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