Haverford Students Reiterate Demands Over Racial Justice, Continue Strike

2/1/2021

Haverford Students Reiterate Demands Over Racial Justice, Continue Strike – Haverford and Bryn Mawr Bi-College News

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Haverford Students Reiterate
Demands Over Racial Justice,
Continue Strike

Published on November 4, 2020 — in Haverford/News — by The BiCollege News

By Anna Hsu, Co-Editor-in-Chief, and Viviana Freyer, Sta Editor

S

ince the student protest at Haverford on the 28th, the
ongoing strike has seen a number of developments.
Organizers have compiled a link tree containing all of the
relevant documents pertaining to the movement, including the
o cial statement and demands, FAQs, donation forms, and
more. This includes the Haverford strike updates document,
which details the developments that have occurred over the
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week, such as capping out funding for the Bi-Co Mutual Aid
Fund and hosting two town halls for students and faculty. On
November 3, the Philadelphia Inquirer also posted an article
reporting on the Haverford strike.

Strike Updates
The strike organizers—the Women of Color House, Black
Students Refusing Further Inaction, and Black Students’
League—hosted a town hall for students on November 1 and a
separate faculty town hall on November 2.
On November 2, Haverford President Wendy Raymond sent an
email to students, faculty, and sta entitled “My response to
the HC Strike 2020 Statement & Demands.” In the email,
Raymond responded to each of the strike demands, as well as
invited the organizers to a November 4 Zoom meeting.
That night, strike organizers replied to Raymond’s email with a
number of criticisms, stating that the strike would not end until
her response included “clear timelines, transparent budgets,
and inclusive accountability measures.” Her proposed solutions
were “far too abstract for students to settle,” they said.
“Although President Raymond may feel her response to be
genuine, it in fact creates the illusion that progress has been
made when it has not,” their response stated. “The response
was disappointing, incomplete, and rife with the politician-like
rhetoric of ‘advisory groups, committees, and task forces’
which is indicative of the very Haverfordian, bureaucratic
attempt to placate our anger and the overall movement. Almost
all of the demands clearly stated in our letter were unmet.”
Their email claimed that Raymond’s message rang “similar to
her hollow response to the Black Students Refusing Further
Inaction’s demands from this past summer. […] History
continues to repeat itself.”
They demanded that Raymond take a number of speci c
actions before they would agree to meet on November 5 (not
November 4, per pending election results). The steps outlined
were:
1. President Raymond sets an agenda for the meeting with the
strike organizers and releases it publicly 24 hours before
the meeting.
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Haverford Students Reiterate Demands Over Racial Justice, Continue Strike – Haverford and Bryn Mawr Bi-College News

2. President Raymond details, publicly, the mechanisms for
how the meeting will be available for all to view.
3. President Raymond commits to limiting the discussion to
addressing the demands, and not about the details of last
week’s sit-in, nor the strike.
4. President Raymond commits to an in-depth revision of her
response to our demands to be released to the public by
Sunday, November 8th at 9pm EST.
In its nal section, the email stated that “while we will respond
to President Raymond’s email, this message is a formal
reminder that the strike will go on. As a collective force of
students and faculty, we will continue to #DisruptHaverford
#DisruptHC.”
Respondents to a yes/no poll conducted on the Bi-College News
Instagram this week asked, “What do you think of President
Raymond’s response?” Out of a total of 136 voters, 25 voted
“yes” (positive opinion of the response) and the remaining 111
voted “no” (negative opinion of the response).
An additional section was added for anonymous students to
elaborate on their opinions. “Frustrated, unsatis ed, but not
surprised. I wanted and still want more,” one student said. “We
want rules to de nitively change so we don’t have these issues
again—not ‘evaluations’,” said another. Other responses also
noted that Raymond neglected to mention the return of land to
indigenous peoples and the college’s refusal to redistribute its
wealth to impacted communities in West Philadelphia. They
criticized her focus on referencing previous action instead of
addressing “forthcoming and needed action” with
“restorative, speci c goals,” and referred to the document as
“8 whole pages of empty promises and no actual plans.”
However, some responses were sympathetic to Raymond’s
letter. “We can’t expect 100% concrete actions right now,” one
explained. “There have to be some long-term commitments.”
Another student argued that “it was the best she could have
produced in the short time it’s been. […] it’s [not] perfect, but I
think she makes a point in questioning the limit of the
responsibilities of a nonpro t academic institution over realms
outside of the college itself.”
Some Haverford students have expressed strong opposition to
the strike. On November 1, The Bi-College News and The Clerk
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each received a request to publish an pseudonymous opinion
article titled “Why I Oppose the Strike.” The article primarily
referred to President Raymond’s October 28 email as having
been “blown completely out of proportion” by organizers,
stating that administrators had taken steps to address racial
injustice on campus. The author claimed that they were
“shocked and hurt” by the strike, which they said they were
“too afraid to speak out” against. The article was not published
in either newspaper, but printed copies were found distributed
across campus on November 2.
By November 3, Bryn Mawr students issued their own set of
strike demands for the administration, many of which were
speci c to Bryn Mawr. That evening, President Kim Cassidy had
also sent out an email including a series of goals and timelines
in reference to the ongoing Bi-Co strike initiated at Haverford.
As of the time of writing, she has yet to respond speci cally to
the new demands.
On November 1 and 2, the organizers of the Haverford strike
held a virtual town hall for Bi-Co students and faculty,
respectively, to answer the various questions and concerns of
those in support of the strike. The meeting notes for both town
halls are summarized in the FAQ below.
Students joined the Zoom in large enough numbers that
organizers advised viewers to listen in pods so as not to max
out the call. Once the meeting began, they reminded everyone
that the demands of the open letter written by the BSRFI still
have not been met, and that Haverford president Wendy
Raymond had only co-opted their message. They also explained
that organizers would be answering frequently asked questions
about the strike including the academics, dining, the strike’s
timeline, and the importance of staying committed and not
giving into the administration.

