 Good evening and welcome to another edition of HBCU Digest, Digest After Dark on SiriusXMRadio channel 142HBCU, the pride of Howard University. I am your hostess, Tiffany, and this evening we have Eric, Laurel, Dr. Una, and Oryza Morganite. Not quite a full how today is actually Winston's birthday and he's living his best life. Today, tonight we are going to talk about a few things in particular to being student activism and what that's looking like currently within this what fall 2021 semester. It's been a doozy so far. We're going to talk about the moves or non moves action in action non action of the Biden administration with regard to HBCUs and in particular the White House initiative on HBCUs. And so, later on will also be joined by the former host of the show, Jared Carter, for a few words about student activism at his current campus his current employing HBCU. So let's get right to it. So, down in Alabama, Tuskegee, their band has been on strike for more than a few days, or boycotting, they're not playing essentially until they feel and have the support that they are requesting. And so, I, of course, looked into this, and it was just interesting to me. Before we started recording, I said that it seems that the things that they're asking for, in terms of having support for staff for traveling and things like that. These are needs that adults or adults, your adults, people who manage the program should be asking for the students should not be asking for these things. And so, I know it can be particularly frustrating as a student to not have what you need for something that requires you to perform to the best of your ability to be, to actively be the pride of your institution, especially at a game or at a function in your city or your town in this case, to be and not have the tools that you need to be your best. And so, I know that the band in sports and all that is really sensitive to, you know, what makes our culture unique. I think, I think this is something that probably happens at most campuses because the bands are so large. So we're talking about, you know, hundreds of people, be it the from the dancers to the musicians to the staff, and it's expensive. And just like any type of thing that requires money, the school is trying to get the most out of the band as they can, while also paying out as minimum and as little as possible. I know the articles that I've seen and spoken about some of the accommodations they've had some of the issues with travel, you know, being having it being forced to do down in backs, which is obviously going to somewhere playing all day and then getting right back on the bus. Those different things is a challenge. But Tuskegee is a lower resource institution. Even though it has a really great brand, it doesn't have the type of resources. So, because of that, you know, they've cut some corners where they shouldn't have. But I think this speaks to the general theme of this topic we're going to cover tonight about how our schools are forced to make really tough decisions. And, you know, it puts them in a really tough position overall, because you're, you're in one way trying to maximize, you know, your brand to maximize revenue, but at the same time, you're really in a tough position because you're not giving the students the best possible experience in terms of their accommodation. So it's a, it's rough. I mean, there's no there's no nice way to put it. We just don't have the money. We can argue about what we spend money on, but it was like the US government was like saying we got we don't have money for education, but we spend money on war. So it's the same thing. I was, I was like, so because it does all come down to some money. And I know, on my end, I've seen of my alma mater, and I've seen of my employing a employing HBCU like, they're always like, Hey, we need this money. Can you buy this? Do you want to buy this? I'm like, do they not have like a foundation account? Do they not have a body of people, former band people helping to to meet the gap? I don't know. I'm obviously not, not, not a Tuskegee alum. I don't know. I don't have anybody close to me that went to Tuskegee. So I don't, I don't know certain things. So that was something I was like really, really thinking about like, wait a minute. Is it really this hard up? Do they really not have support from anybody, whether that is, and no, it shouldn't come from, it shouldn't come from alum more than it should come from the institution. But in this case, if the institution can't meet it, y'all don't have alumni to fall back on. I was confused about that. Laura or Eric? I mean, I think to this could also just be a casualty of COVID. And also adding to the conversation of did people come back too soon, and maybe not even maybe definitely administration wasn't as transparent as they should have been about hey guys. Yes, we may have gotten cares act money, but we have to prioritize in XYZ ways and unfortunately, additional funding to the band program will be cut. And I think a lot of times, people in general, including students will be more understanding if you just tell tell people something instead of just trying to like cover it up or their favorite tactic, which is to be condescending and patronizing and think that oh well you'll just deal with it because it's just that's just not it may have worked in the past barely but it's just like it's not going to work anymore. And so I think that I don't foresee any of that being undone this year. But I do think that at minimum level they need to at least meet with the students, and even just like acknowledgement, even if you don't get what you're asking for I think sometimes just being acknowledged