WEBVTT - Students Pushing Back Against Schools Abandoning Diversity Programs (Part 1) 0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:03.000 Broadcasting from the Hip Hop Weekly Studios. I'd like to 0:00:03.000 --> 0:00:05.800 welcome you to another episode of Civic Cipher, where our 0:00:05.840 --> 0:00:09.840 mission is to foster allyship empathy and understanding. I'm your host, 0:00:09.960 --> 0:00:13.520 ramses Ja. He is Ramsy's Jaw. I am q Ward. 0:00:13.600 --> 0:00:16.680 You are tuned into Civic Cipher, Yes you are, and 0:00:17.000 --> 0:00:19.360 we want you to stick around because today we are 0:00:19.360 --> 0:00:23.120 going to be having a couple of interesting conversations. One 0:00:23.160 --> 0:00:26.960 of the things that we haven't really been able to 0:00:27.440 --> 0:00:32.760 get to because of the muzzle velocity strategy by the 0:00:32.800 --> 0:00:38.040 current administration is how the rollbacks of DEI initiatives have 0:00:38.120 --> 0:00:43.720 been affecting students on college campuses around the country. And 0:00:43.920 --> 0:00:46.240 today we are going to hear from a couple of 0:00:46.280 --> 0:00:51.720 students who are very much active in trying to fight 0:00:51.800 --> 0:00:55.840 for what is right, fight for the organizations, and fight 0:00:55.920 --> 0:01:01.160 for an inclusive campus. And hearing from them directly, I 0:01:01.240 --> 0:01:04.160 think will give us a lot of insight into what's 0:01:04.200 --> 0:01:06.640 going on. So today we are going to hear from 0:01:06.760 --> 0:01:09.240 DJ who was the president of the Black Student Union 0:01:09.360 --> 0:01:12.080 at the University of Arizona, and we're also going to 0:01:12.160 --> 0:01:15.560 hear from Kaija, who's an activist working closely with the 0:01:15.600 --> 0:01:20.520 Department of African American Student Affairs, and again both organizations 0:01:20.560 --> 0:01:24.760 are actively working against the DEI band. We're also going 0:01:24.800 --> 0:01:28.000 to have a conversation later in the show where we 0:01:28.080 --> 0:01:31.360 try to view this from the other perspective, In other words, 0:01:31.959 --> 0:01:37.840 what are some of the criticisms of DEI initiatives that 0:01:38.040 --> 0:01:41.760 are found on the right. How is this justifiable to them? 0:01:42.560 --> 0:01:47.000 What veneer of truth have they used to dig their 0:01:47.040 --> 0:01:50.680 heels in? And you know, these things we need to know. 0:01:50.720 --> 0:01:53.240 And I say that in jest. You know, there's some 0:01:53.720 --> 0:01:56.320 valid criticisms, of course, but we're going to discuss that 0:01:56.400 --> 0:01:58.600 and so much more on this episode of Saying Cipher. 0:01:58.600 --> 0:02:02.480 But before we get there, it is time for some ebony. 0:02:02.120 --> 0:02:05.559 Excellence, shall we? I think we shall. 0:02:05.920 --> 0:02:09.880 Today's ebony excellence comes from the Atlanta Black Star, and 0:02:10.000 --> 0:02:11.800 I think this is such a cool story, so I 0:02:11.919 --> 0:02:14.960 will share turning down a deal on Shark Tank was 0:02:15.000 --> 0:02:18.320 the best business decision for Tim and Kim Lewis. The 0:02:18.400 --> 0:02:20.919 Curl Mixed founders appeared on the show in twenty eighteen 0:02:20.960 --> 0:02:23.880 for season ten, episode fourteen of the show. Their ask 0:02:24.000 --> 0:02:26.079 was four hundred thousand dollars for a ten percent equity 0:02:26.120 --> 0:02:29.480 stake in the Black owned and operated hair system. Their 0:02:29.480 --> 0:02:33.320 pitch to dry Bar Salon proprietor Ali Webb, Mark Cuban, 0:02:33.880 --> 0:02:35.880 Lorie Griner, Kevin. 0:02:35.560 --> 0:02:38.160 O'Leary, and Robert heard Javek. 0:02:38.400 --> 0:02:41.000 Sorry, I don't really watch the show too often, included 0:02:41.040 --> 0:02:44.440 models demonstrating the efficacy of their flack sea gel that 0:02:44.520 --> 0:02:46.800 promises to define curls of all types. 0:02:47.960 --> 0:02:48.240 Quote. 