After weeks of protests over poor living conditions—including mold and pest infestations in dorms—Howard University students have reached an agreement with school officials.
Howard tweeted Monday morning that it had “come to an agreement with the students who occupied Blackburn,” the school’s student center, where dozens have been sleeping in tents and demanding change.
The school said it would share a longer message from its president, Dr. Wayne Frederick, later in the day.
ADVERTISEMENT
In a press conference Monday with Roland Martin Unfiltered, a daily news show, the students’ attorney, Donald Temple, said they “courageously journeyed on a path towards greater university accountability and transparency and public safety.” Without going into specifics, he told The Washington Post that students were able to accomplish their goals.
The protest—reportedly the longest demonstration in the university’s history—began Oct. 12 and quickly garnered national attention. Earlier in November, civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson met with school officials to show his support for the students, who were demanding safer and better living conditions. During a Howard alumni call last week, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said he was “appalled” at what was happening at the university and complained that officials were not taking students’ concerns seriously.
“It’s important for alumni to stick together,” Baraka said. “Students have support. This needs to be resolved. It’s not the right time for the administration to not be acting serious.”
Tuition to attend Howard University can reach upwards of $50,000 a year, but students said their basic living needs weren’t being met. Some say they’ve fallen ill from the alarming growth of mold in “unlivable” dorms, and others have detailed how there wasn’t enough housing for incoming students. Students took to social media to describe ongoing safety hazards, from flooding to unwelcome visitors in dorms.
After the protests took off, students said school officials backed out of a planned meeting, and instead sent security to remove students who were occupying the Blackburn center. The students provided Howard with a list of demands, including a town hall with the university's president, the reinstatement of trustee positions so that students can have voting power in major decisions, and a comprehensive housing plan so that future students will not have to undergo similar issues.
“Howard has a track record of not listening to students and not meeting the demands of students and basic human needs,” a student previously told The Daily Beast.
As of Monday, it was unclear which specific demands have been met.