and say yeah we actually hear you we understand your concerns. And this is what we're going to do, but I also I also agree like where the alumni in this where their advocates on campus that are student affairs staff like it this this really shouldn't be on them and so I feel like the fact that it's the students leading this charge is also a little bit curious to me as well. I have a lot of questions about this whole situation right because my head I'm thinking myself. What is the general part of making my role of a band, we understand the importance of bands regarding HPCU culture is one of our honestly. It's one of our biggest marketing schemes right not even scheme is just so so important in marketing our schools right. To the point that non black schools to try to give that same sense of what we do. But you know to the point of many. Laurel and and or is it you know when it comes to things that of making money for these things to be taken as part of it a reflection on a general lack of importance within the arts on college campuses. Does that have something to do with how much money that people intend to put into it to make sure that a form of art which is farmers band continues to move forward. There's a lot of questions that are there about it I mean to a degree yes the students are asking for things that you know it shouldn't be them asking for it. But also. If the students are the ones to speak up in this situation. Would the administrators have said anything and that's even more problematic because we need to call it for a new band director. And I could tell you from anything. If you look at anything in sports, it will be very weird if the entire of any team anywhere as a whole said we need a new coach. Why they publicly said so this is a very interesting situation where if the the band themselves didn't say something about it. This there's no way that it was going to reach the mass so this was the most important that came out anyway. Hopefully they get what they deserve because why this kept some situations bands put people in stands that football can't football teams can so. That's abundantly true. Because I promise you like. No. I just lost my train of thought but you got it. I mean, everybody made like valid points and the bigger issue right is that it's been happening prior to their there's them giving money to I know a few band directors that are at HBCUs and the funding isn't where it should be. You want them to play you want them to be there like what you're saying they play they get on the bus and they got to go back. It's a lot and then you're not giving to that particular part of your institution why it doesn't make sense like why are you starving them. So with that said, why aren't not why hasn't this been an ongoing thing where they've been giving money to them. In addition to why have it. Why are we waiting till now. Like why why are we just now looking at this because I know several band directors who are like yeah we don't have the proper funding and our uniforms and our instruments and it's not cool because like Eric said it's a major part let's treat it as such. One thing like I remember reading and hearing. Is that like. There are three major fundraisers like actual people. Of any given university or college and that's the president or the chancellor that's the athletic director and that's who's that and that's the band director so in my head I'm like. Like I just went to chat and get no money. You know you you're not you're not out there getting money. And you're not inspiring people to give. Is this like could this be a thing of we weren't confident and who y'all hired as a band director in the first place. And I don't know I'm just asking because what makes people not give and if I'm if I'm being honest about how the context in which I've seen black people withhold their monies I seen at a church. You don't like what the pastor did you're not gonna you're not gonna pay your time you're not gonna make your offering you're not gonna you're not going to give. Like you typically would give it so that's my frame of reference that's why I phrase it like that not that I know anything or that I think anything because. I don't play no instrument I don't do that I don't know. But that's just what I think about in terms of how black people like to make a statement. I'm gonna give or I'm not gonna give. So that's just what I think. Now. I will say that there are some time with some issues that take place within our communities. And I'm talking about HBCU communities and I've heard this before. It's a concept that I call a like you know you've heard about generational wealth and generational debt or so it's been called a generational haze. So you'll have some people who were part of something on the college campus and you can enter any category that you want to right. They went through a particular experience. So those that come after them is no thought process of I'm going to help them have a better experience is they got to go through that too. Right. You got to do it because it was bad for me to write that same situation right. That's the only thing that rises to my mind because I've heard it. That will be a reason that the former band members the alumni band members especially if you have a really deeper connection to a band like. Some of y'all have like drum lines have their own organizations or whatever you know in sections. Like like that. Right. And I can't speak to. I don't know what. What K.K. Sile or Tobias Sigma do so I might will touch that. But just there's a some people have deeper connections to their band. Right. If you're not putting in money to the program. That you came through what else