0:02:48.280 --> 0:02:50.480 The main issue we have now is we cannot keep 0:02:50.520 --> 0:02:53.840 product on the shelf, unquote, said Tim. They projected one 0:02:53.880 --> 0:02:56.680 hundred and eighty thousand dollars in profits that year. That declaration, 0:02:56.720 --> 0:02:58.440 couple with the fact that it only cost a couple 0:02:58.480 --> 0:03:00.560 three dollars to produce one bottle of the jail, which 0:03:00.600 --> 0:03:04.000 retails for twenty five dollars, excited the judges. However, Cuban 0:03:04.280 --> 0:03:08.400 was the first to bow out her Javek spoke about 0:03:08.440 --> 0:03:12.480 the brutally competitive competitive market. Still, he was certain, quote 0:03:12.480 --> 0:03:15.000 this is one of the few investments that I think. 0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:17.600 I give you the four hundred thousand dollars, You're definitely 0:03:17.639 --> 0:03:19.760 going to grow and you're going to get bigger. What 0:03:19.800 --> 0:03:24.799 I worry about is the cargoes faster than and then 0:03:24.880 --> 0:03:27.079 hits the wall, hits a wall. 0:03:27.120 --> 0:03:27.400 Sorry. 0:03:29.400 --> 0:03:32.480 Kim shared that Kroll makes this focus on online sales 0:03:32.639 --> 0:03:36.520 was one of the ways their business differentiated from competitors. Quote, 0:03:36.560 --> 0:03:38.800 you don't have any other choice because you're not going 0:03:38.840 --> 0:03:41.360 to get any retail space. There's no way this business 0:03:41.400 --> 0:03:44.280 is worth four hundred thousand dollars right now. There's nothing proprietary. 0:03:44.360 --> 0:03:46.400 I'm out, interrupted O'Leary. 0:03:46.920 --> 0:03:47.200 Well. 0:03:47.360 --> 0:03:49.880 In twenty twenty four, the company entered its third year 0:03:49.920 --> 0:03:52.400 of being available for purchase at four hundred and sixty 0:03:52.400 --> 0:03:55.760 ault beauty stores nation Why they are currently valued at 0:03:55.880 --> 0:03:59.040 an estimated thirty eight million dollars. 0:03:59.160 --> 0:04:00.640 You'll love to see it, so. 0:04:01.240 --> 0:04:04.160 Again, shout out to Tim and Kim Lewis or their 0:04:04.240 --> 0:04:08.440 cro mix. All right, it's time to get down to 0:04:08.480 --> 0:04:14.320 brass techs. So first off, I want to welcome the 0:04:14.360 --> 0:04:17.279 two of you to the show. So welcome DJ and 0:04:17.640 --> 0:04:20.400 welcome Kaija. Do us a favor before we get into 0:04:20.480 --> 0:04:24.839 the the conversation, just take a minute or so each 0:04:25.080 --> 0:04:26.359 and just kind of give us a little bit of 0:04:26.400 --> 0:04:28.520 background on both of you. I know that DJ, you're 0:04:28.640 --> 0:04:31.520 the president of the Black student union on your campus, 0:04:31.560 --> 0:04:33.680 so you know just a little bit more so that 0:04:33.720 --> 0:04:35.480 our listeners know who we're talking to today. 0:04:35.960 --> 0:04:40.560 Yeah, Soggra. First, I I am the president of BSU. 0:04:40.680 --> 0:04:45.160 That's well known. But what that means for me and 0:04:45.200 --> 0:04:48.400 for a lot of students on campus is regular organization, 0:04:48.680 --> 0:04:53.279 you know, and finding unity in our spaces. This campus 0:04:53.520 --> 0:04:58.320 is very much mixed, and a lot of times there's 0:04:58.320 --> 0:05:02.520 no certain organization for students to feel safe and to 0:05:02.560 --> 0:05:04.680 feel like there's this space that they can go to. 0:05:05.920 --> 0:05:08.960 So my role in what I do on campus a 0:05:09.000 --> 0:05:11.160 lot of times is try to find a way for 0:05:11.279 --> 0:05:14.520 students to organize and to and to feel safe, you know, 0:05:14.920 --> 0:05:17.000 and to talk about the things that they may not 0:05:17.040 --> 0:05:19.039 actually always get to say in their classroom or with 0:05:19.080 --> 0:05:26.479 their friends. So I try to allow those allow time 0:05:26.560 --> 0:05:28.760 and allow spaces for students. 0:05:29.279 --> 0:05:30.520 Perfect. 