FAQ
Background
The HC Strike update document provided these quotes on the
October 31 update.
“A few students are still confused on how to strike. Before we
get there, it is important to remind you the foundations and
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motivations of our strike. We want to reiterate that this is not a
vacation. To put into context where this strike is coming from,
is in response to the administration’s continuous exploitation
of Black and Brown students, speci cally Black women and
nonbinary community members. On that note, BIPOC students
are intentionally withholding their labor from an institution
that continues to exploit their academic, intellectual, and
emotional labors without having the adequate resources or
competent administration in place to support their needs and
demands. Although this has received much attention and
support from non-BIPOC community members, the
implementation of the strike has been inconsistent.”
“It is imperative that when you strike, you refrain from all
work: employment with the college, assignments, deadlines,
extracurriculars and correspondence with faculty that goes
beyond communicating the goals of the strike and the
importance of their commitment. We must get you and the
faculty members to be wholly committed to our strike so,
together, we pressure administration to make swift
institutional changes. The strike cannot succeed if we have a
few students turning in work or going to class– which is why it
is crucial that you explain to faculty members why they should
be committed in our strike and convince them to not penalize
us when we do not go to class or turn in assignments. This
strike is supposed to disrupt ‘normal’ routines because it is
clear that Haverford is too comfortable exploiting BIPOC and
isolating itself from the injustice and struggle for liberation
just 20 minutes away. We understand that each person has a
di erent reason for coming to this college; however, we have to
remember both within and outside of this college there has
been a global reckoning with social justice and we cannot put
assignments and syllabi over Black lives.”
In the town hall, students wanted to know the strike’s proposed
end date. Strike organizers answered that the strike would
continue to “disrupt business as usual until [President
Raymond] and Dean Bylander agree[d] to set clear and hard
deadlines” for how they would get things done. “Unless they
accept all the demands, we don’t intend on stopping the
strike,” they said.
Organizers reminded students that the current strike demands
were “essentially a replica of the demands made by BSRFI
(Black Students Refusing Further Inaction).” They said that
they expected pushback from the administration, especially in
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opposition to the demands made in the past. However, they
emphasized the importance of acting, rather than supporting
the movement as a performative gesture. “You all signed the
Open Letter in June, and now it’s time to act.”
The organizers also urged students to “not cross the picket
line.” Historically, protestors established a physical boundary
called the “picket line” outside their place of employment
during a strike. Workers who chose to cross the picket line in
spite of the strike actively weakened the collective bargaining
power of the group.
The organizers suggested that, as a rule of thumb, students ask
themselves the question: “Does [activity] directly bene t the
Bi-Co institutions?” They said that if the answer is “yes,”
students should avoid participating in the activity. The
organizers stressed that eating at the Haverford Dining Center
does not cross the picket line, but acquiring food from
alternative sources was encouraged. Students had originally
been directed to get alternative meals from community houses;
however, health concerns in the wake of COVID-19 have since
prompted a redaction of this suggestion.
Listed below are activities that the strike organizers stated
should be avoided for students who are striking:
Going to class at either Haverford or Bryn Mawr
Working in jobs at either Haverford or Bryn Mawr
Turning in class assignments
Doing class assignments, but not turning them in
Working on a senior thesis
Attending college-sponsored events, such as talks, panels,
or lectures
Participating in Haverford-speci c extracurriculars (other
than communicating about the strike)
Participating in Haverford music groups and/or clubs
Eating at the Coop