could it be other than that's oh you got to pass down a generational haze. I promise you you whatever you have that you're supporting is never going to progress if that's your thought process. So that's the that's the one thing I just wanted to add to that. Got it. Yeah, any last thoughts on that before we move to how. I'm going to just say have y'all seen them ban graduation rates. They're not. Well, so. So so so so work. So yeah yeah yeah. I'm just saying that as I think for all of the people that I saw to say I went to a family school known for his band. The bands had issues. I had multiple friends who were in the band. And most of them only make it to maybe one or two years because I have to decide. Do I want to be in the band? Or do I want to graduate? And it's Latin one say. Thanks so much or thanks so much because wait, what's going on? Okay, so At this point it has been however many days a lot of days That students Have occupied the Blackburn Center at Howard University And well it started on October 12th, so it's been however long whatever and so Obviously being the Howard woman that I am Obviously being somebody who Has written about a lot of different things on digest. I have not actually written about Howard in this issue since or Or right away. I had complicated feelings. I had a lot of feelings and I just did not do it. I Went back and forth with Jared about it. I did not want to do it because I have complicated feelings Conflicting feelings and I just did not want to do it. So I did not do it until After Somewhere from the digest editorial board wrote Howard protests is stuck on stupid and of course that really did take a Lot and so then I said well now I have to address that because that wasn't all the way It was like and obviously when you watch this you're going to see me not use words but because that's what I Did when I was reading like WTF So it's come to the point where Everything is up side down top seat herbie It's a lot we have to discuss it can't run from it anymore Jared is here because this had a lot of It was a lot so let me just bring him on so he could say what he got to say Because I I can't You got it That's a hell of a way to come on. Yes. Thank you. Thank you. I mean You got it is weird not to add headphones on I mean is there a question or are you just what what are we doing? You fully got it. Whatever it is. You got to say you got it I Mean, I think there's a couple of things one to whomever watches this show And has been supporting it first. Thank you I Know that Tiffany and the brothers and sisters here appreciate it. They put a lot of work Into doing really really a good job of covering HBCU issues and even more so You know since I'm out in heaven out for like a month The first thing I think that I should do is kind of clear clarify some misnomers, right? Because I think before I got to Howard and I did a video kind of explaining, you know, what what was going on And what my departure from the digest was and I think I wasn't Particularly clear about what that meant because I've had every question like have you sold it? You know if somebody else controlling it what you know, what is happening with it? So I think the first thing is I don't want people to worry or be concerned about the thing Continuing to publish. I haven't sold it. Nobody else owns it. I own it Still I just have completely Disassociated from being a quote-unquote writer or lead writer for it And I guess it it goes to say like well, why why did you do that and leave it with such confusion? It's a couple reasons one I Think like anybody anybody who's a CEO or creates a business Get some started and then there's a point where you realize. Hey, it's off the ground. It's doing what I wanted to do Perhaps it needs fresh ideas. I got a step away And that time that time came for me I had always realized like you can't be one person with your own bias your own background your own set of values, you know, I'm a 40-year-old what? Married father for I Can't represent everybody's Perspective in the HBC community I can't represent it from an age range. I can't represent it from a Perspective range. I can't represent it from, you know, the various, you know, nationalities who are who are in our campus communities You know the sexual identity That shapes so much of who we are and what we want to do and what we try to do and Just got to a point like yeah, you know, you've had you've had your run G and it's time for some other folks to do it and I think that I Called myself being you know applying some pressure and Saying well, maybe if I just walk away that that will that will create some urgency for folks to say, yo We really got a feeling to get We really got to do this because now he's a he's up and out of here And to the point I think that that was starting to happen, but there still were no controls in place But to be clear, I'm not I'm not the lead writer I'm not the voice of it anymore, but I am still the owner And I think that leads into the conversation about the piece on you know stuck on stupid Because as the owner the proprietor of it That's still on me whatever Goes up there Whatever rights that I give whoever can publish Ultimately it's still on me and it never was An intention to say put something out there that's gonna that's gonna make people feel bad or to mean a whole Or you know make something that's very very serious seemed very trivial So that that's on me that's on me and that's that's they're a safeguards in place for sure safeguards in place To make sure nothing like that happens again Because even when I've taken strong stances on stuff in the past over the last 11 years I can't recall a time where folks was