0:05:31.560 --> 0:05:32.799 Hi, my name's Kaija. 0:05:33.000 --> 0:05:37.599 I'm I'm the president of MAIA Chapter I Delves signdated, 0:05:37.720 --> 0:05:39.800 so already incorporate here at the University of Arizona. 0:05:39.800 --> 0:05:42.480 I'm also a Biochem major minory and Italian. 0:05:43.440 --> 0:05:49.240 I am also chemistry biochemistry peer mentor and advisor as 0:05:49.240 --> 0:05:51.599 well as a peer information council for the main library 0:05:51.600 --> 0:05:56.839 and research associate for Banner. So my whole thing with 0:05:57.000 --> 0:05:58.680 being on campus and being here and being the most 0:05:58.720 --> 0:06:01.520 senior member as well as are taking in our living 0:06:01.600 --> 0:06:05.000 learning communities, which is an entire dorm full of black students, 0:06:05.560 --> 0:06:07.159 is to allow us to have a space and to 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:12.520 have the continuance of a space within these pressing times 0:06:13.839 --> 0:06:15.560 at a predominant white institution. 0:06:21.920 --> 0:06:24.840 For those that might not know, what does the Black 0:06:24.880 --> 0:06:28.000 Student Union do and what are the benefits to the 0:06:28.080 --> 0:06:29.080 student body. 0:06:30.680 --> 0:06:33.440 So the Black Student Union, I mean, aside from allowing 0:06:33.440 --> 0:06:37.279 a safe space, of course, you know, we often organize 0:06:37.360 --> 0:06:41.520 we have weekly meetings on Wednesdays where we usually do 0:06:41.560 --> 0:06:44.279 a variety of things. We usually will have things like 0:06:44.320 --> 0:06:47.520 Spades Nights, you know, where kids can come and learn 0:06:47.520 --> 0:06:50.880 how to play spades and have fun and chill. We 0:06:50.960 --> 0:06:56.200 also have had little parties, you know, so things along 0:06:56.200 --> 0:07:01.320 those lines. But BSU at its core, BSU is primarily 0:07:01.839 --> 0:07:05.919 for Black students, of course, but for any student that 0:07:06.000 --> 0:07:08.840 wants to learn about what black culture is like and 0:07:09.040 --> 0:07:14.239 learn how to you know, best assist in representing black 0:07:14.360 --> 0:07:17.480 black culture in the black community, not necessarily how to 0:07:17.560 --> 0:07:20.160 assimilate or how to become a part of the black community, 0:07:20.480 --> 0:07:23.000 but to but to best support it and to best 0:07:24.440 --> 0:07:28.360 learn how learned what what is really a part of 0:07:28.400 --> 0:07:31.320 this rich culture because there's a lot of things that 0:07:31.800 --> 0:07:34.480 people may not know on the service level about what 0:07:34.560 --> 0:07:35.600 the black community is. 0:07:37.240 --> 0:07:41.160 So kayj, you do me a favorite and actually I 0:07:41.200 --> 0:07:42.600 want to hear from both of you, but Kaja, I'd 0:07:42.640 --> 0:07:46.679 like you to go first. How have the the nation, 0:07:46.880 --> 0:07:49.600 the national like attacks on d I and the rollbacks 0:07:49.600 --> 0:07:53.800 on d I have those affected You know your organizations 0:07:53.880 --> 0:07:58.400 and you know their capacity to, you know, deliver these 0:07:58.440 --> 0:08:02.800 services to the students who are requesting a lot of. 0:08:02.800 --> 0:08:04.880 The problems that we have is to make sure that 0:08:05.120 --> 0:08:08.480 the programs that we keep are sustainable. So that's having 0:08:08.560 --> 0:08:12.320 a consistent attendance and audience as well as making sure 0:08:12.320 --> 0:08:13.640 that we have funding for these. 0:08:13.480 --> 0:08:16.480 Programs that we have here. Without DEI, we wouldn't be 0:08:16.520 --> 0:08:17.280 able to have any of that. 0:08:17.640 --> 0:08:20.120 And it comes to small things such as just reserving 0:08:20.200 --> 0:08:21.200 spaces in a building. 0:08:21.880 --> 0:08:24.040 How can we do that if we don't have the building. 