The Heller School Alumni at Brandeis University Stand With Us
November 23, 2015
Heller Alumni Statement of Solidarity with Student Protesters and their Demands:
We, the undersigned Alumni[1] of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, stand in solidarity with students occupying the administrative offices of Brandeis Interim President Lisa Lynch. Their determination and resolve over the past several days have awoken the world to the critical emergency facing Brandeis University: an emergency of racial inequity that requires immediate and concrete action for students, staff, and faculty of color. We strongly support the students’ eleven specific demands and we call on Brandeis University to immediately set forth a plan to implement the measures called for.
We believe this is a moment of immense possibility for Brandeis to truly embody its social justice mission. As former students at Brandeis, we have experienced the historical frustration of repeated promises to ameliorate racial exclusion and enact diversity among students, faculty, and staff. These promises have not resulted in broadly effective reforms. The eleven demands called for enable Brandeis University to break with this cycle of promises and effect real change.
The Heller School’s mission “Knowledge Advancing Social Justice” is also epitomized in the eleven demands and in this protest. We could not be prouder of the Heller students leading this initiative. At this time in which a movement has engaged the country to value Black Lives and investigate racism in our society, as Heller School Alumni we resoundingly join our voices to those who occupy the administrative offices.
We call on the Interim University President and the Board of Trustees to embrace this moment in which strong leadership is needed at Brandeis University. As alumni we call on Interim President Lynch and the Board of Trustees to move positively and forthrightly towards racial equity for the Brandeis community through specific action. We urge them to continue negotiations with students to quickly and earnestly meet their demands to build a better and more just Brandeis, one that affirms Black students, faculty and staff through new and specific reform.
Signed:
Adrienne Beck
Alan Ratliff
Alex Lessin
Alexandra Motter
Allysha Roth
Andrea Hayes
Ashraf Haddad
Cady Landa
Camilo Esquivia-Zapata
Carmen Hicks
Caro Narby
Caroline Koch
Christian Chamars
Elisa Morales
Ev Evnen
Jessie Newhall
Kaleigh Behe
Kathleen Culhane
Kim Lucas
Leah Sakala
Lisette Anzoategui
Malcolm Joyles
Maria Fernanda Excobar
Megan Madison
Mumbi-Michelle Kimani
Nicole Hart
Nikki Tishler
Princess Osita-Oleribe
Sasha Anderson
Sharra Owen
Sherria Saafir
Sho Greenberg
Takawira Kapikinyu
Teresa Sherman
[1] Includes some “soon to be” Heller Alumni