Thirty-four days after a group of students took over Howard University’s Armour J. Blackburn University Center, demanding better on-campus housing conditions and greater student representation in institutionwide decision making, university leaders have reached a resolution with the protesters, putting an end to a tenuous period in the historically Black university’s 154-year history.
Howard announced the agreement in a tweet just after 10 a.m. on Monday. The announcement offered sparse details, noting only that President Wayne A.I. Frederick would address the topic later in the day. When contacted by The Chronicle, a university spokesperson responded with a similar message.
Students involved in the sit-in — the longest in Howard’s history — celebrated the agreement as a victory. The Live Movement, an organization that advocates for students at historically Black colleges, posted on its Instagram account, “After 34 days of protesting and 20 days of negotiations, justice has been served for the Howard University students.”
Howard University’s Student Association posted, “We would like to commend our fellow students, alumni, and the entire Bison community who united together in support of our campus during this crucial time as we work towards student-centric solutions.”
Tyler Davis, a Howard student and protester at the Blackburn Center, declined to discuss the terms of the agreement, citing legal reasons.
“It’s been a very mentally draining thing to be here,” Davis said in an interview with The Chronicle. “I’m glad that it’s over.”
The protests began on October 12 around 8 p.m., when more than 150 students occupied Blackburn, the student center, following a town hall hosted by the student association. President Frederick was invited, but could not attend due to a scheduling conflict, Howard officials told The Chronicle. The town hall went on anyway.
Many students slept outside in tents, while the building, formally closed by the university, served as a quasi headquarters for the activists.
On November 5, Frederick addressed the university in a virtual town hall. He acknowledged students’ frustration about living conditions and agreed that the university should improve its maintenance and communications on facilities issues.
Davis said activists were now beginning to clean up Blackburn, removing supplies and preparing to donate them to the surrounding community, in Washington, D.C. They had received material support from groups all over the country.
While they’ve reached an agreement for now, Davis said, their work is not over yet.
“There will 100 percent be another action,” Davis said. “So we’ll be ready for that when the time comes.”
