Repression at Hampton University
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Posted By: BRENDA ROSS on December 02, 2005 her sources) > >CORPORATE PLANTATION >Political Repression and the Hampton Model >by John Robinson and Brandon King > >On Wednesday November 2, 2005 at Hampton University, the progressive >campus group affiliated with Amnesty International, United Students >Against Sweatshops, and Campus Anti-War Network held a student walk- >out on the issues of New Orleans urban renewal, **** crisis, >homophobia, the prison industrial complex, the war in Iraq, and the >crisis in ****. The organizers for the group had been planning the >action for sometime, and promoted it with radio announcements, posters >around the campus, and handing out fliers at campus group meetings. >The planned activities included speeches, chants, poetry, and musical >performances. Earlier that day an international student was subjected >to intense interrogation by the Dean of Women and was told by the >Hampton University police that she would be shadowed by a cop. At >twelve noon Brandon King began to speak to about 75-100 students in >the Student Center about our plans for the day. We handed out >information on the Iraq war and the Katrina disaster. Then armed HU >police abruptly shut down our activities. > >The HU police booked several people just because they were wearing >stickers and other paraphernalia that advertised our events. They >booked people who weren't even wearing paraphernalia because they >looked suspicious. The police used hand-held camcorders to record the >faces of the activists without our permission. They attempted to >intimidate the student onlookers by their random targeting. Three of >us were singled out as leaders by the Dean of Men and HU police, who >temporarily confiscated our students ID cards. The next day, one >leader of our group, Brandon King, was told by a Hampton University >Lieutenant Detective that, despite the fact that he was a "hometown >athlete," he would be expelled if he did not cooperate and give up the >names of other group members. > >Now Brandon, three sophomore activists, a junior activist, a non- >affiliated supporter and myself have all been summoned to an >administrative hearing for violating the code of student conduct >by "actions to cajole or proselytize students", "distributing and/or >posting unauthorized information", and "violating the administrative >guidelines for student demonstrations". The students were given notice >at 5:00 p.m. Friday, November 18 to appear at an administrative >hearing at 10:00 a.m. Monday, November 21. This short notice obviously >made it virtually impossible for the students to organize support from >lawyers, parents, witnesses, other students, and sympathetic >organizations both on campus and in the wider community. Nevertheless, >the administration received many calls and e-mails and agreed on >Monday morning to postpone the hearings indefinitely. Upon returning >to school from thanksgiving break on Monday November 28, the students >learned that the hearings had been rescheduled for Friday, December 2. > >Shortly before the break, students met with local reporters in a >nearby shopping center owned by the administration. As the students >described to the reporters the repressive conditions they face at >Hampton University, a Hampton University cop sent by the Dean of >Students confirmed the students' allegations. He pulled his squad car >to within inches of the camera man and cut short the interview by >stepping in between the camera man and the student interviewee. After >the reporters put their camera away inside their car, the police still >demanded that they leave the property. The video footage of these >events was shown on the nightly news. The story also appeared the next >day as the cover story in the local newspaper, The Daily Press. The >Dean of Students, in turn, wrote a letter to the editor of the Daily >Press responding that the school encourages peaceful protest, and the >kids who face discipline refused to use the legitimate routes. This >letter was mass copied and two copies were placed on every dorm door >on campus. > If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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