like, yo, you're you're being mean You're being a bully like there's a lot of times where people don't agree with what you say There's a lot of times where people take issue with what you say But it's not to the point where people are saying You you call tonight out their name or you made entire generations feel Like issues that are mattered that matter to them don't really matter And that's regrettable and that's that's solely on me You know You all my brothers and sisters y'all are part of a coalition that You know lifelong friends that I've made And people I trust, you know with this site and with the content You know when I said I was leaving I didn't mean that I was this associating with it Or would never come back to it It just truly meant that I wouldn't be the active voice on it. I won't be an editor I won't be somebody who's talking you haven't seen me do this show in a while I won't do it again after this My time is up. I'm at Howard And I have full faith and fidelity to Howard University and I'll get into that in a minute But you know, obviously, I'm not a I'm not an official spokesperson for Howard I'm somebody who's been a part of You know the team for a little more than a month and one of the things that that I can say I think that there's so much passion so much Ideology about what the sell thing is about But I can tell you and Laurel can tell you this is somebody who used to work there It's a whole bunch of people that really really care about these young people and They really really care about the brand of this institution. I'm not talking about I'm not talking about. Oh, I like where I work I like my job There are people who come in there and will come and say We have to do for these young people these young people got to get out here and be great We have to do for this school because this is Howard University Like there are people there are people who talk like that on campus. I think that that's not that's not fiction and So, you know, I think that with the entire situation there are a set of facts like you wonder one How did it how did the young people feel that this was the best resort or How did they get there? That's the fact that that I think everybody agrees upon a question that everybody asked How did we feel that we had to get here? I think that everybody asked the question including some of the students What's gonna happen long term to the institution because of this I? Think even some of the students are asking that because you can see it by the things that they say We're not doing this to hurt Howard So I think that they even have a consciousness now The longer this goes There may be even unintentional or intentional some collateral damage What does that look like, you know Not to speak for Howard, but you know as somebody who is who's worked in the sector You see what what things like this look like and not necessarily protests But any kind of negative publicity lower enrollment lower donations A lack of you know a lack of interest from potential students You know low morale from people who are on campus So I think everybody like accepts like some of these facts right and everybody who's trying to work through it suggests like we have to start from Not just a point of negotiation, but some universal facts about this thing and then kind of work our way out and so you know it's been Really really a great privilege of mine to get into you know to even be Welcome into the Howard community as I've been and To really catch the fever like you want to do for these young people As many HBCs have I been to around the country Having graduated from Morgan you kind of get a sense of what black brilliance is and Then there's and then there's another level to it And that that's what I have found at Howard and I'm sure that there are other places like that or as you you know You probably have seen that at FAMU Laura you've seen it at A&T You see the place like Hampton You even see it in Winston It's not on the map like those other you know bigger schools But you see that like there's another level to this thing that we call HBCU There's another little another level of fever. There's another level level of faith and Passion about it And so I think with all of that I Think that People are focusing on facts and hoping that we can work our way out of what those facts are gonna be How you get here and what does the end look like? I was on the office or is that it not any last last words. Does anybody have any questions for For Jared in particular before he has to go I Will say just continue keep being keep being cordial and pleasant. I really appreciated your response to a Some of the tweets you've gotten because Lord knows I wouldn't have responded that way. So I mean well first of all I'm I'm I'm bison corporate now Isn't This is the second thing is you you you got understand like people People feel very deeply about this And I think another another fact about this situation is that people feel like this is an extension of other Issues and I think that one of the things that you know I've asked myself and other folks have asked like even some of the students. I've talked to Who are who feel like, you know, I Love Howard and Howard is Howard is doing great. But you know, some people don't feel that way And when they're trying to explore like why do some people not feel that way? that there's a disassociation from the expectation of of of protests and the expectation of administrative accountability and Everybody has different levels of it, right? Everybody has different expectations and I think everybody's kind of searching for a level way to say this is what This is what when we don't agree. This is how it should look