0:08:24.520 --> 0:08:29.040 So it's things within that we're fighting against. Other organizations 0:08:29.040 --> 0:08:31.320 on campus that are not marginalized. We do have the 0:08:31.320 --> 0:08:34.760 privilege to go out and have these spaces on a 0:08:34.800 --> 0:08:38.280 consistent basis, whereas now we are trying to find that 0:08:38.320 --> 0:08:42.120 for ourselves and something that we had we already have 0:08:42.400 --> 0:08:42.959 and now. 0:08:42.840 --> 0:08:43.839 It's being taken away. 0:08:45.160 --> 0:08:48.640 Within funding as well, we are given funding through the university. 0:08:48.720 --> 0:08:51.160 This is done due grants and everything else which within 0:08:51.320 --> 0:08:55.640 DEI those no longer exists. Students are losing their scholarships 0:08:55.679 --> 0:08:58.520 and their grants, and organizations on campus are losing their 0:08:58.520 --> 0:08:59.200 grants as well. 0:09:00.840 --> 0:09:03.200 And then there's also advisors for. 0:09:03.160 --> 0:09:07.080 These organizations who are who work for the campus, who 0:09:07.120 --> 0:09:11.600 are considered DEI hires that are unable to have their job, 0:09:12.240 --> 0:09:15.000 which then of course affects their livelihood as well as 0:09:15.040 --> 0:09:18.440 livelihoods of the students on the campus that need their support. 0:09:20.040 --> 0:09:23.560 Yeah, anything to add DJ. 0:09:24.800 --> 0:09:30.120 Yeah, So I mean, like Haier said, these advisors, it's 0:09:30.120 --> 0:09:35.160 it's advisors, faculty staff. We have our own staff here. 0:09:35.520 --> 0:09:39.160 So speaking of which, we're actually doing this call from 0:09:39.200 --> 0:09:43.800 within the MLK building a cultural resource center on campus 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:47.520 and what and things like this where we are able 0:09:47.559 --> 0:09:51.640 to reserve a room to do a meeting, to have 0:09:52.280 --> 0:09:55.520 our own events and do things along those lines. We 0:09:55.559 --> 0:09:58.600 wouldn't have them with the band of DEI and a 0:09:58.640 --> 0:10:01.520 lot of these faculty instea that we have in these 0:10:01.559 --> 0:10:07.040 centers would lose their jobs and without without even possibilities 0:10:07.040 --> 0:10:11.560 of severance pay or or anything that would allow them 0:10:11.559 --> 0:10:14.080 to find another job within the next few weeks. So 0:10:14.120 --> 0:10:19.199 they would be fired without condition, you. 0:10:19.160 --> 0:10:23.720 Know, thinking of life as a collegiate, you know, formerly 0:10:23.760 --> 0:10:27.439 the national second vice President of the National Paneltic Council, 0:10:28.160 --> 0:10:30.599 the vice president of Phive Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated, the 0:10:30.600 --> 0:10:34.839 Elite Epsilon five Chapter, the vice president of the NAACP 0:10:35.520 --> 0:10:41.040 would County Chapter. I know what it's like to feel 0:10:41.040 --> 0:10:44.560 the inclusion from being a part of these organizations. Kaider, 0:10:44.640 --> 0:10:48.400 from your purview, what are some other organizations besides your 0:10:48.400 --> 0:10:53.160 own that you see affected by these executive orders from 0:10:53.200 --> 0:10:54.120 the current administration? 0:10:56.200 --> 0:10:57.400 Other organizations. 0:10:58.600 --> 0:11:00.120 One of the jobs I have is I work as 0:11:00.120 --> 0:11:02.719 a pure information counselor for the main library in. 0:11:03.160 --> 0:11:05.720 A bunch of the culture resource centers on campus. So 0:11:05.760 --> 0:11:07.199 they all have their clubs. 0:11:07.840 --> 0:11:13.200 Without DEI, they wouldn't, like I said before, they wouldn't 0:11:13.200 --> 0:11:15.679 have their spaces, they wouldn't have their funding. A lot 0:11:15.720 --> 0:11:19.960 of the things they get is support from local businesses. 