Academics
Many students had concerns about the importance of refusing
to attend classes and extracurriculars. Organizers stated that
Haverford’s status as an academic institution, and the strike’s
incentive is to disrupt business as usual, means that any kind of
academic activity is o the table, including homework. “Doing
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homework contributes to the functioning of the institution,”
said one speaker. “Use the time you would have spent on
homework to educate yourself.”
Students and faculty alike were worried that an academic strike
was “self-destructive” in nature, and asked whether there was
any alternative to striking. The organizers of the strike pointed
to Haverford’s failure to address long-standing problems of
racism within the institution, including a 1972 boycott making
many similar demands.
According to organizers, the decision to strike was not solely
based on President Raymond’s email, but rather, was the result
of a culminating frustration with Haverford’s continued failure
to enact visible, institutional change in regard to the BIPOC
student experience. They acknowledged they were asking the
student body to make real sacri ces. However, they
emphasized that sacri ce was necessary for tangible progress
and reformation. “If we want [administration] to act—which
they haven’t for years—then you need to start putting pressure
on them in a way where they feel they have no other choice but
to respond to our demands,” one organizer said. “So yes, we
are asking for a bit of sacri ce from everybody for genuine
institutional change.”
Faculty were also concerned about students who were paying to
study at Haverford, and whether the strike was being unfair to
those who were being deprived a right to education. Some were
also worried about how senior students were expected to
complete their theses in time, since postponing work now
would only make it more di cult for them in the spring. Strike
organizers acknowledged that these were important questions
to ask, but responded, “It’s just as important to ip the
question around and ask how long we can reasonably expect
students of color on this campus to tolerate an administration
that has so much power over our daily lives while being so
completely disconnected from them. […] that is why, more than
anything, we want the administration to respond swiftly and
decisively towards meeting our demands.”
Additionally, students and faculty were encouraged by strike
organizers to reframe their idea of education and learning.
“The types of education students engage with are shifted
during the strike, not eliminated, they were told. “Instead of
relying on information from professors and the institutions
they serve, students can devote their time and energy into
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doing independent research regarding striking, anti-Black
racism, critical Black feminist theory, and many more related
topics.”
Some faculty worried that the loss of learning would hit some
students harder than others (e.g. those who were planning on
taking the MCAT, or who were already struggling with class),
and asked the organizers whether they supported moving to
the pass/fail model from last spring. Organizers responded that
students could continue to practice self-studying habits
outside of classroom environments, and studying for the
MCAT, LSAT, or GRE did not go against the spirit of the strike.
They referenced the strike demands, which included academic
leniency for all students in the aftermath of the strike. “The
pandemic has exposed the ways in which the barriers of success
in higher education hurt FGLI students and students of color
more than anyone else.”
One organizer suggested that although students were on strike,
the educational process for them had not been stopped. “We
want to question this idea that because we’re not holding
classes, this is a period where nobody’s learning or students are
being stunted academically,” they said. “On the contrary, this
is a period of intense learning for a lot of students on campus.”
Others echoed this sentiment, stating that “anything that
doesn’t actively support the college is not considered breaking
the picket line. If students want to study for the MCAT/GRE,
write personal statements, research graduate schools, etc., all
of those things are ne. These pending deadlines [such as
senior theses] are all the more reason to put pressure on the
administration to meet these demands.”
Students were also confused whether they should still stop
going to classes even if they were learning anti-racist material.
“The anti-racist education you receive at Haverford is going to
be directly shaped by a framework which Haverford is
structured on,” organizers responded. “A lot of people point
out that they’ve learned their anti-racist education in the
classroom, but […] we’ve distributed resources for you to learn
on your own. It’s not the responsibility of Black people to do
that for you as well.”
Professors also asked whether students were allowed to attend
guest lectures or class sections if they focused on anti-racism
or anti-Blackness, to which organizers responded that “you
should ask if it is materially working towards changing the
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institutions at Haverford that are so resistant to actually acting
on the things they teach.”
Faculty also worried about the impact of closing labs on our
BIPOC, women and under-represented-in-STEM faculty, as
well as the loss of research opportunities for BIPOC students
which were already compromised by the pandemic. Organizers
responded that “in any and all strikes, BIPOC people will always
be those most vulnerable to harm. […] However, BIPOC
students organized this strike … knowing its goal was
reparations that would change the harmful conditions that
exist and restore some of the harm done by Haverford. […]
Keeping labs open will only bene t white and/or the most
privileged POC students not participating in the strike, further
disadvantaging the larger BIPOC community and those
committed to striking for institutional change.”
Additionally, students were urged not to preregister for classes
next semester until the strike demands are met. Organizers
stated that “anything that functions using the institution oils
[its] gears.” Everything related to academia must stop during
the strike. Registering for classes indicates that students plan
on continuing to go to classes. “We’re not going to roll steady
and act with business as usual until you meet our demands.”
“If 800 plus students don’t register, then they won’t be able to
make a pro t,” said one strike organizer. “They lost millions of
dollars in endowments and pro ts during the last scal
quarter.” If students do not pay tuition, organizers feel that the
college will have no choice but to respond to their demands.