and when we want you to be accountable This is how it should look We're not there we are not there It's not there Well, it's just it the unique thing about it is that there's so much There's so much difference between how people feel There's there's like up and down like how people feel about it, you know, everybody everybody's HBCU There's at some point where students feel like yo, we don't like this, you know, or alumni say, yo, we don't like that But there's always like a like an even pitch to what to the way that they approach it, right right now We have a bit. We don't have a pitch There's always a line like here's how it looks when we don't get we're not getting along with somebody or we don't like something Here's the line and the line goes like this at Howard Depending on the group of people you're talking to and the time of day you're talking to them and that's okay Because that's you know, you said it before to me that that's Howard. Oh Now you want to quote me Now you want to quote me As you're doing it on air because what he's referring to what he's referring to is how he's learning What being at Howard means and my response has been oh, that's Howard and he's like, no, that's XYZ and I'm like, no, that's Howard I can't explain it more than that Howard and he wanted to argue me down the other day. This actually yesterday. This is yesterday I should show y'all my car law He wanted to argue me down What throw me off the show and cut all this No, never will never Thank you for coming back and setting the record straight for what Third time second time one of those times Hopefully this is the last time man because I hope that people will see like I'm not I'm not writing for Tiffany I'm not writing for anybody We are not like there's nobody that can write for me. There's nobody that can speak for me My own mother. Can I do that? Even if I would like to I can't I can't do that. There's a there's a certain know Certain level of ethics you want to observe and I think that they're honestly there's a certain You can't you can't insult people's intelligence man. Like I mean if I've been writing for ten years It ain't hard to tell if I put it ain't hard to tell if I put my name on something It really isn't So I Can't hide I can't hide from it and everybody know me. So Why try why lie? Exactly. So are you gonna stay to are you going to stay and not? Speak on everything that we're about to go through. No, I'm out. I'm not this ain't my show. This is y'all Out of this mess, but I just want to make sure first of all y'all because I I love and and care about y'all that If anybody wanted to say anything to me, please I want to answer it in front of everybody honestly You already know what I'm gonna ask, but why are you doing this and trying to be fired? What you gonna ask Laura About wait, jar. Are you saying about anything in general about what's going on now or about that because It's two different things whatever if I can't answer that I can't answer it if I can or I think that I can I will Okay, well then I'm I already know you can't answer Put it in the chat because I do want to know So ain't nobody you you getting off. Oh y'all love me. I appreciate it Thank y'all so much. I appreciate it by candy corn cane um Yeah, so not only am I glad that I am no longer at Howard University Um, but when I was there I was there with the 2017 protests and also hashtag Tyrone incident. It was a very tough week. Um and those both All of those are different including the response that I feel like the same thing Which is going to happen because I feel like This is this doesn't stop with Howard. This will probably happen at other hbc us and other white universities too because I think we are We're all in this big pressure cooker and kovid has been the little bow-wow finger Pressing the violence button. So that's where we're at right now. And I just feel like with Howard and what I've been seeing online Of course online is very different from what's happening in reality What is happening in closed closed door conversations and I don't know. I feel like regardless of I say this every episode facts don't matter When have they ever mattered? They definitely don't matter Now and probably won't in the future So Even if there are staff and administrators who do care and who are busting their ass That doesn't matter because students are upset parents are upset um alumni that still haven't asked to grind upset um And so it's like you have I just feel like it's just it's too many cooks in the kitchen It's too many people throwing stuff into the gumbo pot. It's not gumbo no more. It is a concoction And at the end of it, I don't know what this concoction going to taste like I With dr. Frederick like I've never been his stand, but I've never hated him. I kind of you know, I'm just like he a trinity man That is how I anything he does or says I'm like he a trinity man. Of course. He said that of course. He did that that's Like that's just not you know what I'm saying like that but but everybody does not this is why intercultural communication is important um, but also too, I think when thinking of culture, I think Howard's culture Is we say a lot of campuses can be political, but I feel like specifically for Howard it is political in the literal sense and And I think a lot of people just don't the average person doesn't know that Howard was chartered by congress Because of that There are individuals regardless of administration Who have their fingers in that pot of gumbo? Or if their fingers aren't in it, they're in the kitchen leaning over Making sure what's added is what they want to be added As I always say it's bigger than Nino brown. Okay. It's it's a lot of