Beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, four Washington, D.C., schools participated in a walkout organized by Free DC and the Sunrise Movement.The students leading Howard’s walkout were part of a group called ‘HU Won’t Comply.’
Georgetown University had its walkout at 10:00 a.m., Howard University at 11:00 a.m., George Washington University at 1:00 p.m. and American University at 2:00 p.m.
The schools were protesting to “demand an end to Trump’s occupation of D.C.,” according to an Instagram post by users @sunrisemvmt and @freedcproject.
In August, President Donald Trump announced the deployment of the National Guard to D.C., sparking continued protests and opposition. A Howard student who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation said with the presence of the National Guard, going outside reminds them of the pandemic since no one is around.
“I live right across from Union Station. Every morning I see the National Guard armed with their rifles. Sometimes I go out and this reminds me of quarantine,” they said. “Even when it comes down to the homeless people around, you don’t really see them that much no more in certain areas. It’s real concerning.”
The walkout on Howard’s campus drew the attention of students, faculty and administration. Some knew about it beforehand while others felt compelled to join as they passed through The Yard.
Brooklynn Massó, a freshman musical theater major from Boston, Massachusetts said she felt compelled to step forward after hearing other students speak.
In her speech, Massó emphasized that the fight extends beyond the tenure of any single leader.
“For class of ‘29, for all of these baby Bison, we have to be in D.C., we have to be here. But the thing is, when this president is gone, we are still in the U.S.,” she said. “When this president is gone, all of his lackeys, ICE, the police, they don’t leave with him. It is up to us to ensure that this fight doesn’t end when the face of this violence changes.”
Walkouts and protests against the Trump administration are not new on Howard’s campus. One attendee, Siana Johnson-Clay, a freshman political science major from Dover, Delaware said when she applied to Howard, she knew about its long history of activism and that community is one of the reasons she decided to come to the university.
She also said it is important for students to be vocal about issues they are concerned about.
“It really is important because, young people and students, we are the future. It really is up to us to make certain decisions and fight for what we want to see because that’s what we have to live through,” Johnson-Clay said.
Along with students, staff also participated in the walkout.
Class of 2006 Howard alum Cyrus Hampton, who is also a senior lecturer in the department of literature and writing, said he came to the walkout because students called upon faculty for support. He said he hopes this walkout is the starting point for students, faculty and staff to collaborate “to make this a campus that not only survives these difficult times but also thrives.”
“I think it’s really frightening what’s going on right now,” Hampton said.
Howard’s Office of University Communications declined to comment on the protest, saying they wanted the focus to remain on those leading the protest.
Safiatou Doukoure, a senior political science major, economics minor from San Diego, California was motivated to attend the protest due to the heightened police presence she felt around campus. She said she wanted to be in a space where people were actively working toward a solution.
“As Black Howard students we all know about the ongoing struggle with the police and just the general discrimination that goes around with MPD in the city and I feel like with the increased police presence, there’s been a bigger spotlight on all of our backs,” Doukoure said.
Doukoure echoed sentiments about community, emphasizing her hopes for “a bigger space for community so that we can move forward together.”
Copy edited by D’Nyah Jefferson – Philmore