Health
The organizers were careful to emphasize the importance of
staying healthy, both physically and mentally, during the
strike. Some students expressed reluctance to go to the Dining
Center to eat for fear of facing backlash from other strikers.
“It’s not a hunger strike,” said one organizer. “It’s important
to take care of yourself rst. Practice self care, always. See CAPS
if you need help. And just as a reminder, this is not an excuse to
party.”
The organizers originally asked students not to go to the Dining
Center as much as possible near the beginning of the strike, and
to instead seek meals through alternative options. “We were
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originally concerned that dining center workers would get
overwhelmed, which is why we told students to rely on other
food sources,” said one organizer.
However, the message has since changed. “Do not skip meals.
You can go to the Dining Center, but also try and make use of
other available food networks.” Community houses at
Haverford were originally providing meals for students, but due
to concerns of contracting COVID, students are now
discouraged from getting food from community houses.
Instead, students are asked to eat at the Dining Center, the
Nest, or o -campus. However, organizers said that
“supporting BIPOC life shouldn’t be detrimental to BIPOC
people,” and that the Student Council would reimburse
community houses who had already contributed.
The General Manager of Haverford’s Dining Services, Tom
Mitchell, also sent an email to students on October 31 saying,
“Please know that we have back-up plans in place and are able
to feed you. All of us in Dining Services are dedicated to our
responsibility: ensuring that you [are] well-fed. We are here,
and want to be sure you have access to the food you need.”
That being said, mental health should still stay at the forefront
of students’ personal lives. “Please take care of yourselves,”
said one organizer. Another agreed. “The strike is to bring the
institution to a halt, not the people who exist in it. We’re in the
middle of a pandemic; it’s just common sense to do things that
are good and healthy for you. Don’t just let things y out the
window because we’re striking. Please continue getting tested
for COVID.”
Some professors commented on remote students relying on
classes as the “key motivating factor for dealing with the
COVID pandemic and the associated, non-academic labor
related to the pandemic.” They wondered how they could
support students who felt anchored by the presence of classes.
The organizers stated that while this was true for some
students, for many students of color “it is a source of stress and
feelings of inadequacy. […] a way that faculty can support the
strike is holding optional class times when class would
normally meet to discuss the strike and its demands, learn
about the history of police violence, discuss the racism that
exists in higher education, etc.”