other stuff going on It's bigger than it's bigger than Wayne Frederick. I'm saying like And I feel like the smart people are the ones that are like they may hold a certain position, but they're going to remain quiet Because it's bigger than Nino brown You know, especially for my good folks that are still on that Howard pension plan. God bless y'all. Yeah, they're going to Be super quiet So the spookier that it gets oh and it's going to get spooky. Um, yeah, I I really don't know I also think it's interesting that you know what I'm saying What are we at? Maybe a year ago? Certain people can't put had Howard in their campaign and made sure to note that and they're Really silent and they're an alumna and I just I just find that Very curious, but you know what I'm saying again? It's going to get spookier and as we've just seen these elections on Tuesday and You know, I'm so sorry to anyone that is from Virginia. God bless y'all. Um, these elections and then the next upcoming elections Again, Howard is political in the literal sense. So beyond students having issues with housing faculty and other parties Having issues with the board who's on the board who's allowed to be on the board I don't know. I think this is just a cluster in that The best the best strategizer would be stuck And I don't know. I really don't know how Howard is going to get out of this Um, because I feel like no matter what as as we all know no matter what they do They wrong. So I'm not gonna be mad. So I'm not gonna complain People will not be satisfied. Um Especially people that just have they do not trust authority at all. So it really doesn't matter So it's kind of like I feel like Moving forward, um They need to really Go into the bathroom Look at the man woman or non by non binary person in the mirror and have a heart to heart with themselves and be like Hey, Howard What do I want to be in this next century? Do I do I want to make the lee at water mistake? moving forward Because with that issue which I know gen Z, you know, they weren't there I wasn't even there. Um, but I read and so because I read And looking at that situation like the optics that situation was literally almost one to one with what we're dealing right now politically and that you have conservative members um, we did have conservative or republican administration And how because Howard is political in a literal sense You can't just tell people to go, you know, don't let the door hit you with a lawyer to split you You can't they can't say that And that the general public, you know, that they're not satisfied with that and they're stuck on. Oh with the protests. Oh civil rights. Oh, you know freedom fighters and da da da and it's like Yeah You can't you know, I'm saying you can't be shape of our When your institution was chartered by congress Like that's what people don't they it's not it's not clicking. It's not clicking They don't understand like we really do have strange band fellows. Okay, and black people do not have the capital In us we don't give enough to operate Howard You don't have enough Because we ain't got it The federal government provides what 40 percent of Howard's budget and and it's not like president president has not been upfront about that That's why he gotta go out and get the money Look, that's I remember pie part. Okay. I saw the pie chart the state of university address at homecoming while people were shaking their ass on the yard He was in school to be With his pie charts. It was a lovely powerpoint presentation. I might add Um, and I think this is you know, students are gonna be students, you know front alone not formed But like alum are involved But alum are involved other parties who are not alum Are we know their visitors are involved internal visitors visitors, you know what I'm saying and I'm just like I feel and this is my opinion I feel that students are being manipulated I can agree with that. They are the puppets and there are a lot of jepedos. Okay around here and to me it's unfortunate that I don't think there's enough people that are truly advocating for them and what's best for them I feel like there's a lot of noise and a lot of not even they're on attorney because I've listened to that man And I'm sorry It's like I feel like a lot of the noise is coming from people who have no skin in the game and Okay, the degrees is already there They're not sleeping in blackburn. They're not in the tents on the yard They have my right now Encourage you need students pantomile when I find that out this morning. I said But because of course they are of course pantomile This gonna be a next this gonna be a Netflix show soon. You gotta run that back You gotta like provide some context to who you talk about Tiffany because some people really ain't gonna get this an alum wrote a long Comments on my article. I'm thinking. All right I'm not gonna read all this But I read it all and I'm like, all right, let me reach out to this man because bison courtesy. Okay I want to talk to you sir and he said Well, I live in Panama, so my phone is not reliable. I said scam likely No So you're literally hyping these students up To occupy Blackburn To occupy tents to tell them don't listen get your demands By any means because you was there in the 60s And you saying and doing all this from Panama my god Panama sunny Panama I mean, is he at least cash-affing them some dollars? I'm just I don't know. I didn't ask but when I when when that became Panama Does not compute I thought it was bad that we had alumni egging them on from from the united states We international with it and it's crazy because They're like, it's a student center. We could be here. It ain't a residential building and it's