0:11:19.480 --> 0:11:20.200 And everything else like that. 0:11:20.240 --> 0:11:22.440 But if they are not able to continue having a space, 0:11:22.640 --> 0:11:24.880 if they decide to rally against it, which we have 0:11:24.960 --> 0:11:29.440 been threatened with expulsion and termination and not be able 0:11:29.440 --> 0:11:31.080 to continue our credits, which as. 0:11:30.920 --> 0:11:33.000 A senior here at the university, it's. 0:11:32.880 --> 0:11:37.880 A little daunting, but without it, we wouldn't be able 0:11:37.920 --> 0:11:42.920 to continue. There is its complete erasure of our organizations, 0:11:43.000 --> 0:11:46.600 us as a people, like there is no opportunity for 0:11:46.720 --> 0:11:48.120 us to thrive here. 0:11:48.760 --> 0:11:50.800 There's when you're going to class and you're. 0:11:50.640 --> 0:11:52.480 Seeing people that don't look like you, and you come 0:11:52.520 --> 0:11:54.800 back to a space where everyone is able to relate 0:11:54.840 --> 0:11:58.480 and have fun and we're experiencing black joy. 0:11:58.520 --> 0:12:06.520 It's difficult to be happy somewhere where you're obviously not accepted. 0:12:07.760 --> 0:12:11.160 Yeah, you know, one of the things that you know, 0:12:12.000 --> 0:12:16.200 So to Q's point, you know, I also have the 0:12:16.280 --> 0:12:18.880 experience of being like you did you. I was the 0:12:18.920 --> 0:12:21.080 president of the Black student union on my campus. And 0:12:21.120 --> 0:12:25.520 then you know, further down the line, you know, I 0:12:25.559 --> 0:12:28.800 recall being in those enormous lecture halls. I went to 0:12:29.360 --> 0:12:35.440 the business school and those those lecture halls, and I 0:12:35.480 --> 0:12:39.680 remember being in classrooms where I remember being the only 0:12:39.720 --> 0:12:43.160 black person in a classroom. So that's first, but I 0:12:43.160 --> 0:12:45.599 also remember, you know, sometimes there might be one or 0:12:45.640 --> 0:12:47.720 two other people, but we'd be so far apart that 0:12:47.720 --> 0:12:51.000 there'd be no sense of community, there'd be no sense 0:12:51.080 --> 0:12:54.960 of you know whatever. And the tough part about that, 0:12:55.000 --> 0:12:56.920 at least the way I remember it at a very 0:12:56.920 --> 0:13:00.680 different time than what you guys are living through, is 0:13:00.720 --> 0:13:04.079 you know, sometimes people would say things and they would 0:13:04.120 --> 0:13:08.880 just be wrong, or they would lack perspective, and I 0:13:08.960 --> 0:13:12.080 never felt like there were enough of us in a classroom. 0:13:12.120 --> 0:13:13.920 Certainly when I was the only one in a classroom 0:13:14.080 --> 0:13:17.800 to speak up to say hey, that's not right, or 0:13:19.080 --> 0:13:22.199 hey that is a little offensive or whatever, I just 0:13:22.280 --> 0:13:24.000 kind of had to take those things on the chin. 0:13:26.040 --> 0:13:27.880 There was also this feeling I remember one time I 0:13:27.920 --> 0:13:30.839 was in a finance class, and that feeling of am 0:13:30.840 --> 0:13:31.760 I smart enough? 0:13:32.280 --> 0:13:34.240 It turns out I absolutely was. 0:13:34.840 --> 0:13:37.960 But you know, when you're struggling personally, you don't have 0:13:38.000 --> 0:13:40.240 that sense of community where there's someone else to say, hey, 0:13:40.280 --> 0:13:42.280 look I'm going through this too, and you'd be embarrassed 0:13:42.280 --> 0:13:45.240 to go to everyone else who doesn't look like you, 0:13:46.200 --> 0:13:49.640 and you already carried the stigma that's associated with being black, 0:13:50.280 --> 0:13:53.600 like you know, stupid, criminal, all these other things, you know, 0:13:53.600 --> 0:13:55.800 a bad student, all that you don't want to go 0:13:55.840 --> 0:13:58.440 to someone else and then reinforce the stereotype by asking 0:13:58.480 --> 0:14:00.720 for help, right, And so you can be very much 0:14:00.760 --> 0:14:05.080 isolated in you know, a c full of people, because 0:14:05.240 --> 0:14:07.720 it's that cultural tie that often helps you out of 0:14:07.800 --> 0:14:10.080 little things like that. And I named a couple, but 0:14:10.240 --> 0:14:12.839 you know, my whole collegiate experience was