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Communications
The organizers stressed the importance of spreading
information to peers, friends, family, and faculty. “We need
people to build horizontally…to organize people in your circles:
your advisors, your professors, your friends, so we can build
toward more commitment in the long term,” one stated.
The strike organizers urged students, especially white
students, to communicate and engage with their professors,
adding, “it’s obviously re ective if they’re not willing to
support students of color during this time.” They stated that
students should be “proactive in communicating…and pointing
out the issues with their reluctance to support striking
students,” and that they could reach out to the strike
organizers with any questions. Organizers also pointed to a
form students could use to submit responses from faculty
regarding the Haverford strike. “We’re hoping that once we
collect these responses, we can use them for organizing e orts
forward. We want to protect students and faculty from any
punitive measures taken against them for striking. […] You can
submit screenshots or just the text of the responses, but it’s
super helpful for data collection.”
A student participant also suggested contacting the heads of
departments to request that they make a united statement
about the strike. “Interim faculty and non-tenured faculty who
are on visas … could have their Green Card process
[threatened]. If the whole department makes a blanket
statement, it alleviates some of the pressure on our most
vulnerable faculty members.” The organizers pointed to the
statement sent by the Anthropology department at Haverford
as a good example of what they wanted from faculty.
Organizers added that it was critical for non-BIPOC students to
show their solidarity by “gathering students to craft a
statement together and send it to the departments. […] The fact
that it’s coming from non-BIPOC students as well puts even
more pressure on the departments to do something.”
In regard to communicating with peers, organizers mentioned
that many students were worried about the strikers being
perceived as “bullies.” They stated that “[We] have to hold
people accountable. Using emotional tactics to try and gaslight
[us] in saying that the academic strike doesn’t apply to them …
isn’t acceptable.” Others agreed, saying that “if you say this
doesn’t involve you, you’re accepting that you’re implicit in
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this system that abuses and subjugates Black bodies. You’re
saying your opinion or your dream does not respect Black lives,
the lives that you study about and read about in your
multicultural, intersectional classes. That’s really just you …
outing yourself, showing who you really are.”
Organizers also urged students to communicate with their
parents about the goals of the strike to prevent
miscommunication. “There’s been a lot of misinformation
going on in terms of Haverford spaces, and among Haverford
parents,” one said. “We’ve been getting attacked by this parent
group on this alumni Facebook page, so please speak to your
parents.” They also added that “obviously a lot of BIPOC
student parents are not on this Facebook page, so it’s clear that
white parents are the ones talking shit online.”
Finally, organizers added that students were also encouraged to
reach out to schools outside the Bi-Co in order to bring
attention to the mishandling of BIPOC concerns at Haverford.
They stated that the organizers were “increasing the reach of
our message and connecting to outside sources. With that being
said, people who don’t support the strike or are not organizers
could be taking this as a chance to speak to outside sources on
their own.” They asked students to connect organizers to news
sources and outlets, if possible.

Faculty-Speci c Q&A
One participant mentioned item VII in the Statement of
Demands, which stated that they demanded accountability for
“problematic professors.” Many were unclear about what
constituted the label, as well as the types of accountability the
strike organizers were interested in seeing. Organizers
responded that “problematic” was used as a general, colloquial
term for professors who, “either by small or large groups of
students,” are considered racist, sexist, homophobic, classist,
and/or elitist. “Students are often afraid of negative
consequences for confronting professors or speaking to
someone about their behavior because of power dynamics,”
they stated. “For example, they could threaten students with a
lowered grade [for speaking out against them]. We want there
to be a way, other than course evaluations or Ombuds, for
students to be able to address and confront professors who are
harmful to them without fear of repercussions. We want a
structure to be put in place, composed by a
potential/hypothetical group, to be able to hold professors who
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have routinely and continuously been o ensive to students to
be held accountable, and for the admin to take our reports of
such incidents seriously.”
Strike organizers also addressed a question about how religious
beliefs and striking could coexist. “As a member of the Quaker
faith, I myself had to ask how protesting squared with the
paci st teachings,” one said. “Complete tolerance calls for not
tolerating the intolerant. Being a bystander to violence is
allowing that violence to happen. The community is not at
peace if members are being marginalized, aggressed, and
devalued. We must strive towards positive peace in our
institutions even if that means confronting those who are
perpetuating intentionally or unintentionally white supremacy,
classism, homophobia, and broad violence.”
The organizers also expressed interest in working with faculty
to set up non-hierarchical reading groups on issues like
policing, abolition, and race in higher education. They said that
they would “welcome all suggestions for readings, recorded
lectures, or the work of other activists,” and said they were
working on providing “free copies of the recent book and
lectures from Fred Moten, an activist and professor at NYU” to
students in the Bi-Co.
Image credit: Wikipedia/Wikimedia Commons

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