not 24 hours I don't know if you're even caught today, but there was a walkthrough of blackburn like a Walkthrough showing how they've been living Doug eric or owner I cut this right now, eric Oh, you're getting to say now. Okay All right, so I'm gonna I'm gonna take a different approach to this conversation. Oh, okay, and I think to a degree Laurel get this and Well, actually the world definitely get this and we'll definitely get this higher education is one is a very interesting industry in this in the fact that So many of the stakeholders of the industry Are completely ignorant to how it moves There are people who attend college that have no idea how colleges operate They and I like that's across the board. It doesn't matter which office you're talking about. They don't know what governance looks like They don't know what happens when Money is donated to the schools so Everybody who went to HPCU feels like Like they're an expert on how HPCUs work It's not necessarily true. There's people who literally work in higher education for a living Who had no idea how the schools they work in actually work? so I think for me You know looking at a lot of this I'm always a champion for students protesting to get what they deserve because they've been in a mess of situation I'm never going to be a fan of Unprepared protests. We said this before sitting on previous episodes and things like that, right? It is concerning that As we just heard earlier things are being done things are being addressed. There is effort being put in by Many of the stakeholders who work on those campuses, right? It's here. That's somebody who's not even And that has nothing to do with modern-day Howard at all Is manipulating this and possibly has involved in some other things It's really concerning I've said this between in our own groups and I'll say it here This is a case study on the dangers of how misinformation gets spread through media Through social media specifically Laura talked earlier about facts don't matter We've heard on multiple occasions what people talk about the fact that nobody who's a news source cares about being right They care about being first So it's just a it's just a rush to get a story out. It doesn't matter how accurate the story is. It's whatever is more Alluring to the eye and people love drama put that story out there Don't even worry about getting all the the necessary details I just want us especially those who care about their alma mater's and care about issues overall I want us to think more. I want us to vet the information that we're receiving a lot better than we do Because things quickly get to the internet And I promise you there's not going to be a source or citation within 140 to 280 by character tweet Like second guess things because honestly if we're not doing that regarding our own institutions And we're no better than people that vote for glenn yonkin and believe that you know see like Like that people need to don't worry about A critical race theory and have no idea what that even means but they vote against it So like if you're not going to do your own homework on Artificial you're getting then you're just out here spreading rumors. You might as well be a gossip rag so yeah so I think for me is just one. I don't believe the protest is about housing. I don't think it's about mold So I just don't believe that because I don't believe anyone sits outside this long for housing and mold But I did I was talking to um My sister who's a howard alum A little bit about it because she was just seeing some of the news and stuff and um, we were talking about how like Housing at howard how it kind of evolved over the last let's say 25 years And how housing really wasn't an issue at howard in the 70s 80s 90s It really didn't start becoming an issue until dc got expensive And what happened is and I hate to say it like this But many of these students families who probably have the money would rather the federal government pay for their housing than them Because you're a landlord in dc is not taking your You know your scholarship. He's not taking your your loan or he or she's not taking your loan So what's happened is just become a mad rush To live on campus because then your parents are gonna pay for where you live You can go and get to hit that you know hit that fast for and that pays for your housing This doesn't exist at other hbc us because none no other hbc was in a more expensive city They're not even close. Atlanta is cheap. Houston is cheap in comparison to dc. We don't have hbc used in new york We don't have them in san francisco and the only pbi You know in chicago is in a cheap part chicago and then Even la is cheaper than dc. So I just think it's interesting You know that these kids who clearly are smart who clearly were Somewhat high achievers in high school to get into how or to be able to go off to college The majority of them who are protesting are not locals. They are from baltimore. They are from dc They probably really ain't even fulfilling So, you know, these these are kids With a different kind of mindset. I just think it's really I really hate to see it And I would just say this as someone who was born and raised in that city. This is not the time of year. You want to be outside? With that rain and this wind You know, I just really really pray that they, you know, get some sense because then tense I saw on you twitter was was was flapping And that wind get up under your under your shirt, you know, they call it that They call it that wolf And uh, how about my grandfather called it? So, you know, and the potomac is not forgiving this time of year So, you know, I really hope that they find, you know, find some