a vision
Here is a two-in-one photo essay showing two different eras of student protests at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. The first is about Project 500 from the late 1960s. Project 500 came about after the school was desegregated, not integrated. Dean Clarence Shelley and other officials worked to enroll 500 African American students to the university, while still combating heavy racism and discrimination. Even when the students arrived on-campus, there was still a great deal of injustices they faced, which led them to protest, speak up, and speak out. The protests grew to a massive problem once police arrived arresting students for doing something they have a right to. During this time, any group of three-to-four African Americans would be arrested.
Some say the institutional problems of yesterday for Black students at Illinois are still among them.
Today, black students are still fighting for some of the same things their predecessors were fighting for back in the ‘60s. Black student leaders say they really want to know if the university cares about diversity because there hasn't been more than 600 African Americans enrolled at the university since ’68.
The students are seeking to have their voice heard by Chancellor Robert Jones. They are hopeful he can be of greater assistance to the Black community.
Chancellor Jones, at the forum on Monday, said he is coming to these events because he wants to genuinely help the minority students here at Illinois. He also said he has been working on ensuring ‘inclusive excellence’ ever since he started working at the University of Minnesota. He wants to continue pushing the university down a path of diversity and inclusive excellence, so all students feel safe and relatively equal numbers of the different ethnic groups are enrolled as students.
Some, like Nino Rodriguez, are worried that he will not be able to accomplish much because of the dominant system and other appointed leaders at this university.
The incoming freshman class this year did exceed the 500 barrier but did not go over 600. These statistics can be found here. Some may account for the other numbers that include multiracial but, assistant director of the Bruce D. Nesbitt Cultural Center Ashley Davis said, “If they wanted to identify as purely Black they would be under that category, but they chose multiracial, which shows that they identify or can identify as something else”.
Black student leaders are pushing to keep this momentum of the change they want to see even after this upcoming winter break. Check it out here or at the bottom of the page.
- Matthew Eaglin-Daniels, Jade Hilton, Anaja Smith, Anatta Okonkwo
Some say the institutional problems of yesterday for Black students at Illinois are still among them.
Today, black students are still fighting for some of the same things their predecessors were fighting for back in the ‘60s. Black student leaders say they really want to know if the university cares about diversity because there hasn't been more than 600 African Americans enrolled at the university since ’68.
The students are seeking to have their voice heard by Chancellor Robert Jones. They are hopeful he can be of greater assistance to the Black community.
Chancellor Jones, at the forum on Monday, said he is coming to these events because he wants to genuinely help the minority students here at Illinois. He also said he has been working on ensuring ‘inclusive excellence’ ever since he started working at the University of Minnesota. He wants to continue pushing the university down a path of diversity and inclusive excellence, so all students feel safe and relatively equal numbers of the different ethnic groups are enrolled as students.
Some, like Nino Rodriguez, are worried that he will not be able to accomplish much because of the dominant system and other appointed leaders at this university.
The incoming freshman class this year did exceed the 500 barrier but did not go over 600. These statistics can be found here. Some may account for the other numbers that include multiracial but, assistant director of the Bruce D. Nesbitt Cultural Center Ashley Davis said, “If they wanted to identify as purely Black they would be under that category, but they chose multiracial, which shows that they identify or can identify as something else”.
Black student leaders are pushing to keep this momentum of the change they want to see even after this upcoming winter break. Check it out here or at the bottom of the page.
- Matthew Eaglin-Daniels, Jade Hilton, Anaja Smith, Anatta Okonkwo