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Junious
Ricardo Stanton Commentary
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Cracking Down On Disent
“Morehouse police
beat up Civil Rights Leader and Elder, Mukasa Dada former known
as Willie Ricks of Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
(SNCC), on Thursday, November 10, 2005 at Morehouse College. As a
Field Secretary for SNCC and overall freedom fighter for Black
people in general, we feel this attack by Morehouse Police is
dishonorable, appallingly contradictory, and a slap in the face
to all Black Leadership past, present, and future. Mukasa Dada’s
history in the civil rights movement, Black power movement, and
all Black progressive movements is impeccable. Not only did
Mukasa Dada popularize the chant of “Black Power” but
he also is highly spoken of by other civil rights leaders.”
http://www.assatashakur.org/1205.htm
I’ve seen two disturbing reports of examples of administration reactionaries on the campuses of two historically black universities. In one incident several students at Hampton University have been threatened with expulsion for handing out flyers in support of a rally that was scheduled for November 2. Several students were observed passing out flyers announcing a nation wide rally and protest sponsored by The World Can’t Wait Drive Out! The Bush Regime. The national rally called for a day of absence, boycotting classes to signal their disapproval of Bu$h’s imperialist agenda. However organizers on Hampton’s campus didn’t want just a day of absence, they wanted to focus on global issues such as Hurricane Katrina, the crisis in Sudan and homophobia among other things. Campus police followed the students video taping their activities, they halted distribution of the flyers and collected about seven of the twenty organizers student Ids.
On November 18th the seven Hampton students were issued summonses to appear at a disciplinary hearing at which time they could be expelled from the University. University officials say it is not for promoting the rally or calling for a day of boycott. The students are being disciplined for failing to follow the private university’s rules and regulations. A Hampton University representative Bennie G. McMorris issued a statement saying, “ ‘The issue is compliance with university policies and procedures. The university certainly permits peaceful protests; however, all policies and procedures must be adhered to by students as stated in the Hampton University Official Student Handbook (2004 Edition).’ University policy says that ‘the distribution, posting, affixing with adhesives, staples or other means, of unauthorized handbills or advertisements on University Property is strictly prohibited. Students identified and found to be involved in such activities will in addition to having all materials confiscated, be reported to the [Vice President] of Student Affairs for disciplinary action.’” Campus organizers claim students and campus organizations pass out and put up flyers all the time some with lewd, derogatory images and messages and rarely are they sanctioned by the administration. The students feel this is part of a wider crackdown on dissent and “liberal” organizations by the school administration which is very conservative.
The initial hearing was postponed and several days later four more students were issued summonses for disciplinary action. Currently there is a nation wide letter writing campaign to support these students and have the university reverse their policy reinstate the students and apologize to them fo their actions. To support these students call the Hampton University Dean of Men (Woodson Hopewell Jr.) at 757-727-5303 and University the Dean of Women at 757-727-5486 and express your displeasure at the reactionary and heavy handed way they are handling this situation.
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