some refuge inside somewhere and lastly You can have your opinions about debroy and about frederick And um, and and they deserve in my opinion a large amount of criticism For the lack of leadership they've shown in this and I would say that both of them probably um for the last five years have been Mired with these type of challenges with communication Including the tyrone incident Including this Including the housing issues they had when they did the thing with meridian. It's just so many different things that they've had Issues with that they haven't handled properly. So I think they both need to go not saying they need to be fired But I don't think either one of them needs to be in the long-term plans of the university That's just my personal opinion As someone who considers himself a Howard state called my mom was born at the hospital And you know, that's what I'm gonna say my dad's an alumni so is my sister so is my grandfather So I can say what I want to say lastly I hope that the future of Howard is brighter than this current moment And um, you know, I wish Howard I wish Howard all the best as it is located in my home city. So You know go bison A lot because no what to or is this point and people have been saying it in a totally different manner Frederick should be gone. Everybody should be gone board whole board gone You know how to leave. I'm not cutting you. I'm not cutting you off, symphony I'm not cutting you off. I'm just saying that my point is not saying that they need to be fired for this incident what I'm saying is that since they've been in power in leadership as the Provost or EVP whatever her title is and him as president There have been a multitude of PR incidents. They haven't handled properly. It's not I don't believe that they're at fault I don't believe that they I don't believe that they're at fault I'm saying that the way they've handled the public pressure And the pr narrative has failed the university's image and brand So it doesn't mean that doesn't mean they're not good operators. They're not they're not good academics in leading a university but part of being in leadership is how you Continue to grow the brand and continue to show a public image and that is where I believe Debroy and Frederick have failed not once But I would say about three times in the last five years at some institutions That would be enough To have you you know get a little buyout and gone and become a dean somewhere else Shout out to uh that dean out in LA from benning college I'm done una una una Because or has ain't been back in a month of sundays and this is what he gives us una I mean, but he made some valid points, uh the the one that I was thinking about is that coal you out there Thanksgiving is is coming So what heads about to do? Like correct what they gonna do? And then if you leave right and come back are you like you leave for Thanksgiving and you come back to protest Are we are we to take you seriously? Are they going to leave for them? Let's think about this because right now. I mean, I like my mama's benning. So I would want to go home I want I want to have benning but How does that look if I'm supposed to be protesting and I leave Are we having Thanksgiving dinner on the yard? Like what the plan for this city Thanksgiving? Not with that wind not with that wind Yo, y'all saw y'all saw them tense For real like like let's really think about where we are in the semester. We are 12 days away from them have them Being able to go home for the rest of of the For the rest of the semester until next semester, right? So to to january We know The university is going to close for business for the year December what Something but but students Can depart For Thanksgiving and not come back So in my mind, I'm like We get two weeks maybe Two weeks to get this part get y'all out of blackburn because let's be clear And many alum have asked this question. Can they arrest them for being in in blackburn? Can they? And alum some of them who are lawyers. I said, yes Will they we don't know you hope not because if you thought you you was complaining about tuition money. Do you got bail money? Do you have bail money? What you got? Like for real so like For this is just Because I don't want to see nobody get arrested I don't want to see anybody. I don't want to see a student get arrested I watch an external visitor get arrested though, but I don't want to see a student get arrested Because I got more like I said, there are people I feel like this is like Sherlock home game of shadows This is a game of shadows and there are a bunch of people that are manipulating things from the shadows and in person, you know slight of hand things and the students will if not already are paying for it and So I would say, you know howard and uh del state, you know, I'm saying stay woke It's super woke because it it might get really spooky and it'll go beyond like the student protest And and for that, I know we don't have a response No, we don't So I don't know too. I don't know I don't know either. I'm about to call it because I'm tired I'm literally tired You're gonna be editing this month for two weeks. Yeah Yeah checking and seeing this these things And nothing is changing and nothing's changing because the administration is like a y'all leave then we'll talk and they're like, no Meet our demands We're being very reasonable Okay any last thoughts If he ain't got take it he need to go ahead and get it And on that note, thank you so much for watching and listening to HBCU digest digest after dark on serious xm radio channel 142 HBCU the pride of howard university Um, we'll be back when we're back. That's all I can tell you at this point. Um, Stay safe y'all