filled with them, 0:14:13.040 --> 0:14:15.480 and I was the president of the Black Student Union, right, 0:14:16.080 --> 0:14:20.960 so I know the value full well of community on 0:14:21.000 --> 0:14:23.640 a campus. And what I'm trying to get from you, 0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:25.680 and you're doing an excellent job, is sharing with our 0:14:25.720 --> 0:14:29.000 listeners around the country what that feels like for folks 0:14:29.000 --> 0:14:32.440 who haven't had this experience or haven't had this experience recently. Right, 0:14:33.120 --> 0:14:37.240 So let's talk about what you've been up to. DJ 0:14:37.520 --> 0:14:40.200 will come to you for this one, and then, of course, Kaija, 0:14:40.240 --> 0:14:42.360 if you have something to add, please, But what has 0:14:42.400 --> 0:14:46.600 been done on campus to combat the ban of d 0:14:46.840 --> 0:14:49.680 I Kaija? I remember you mentioned the risks involved, so 0:14:49.920 --> 0:14:51.440 you know, I know that they could take your credits 0:14:51.440 --> 0:14:52.640 and all this sort of stuff. But what have you 0:14:52.680 --> 0:14:56.880 been trying to do to push back against this erasure 0:14:56.960 --> 0:15:01.120 and these attacks on you know, your the expression of 0:15:01.120 --> 0:15:02.840 your culture and the resources for your culture. 0:15:04.000 --> 0:15:07.720 Yeah, So I'll start off because Kaija has been involved 0:15:07.880 --> 0:15:11.960 many things, but from the perspective of Black Student Union 0:15:12.160 --> 0:15:15.640 and everything that I've been trying to work on organizing, 0:15:17.200 --> 0:15:21.760 it's it took a little bit of first analyzing where 0:15:21.800 --> 0:15:26.080 where we stand with the university and really assessing how 0:15:26.120 --> 0:15:30.400 we can best make an impact. But within that, we 0:15:30.600 --> 0:15:33.360 have all a lot of our organizations have released statements 0:15:34.520 --> 0:15:37.120 stating exactly what is happening. You know, Executive one four, 0:15:37.200 --> 0:15:40.080 one five one is not something that we are in 0:15:40.080 --> 0:15:43.560 agreements of, and it is quite literally tearing apart what 0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:47.680 we've come to know. But also on top of that, 0:15:47.880 --> 0:15:51.080 you know, it's packing the resource the resource centers, the 0:15:51.080 --> 0:15:54.600 cultural centers that we have. It's bringing students into these 0:15:54.640 --> 0:15:58.280 spaces and letting them know, hey, you have a safe 0:15:58.280 --> 0:16:01.400 space on campus. You can come here and you can 0:16:01.480 --> 0:16:04.680 always feel like there is somebody else that will understand 0:16:04.720 --> 0:16:09.160 what you're going through. And and so that's that's taken 0:16:09.240 --> 0:16:12.240 form in our organization, how we organize and how we 0:16:12.280 --> 0:16:15.760 go about our organization. You know, before we may organize, 0:16:15.880 --> 0:16:18.040 we have may have a BSU meeting in the library. 0:16:18.360 --> 0:16:20.480 Now it's not unless it's not as much about that 0:16:20.520 --> 0:16:24.320 we want to organize in the MLK Center here. But 0:16:24.440 --> 0:16:27.960 also on top of that, you know, it's petitions, it's 0:16:28.800 --> 0:16:33.000 it's really rallies and and finding different ways to bring 0:16:33.040 --> 0:16:38.520 the community together and and also just raise our voices. 0:16:38.680 --> 0:16:42.800 You know, not with one voice cannot be heard, but 0:16:43.080 --> 0:16:46.400 with many together you can reach as far as you'd. 0:16:46.200 --> 0:16:53.080 Like within that and just going based off Yes, we've 0:16:53.120 --> 0:16:55.440 had rallies on campus, but it's also making sure that 0:16:55.480 --> 0:16:57.360 students are educated and. 0:16:57.360 --> 0:16:58.560 The community is educated. 