Everything that happened at today’s AHANA demonstration in Gasson

‘All of us coming together to meet and discuss symbolizes the growth happening’

The AHANA Leadership Council hosted a demonstration of solidarity for students to physically illustrate their commitment to increasing the number of AHANA faculty, administrators, and staff today.

Originally scheduled as a die-in, the leadership of the solidarity movement changed the event to a demonstration to better reflect the motives of the meeting.

The demonstration was part of a week-long campaign to “bring awareness to students about the disproportionate number of AHANA faculty, staff and administrators at Boston College.”

The event was originally advertised in an “AHANA FAS Diversity Campaign Letter of Support,” signed by the AHANA Leadership Council of UGBC, and linking to a forum to sign the letter.

By  pm this afternoon, students had gathered outside Gasson near the water fountain. Including faculty, there were about 50 in attendance.

Leader James Kale welcomed students to the gathering.

He said: “We have decided to meet in Gasson since it is the first building at Boston College. All of us coming together to meet and discuss symbolizes the growth that is happening.”

As planned, the demonstrators then walked from the Gasson water fountain to Gasson 100 for further conversation and discussion.

This demonstration is one of the beginning of many events to occur throughout the school year.

Students from across the AHANA umbrella stood up and vocalized their internal frustration and personal anecdotes about their experiences at BC.

One student reflected upon a time in her PULSE class.

She said: “It is very ironic to me that, we as students of PULSE go into the city to help out other students with their lives, however we can’t help our own students within Boston College.”

Another opened up about how the lack of teachers and other faculty of color on campus negatively affects her experience at BC.

She said: “It is hard to feel comfortable and willing to reach out to teachers who you don’t feel like you can connect or relate to.”

Students were asked a series of questions and to respond they had to raise their hands. The first question asked the students if they had teachers, faculty and administrators who were white. Everyone in the room raised their hand.

The second question asked if they had teachers, faculty and administrators who were someone of color and nearly three-quarters of the room put down their hands.

Various students got up at this time to speak. One said: “It is important that we work on getting more people of color on the Board of Trustees and in administration where they have legitimate power and the ability to actively create change.”

Another added: “Administration does a great job of recruiting people of color, but they need to implement a better way of retaining them.”

Another student said: “There is also a need for more faculty of color because they feel like there is not enough of them to help the students that seek for them.”

Afua Lasaat, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion.

The Tab then had the opportunity to speak with Afua Laast, UGBC’s Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion.. The senior organized last week’s blackout and demonstration. 

Describe the Boston College community in one word. 

Confusing.

Describe the Boston College administration in one word. 

Trying.

How does this campaign specifically aim to improve the percentage of AHANA faculty, administrators, and staff? 

It is more of educating people. A lot of people don’t understand why it is an issue and see it as very small group of people who want this and don’t see it as a larger issue. If there are more people in administration and in the faculty, it helps everyone and not just a small group. I am hoping people learn more about the facts, take more of interest in it and an affinity to it.

Are there specific benchmarks and numbers which will indicate a better diversity of professors and administrators at BC?

No, not exactly. We would rather work with administration before we put out hard numbers because each school is different. For example, Yale has the $50 million [pledge to improve diversity] and Brown has committed to 40 percent but those are different institutions. I think working with administration to help us create a better goal because they are aware of what they are or not capable of doing.

How does this event make you feel?

I think this is good. There are different faces here than on the crowd on Thursday, so more people are hearing things and starting to think which is really important. So this is a good step.

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