It took only 20 protesting students from the Black Justice League just 32 hours to hold a sit-in in his office for Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber to cave to their demands.
Here’s the Daily Princetonian reporting on Eisgruber’s signing of the surrender document last night:
“Student protest leaders Destiny Crockett ’17, Wilglory Tanjong ’18 and Dashaya Foreman ’16 read out the agreement in the Nassau Hall atrium shortly after the signing. Protestors cleared the building later in the evening…
The final list addressed all three initial demands of the protestors, which included cultural competency training for faculty and staff and a diversity distribution requirement, a special space for black students, and the removal of the name of Woodrow Wilson, Class of 1879, from the Wilson School and Wilson College.
According to the agreement, Eisgruber will write to chair of the University Board of Trustees Katie Hall ’80 to initiate conversations on removing Wilson’s name from campus buildings. He will also write to Head of Wilson College Eduardo Cadava to request that he consider removing Wilson’s mural from Wilcox dining hall.
The administration also agreed to immediately designate four rooms in the Fields Center for use by cultural groups, and promised to have members of the BJL involved in a working group to discuss the viability of forming black affinity housing.
Regarding the protestors’ third demand, a mandatory cultural competency training and diversity distribution requirement, Eisgruber will write to Dean of the Faculty Deborah Prentice to arrange a discussion on cultural competency training. The BJL will also discuss the possibility of enhancing such training for Counseling and Psychological Services staff with CPS Executive Director John Kolligian.
BJL members will also attend the General Education Task Force meeting in December to discuss the possibility of a diversity distribution requirement.”
Protestors celebrated their victory, but emphasized that it wasn’t just a victory for African-American students. Teri Tillman, class of 2016, emphasized that the protestors were not fighting just for black students.
“Yes, the language is emphasizing the black experience right now,” she said. “But in the long run, in the larger context, it’s about all marginalized people.”