I can see them leading to more racial splintering before repair.
There should be more AA students on campus. They are under represented. It sucks that in 2009, this is still an issue, but unless you are black, you will never understand being the only black kid in a class and feeling totally misunderstood, because all the students think you represent the stereo type they see on television. They hardly ever want to know you for who you are, just what they have learned. Until you walk in our shoes you will never get it. And unfortunately, you never really try.
“The demands include the creation of a high school retreat, a community-based program advocating higher education in Long Beach, a Student Orientation Advising and Registration Day (SOAR) specifically for black students, a more diverse counseling system with more black counselors, more general education ethnic studies classes and the general education certification of AFRS 120 and 121, or African-American History.”
There is already a community-based program, probably several statewide, advocating higher education for African-Americans, among other things. F. King goes every year, among other CSU reps to various churches in hopes of outreach. And look at the CSULB Catalog: there is an entire Africana studies program/degree and other ethnic courses of many world flavors for all colors of college kids. And why have a SOAR class only for African-Americans when they are going to be taking the same courses under the same registration process as everyone else, like the whites, Hispanics, Asians, Middle Easterns, Native Americans, illegals, legals and Men In Black-identified hidden space aliens permeating the campus? Didn’t we as Americans of all colors move past the “separate but equal” clause, and wouldn’t something like a specialized SOAR, while equal, still be separate? Shouldn’t we be integrating and learning from each other’s experiences, not separating?
In short, some of this organization;s demands seem well-intentioned but already, and justly, in place. A few others, like more African-Americans on campus and some more black faculty/advisers, and that GE certification, should be at CSULB. But when this group undermines its efforts by demanding other things it already has, it may lose some credibility.
the person with the long hair, in that picture, is like “whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?”
I have a feeling some qualified non-black student is going to lose his/her seat at CSULB…
google search: affirmative action