Student protest at Howard University over appalling living conditions enters week four

The Howard University student protest in Washington, DC entered its fourth week on Tuesday, with as many as 50 students continuing to occupy the Blackburn University Center, while dozens more camped in tents outside.

The historically black college and university (HBCU) “crown jewel” occupation was launched to protest appalling living conditions: students complained of mold growth in their bedrooms, mice, cockroach infestations and fleas and poor plumbing and ventilation, as well as a lack of representation of students and professors on the university’s board of directors, among other complaints.

Student protesters have filed four main demands: an open public meeting with the university president, Wayne AI Frederick, and other administrators; the restoration of the representation of students, alumni and professors on the board of directors; a meeting with the administrators to discuss the conditions of the house; and finally, academic and legal immunity for protesters.

Rising tuition costs, now over $ 28,000 annually, up from just over $ 27,000 last year, exacerbates the situation, as students pay more to live in deplorable conditions. On October 21, in apparent response to this, the university announced that $ 11 million in pandemic relief funds would be distributed to students facing financial difficulties. This would work out to an average of $ 834 per student, an absolute pittance.

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