0:16:58.960 --> 0:17:01.560 We are not to succeed in the way that we 0:17:01.640 --> 0:17:05.560 want to unless everyone is on the same page. There's 0:17:05.600 --> 0:17:07.840 a lot happening. There's a lot of different voices, there's 0:17:07.840 --> 0:17:09.600 a lot of different opinions, but we know what. 0:17:09.560 --> 0:17:12.760 The facts are. So making sure education is. 0:17:12.720 --> 0:17:21.120 The foremost important thing when we're going about radicalizing or 0:17:22.160 --> 0:17:26.960 coming together as marginalized groups. But it's also making sure 0:17:27.160 --> 0:17:31.480 that we are speaking to our administration because at the 0:17:31.520 --> 0:17:33.159 end of the day, they are the ones that are 0:17:33.200 --> 0:17:36.120 going to make the decision. So having these open conversations 0:17:36.119 --> 0:17:38.520 with our data students and the provosts and trying to 0:17:38.520 --> 0:17:40.879 get in contact with the president to see, hey, we 0:17:41.000 --> 0:17:44.680 are students and our funding and well, sorry apologies, your 0:17:44.760 --> 0:17:47.600 funding does not equate to our experiences. 0:17:47.040 --> 0:17:48.600 Or our livelihood on this campus. 0:17:48.800 --> 0:17:52.000 So having those open conversations and making them understand that 0:17:52.440 --> 0:17:55.159 you are in this position because we are students that 0:17:55.200 --> 0:17:58.280 go to your school, because we don't just fit into 0:17:58.320 --> 0:17:59.280 the standard of. 0:17:59.160 --> 0:18:02.119 Being a white on this campus, will also do matter. 0:18:04.640 --> 0:18:08.120 And might I add I didn't mention it earlier. I 0:18:08.200 --> 0:18:11.359 am a second year student. So for me, you know, 0:18:11.760 --> 0:18:15.600 I think, I think with Kaija, it's a lot more 0:18:15.640 --> 0:18:17.880 about making sure that this space is reserved for us 0:18:17.880 --> 0:18:20.639 in the future. For me, it's about it's about having 0:18:20.720 --> 0:18:23.879 somewhere next year, you know, it's about having somewhere that 0:18:23.920 --> 0:18:27.760 I can actually still go to and study and get 0:18:27.800 --> 0:18:30.800 work done and find and build community and make connections 0:18:32.160 --> 0:18:34.720 that cannot be done if we do not have these 0:18:34.920 --> 0:18:37.880 have these resources. You know, there's a lot of things 0:18:37.920 --> 0:18:40.880 that are provided in just having a space, and that's 0:18:40.920 --> 0:18:44.200 not even not even including everything that they've done for 0:18:44.240 --> 0:18:48.000 our community and for our sense of community on campus. 0:18:51.800 --> 0:18:57.320 Now, we've watched organizations and universities capitulate to just the 0:18:57.400 --> 0:19:02.200 influence of the administration, not even the demands, with very 0:19:02.200 --> 0:19:06.280 little resistance, kind of voluntarily what do you say to 0:19:06.320 --> 0:19:10.200 a school where you pay tuition because you're not nonprofit students, 0:19:10.400 --> 0:19:12.840 it's a for profit institution where tens of thousands of 0:19:12.880 --> 0:19:16.040 students paid to attend. What do you say to a 0:19:16.080 --> 0:19:19.280 school when their response as well, we might lose our 0:19:19.320 --> 0:19:23.320 federal funding if we don't capitulate. What's the message as 0:19:23.359 --> 0:19:26.280 a student that pays tuition at an institution where that's 0:19:26.320 --> 0:19:26.680 the case. 0:19:28.200 --> 0:19:30.680 I've said something like this before. I'm glad you asked 0:19:30.720 --> 0:19:31.159 a question. 0:19:31.840 --> 0:19:36.160 I said it was cowardice, because how can you ask 0:19:36.560 --> 0:19:40.280 or provide me a scholarship to attend your campus and 0:19:40.640 --> 0:19:43.280 then turn around and use me as a statistic to 0:19:43.359 --> 0:19:46.119 say that you have marginalized students on this campus, to 0:19:46.200 --> 0:19:53.000 continue to build up your classes and then no longer support. 0:19:52.680 --> 0:19:55.040 Us as the years go on, as the days go on. 0:19:55.760 --> 0:20:01.600 It's cowardice, I think, just because we're not in this 0:20:01.720 --> 0:20:10.280 standard version of what they perceive as academia. Basically, it's unfortunate. 0:20:10.320 --> 0:20:14.919 It's saddening as a whole. We knew coming into this 0:20:15.440 --> 0:20:19.879 university that was a PWI. This wasn't something that was 0:20:20.080 --> 0:20:22.399 guaranteed for a lot of students or a lot of 0:20:22.440 --> 0:20:24.000 people that look like us. 0:20:24.359 --> 0:20:25.800 We are privileged within. 0:20:25.640 --> 0:20:28.440 That sense, so to know that we've made it here, 0:20:28.480 --> 0:20:31.960 we fought to be here, we've done we made sure 0:20:32.000 --> 0:20:33.880 our grades were good in high school and everything else, 0:20:33.920 --> 0:20:37.760 and then to be completely disappointed once again over and 0:20:37.840 --> 0:20:41.560 over by this administration, which in particular here like they've 0:20:41.640 --> 0:20:46.000 taken away our funding on multip occasions, they've fired our directors, 0:20:46.160 --> 0:20:49.480 they have not paid our directors before, which has caused 0:20:49.480 --> 0:20:56.359 them to quit. It's it's something that we have expected 0:20:56.760 --> 0:20:59.199 and that we hope to have changed, which is insanity, 0:20:59.480 --> 0:21:03.840 which the definition of insanity. But it's still once again disappointing, 0:21:03.920 --> 0:21:06.440 and we just try to continue to have hope. 0:21:06.160 --> 0:21:07.720 For it as a home. 0:21:08.480 --> 0:21:12.480 Well, you know, the uh, the truth of the matter 0:21:12.520 --> 0:21:16.880 is that if it's tough on us, if it's tough 0:21:16.920 --> 0:21:20.200 on us, it can be tough on colleges too, conceivably, right, 0:21:20.320 --> 0:21:23.800 And if this administration is making life hard for us, 0:21:23.840 --> 0:21:25.680 it could be hard for them too, and they could 0:21:25.800 --> 0:21:28.960 stand with us in solidarity and support us, particularly because 0:21:28.960 --> 0:21:29.639 we're paying for it. 0:21:29.680 --> 0:21:31.960 That's just my thoughts, but you. 0:21:31.880 --> 0:21:33.919 Know, it's your it's your story here. Now, I got 0:21:33.960 --> 0:21:36.360 one more question. Just about maybe thirty seconds or so, 0:21:37.880 --> 0:21:40.920 people around the country are listening to you. And then 0:21:41.080 --> 0:21:43.520 and you know, people around the country have colleges in 0:21:43.560 --> 0:21:47.359 their own towns. Right, just again, just in brief, what 0:21:47.480 --> 0:21:54.040 could people do to kind of support campuses or organizations 0:21:54.160 --> 0:21:58.280 on campuses around the country that are suffering because of 0:21:58.320 --> 0:21:59.320 these DEI robacks. 0:22:00.960 --> 0:22:04.160 So, actually, this is a very good question to ask, 0:22:04.240 --> 0:22:07.080 because you know, we're giving examples of what's happening on 0:22:07.119 --> 0:22:10.920 our campus alone. But this isn't to speak to what's 0:22:10.960 --> 0:22:14.000 happened already at you at the University of Ohio, you know, 0:22:14.040 --> 0:22:16.879 where they actually already banned a lot of their DEI 0:22:17.119 --> 0:22:21.239 and diversity related programs. You know, this is this this 0:22:21.359 --> 0:22:24.679 executive order is not something that just affects us. It 0:22:24.720 --> 0:22:29.560 affects all public universities across the nation and any any 0:22:29.720 --> 0:22:33.560 school that has any form of cultural resource centers any 0:22:33.600 --> 0:22:37.720 way for students to organize in marginalized groups. They are 0:22:37.800 --> 0:22:42.119 all at significant risk of being entirely dismantled or remodeled. 0:22:42.520 --> 0:22:44.400 And I know, ten seconds or so. 0:22:44.480 --> 0:22:49.199 But yeah, and so what we've started to do is 0:22:49.240 --> 0:22:52.719 just put out statements, organize, find any way to really 0:22:53.200 --> 0:22:56.919 stand together and unify. Okay, you know, use your voice 0:22:57.040 --> 0:22:58.120