About 70 students originally gathered
in front of the Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. Joint Library on the university
side for a press conference put on by
the two organizations. The numbers
eventually swelled to about 120, most
of whom participated in the march
that took place afterward.
Concerned members of both organizations
spoke of the importance of
minority employment within the university,
sometimes drawing from personal
experiences, and focused on the
recent unexplained firing of Nehanda
Imara, the former executive director
of the Educational Opportunity Program
and employee of the university
for more than 15 years.
The march ended with petitions,
containing 600 signatures from students,
parents and community members
asking for an explanation of
Imara's departure, being delivered to
interim President Don Kassing's office
in Tower Hall.
"We feel we are justified in asking
someone to speak to us on why she
was dismissed," said Ronald Williams,
a graduate student in counseling. "As
a matter of fact, we demand to know
why she was dismissed."
Ethel Walker, a television, radio,
film and theatre professor said Imara's
efforts were vital to the campus.
"The Africana Center in this building
is here because of the vision, dedication
and hard work of one person
- Nehanda Imara," said Walker,
pointing to the King Library. "What
happened to that vision?"
However, Tamika Greer, vice president
of the Black Student Union, said
that the gathering was for more than
just Imara.
Greer added the organizations wanted
to get answers about the retention of
faculty and staff who are interested in
the future of all students, especially
those of underrepresented groups.
"Before coming here today, a lot
of people asked me, 'Are you sure you
want to participate in an event of this
caliber?' " she said. " 'Because you do
know you still have a year-and-a-half
left of school,' almost posing a threat
to me. But I'm here to say the action taken against these seven women
cannot go unnoticed."
In addition to Imara, the march
also took place for six other female
staff members.
The women in question are Stella
Gin, Priscilla Peebles, Jennifer
Blackman, Sherri Bundy, Consuelo
Rodriguez and Connie Baker, who
are all of different ethnicities and
worked in Academic Services.
"It saddens me to know that these
women, truly assets to the San Jose
community, are no longer mainstays
of this campus," said Sadiyah Seraaj,
a senior English major.
Professor Steven Millner, chair of
African American Studies, reminded
the crowd that though recruitment
has grown at SJSU overall in the last
four years, the growth of underrepresented
students has stagnated.
"We do not agree with that process,"
Millner said.
He tied this fact to why minority
employees are important.
"In the last five years, (these
women) have helped us fight a battle
that we may indeed be losing," Millner
said. "In the last fi ve years, the
graduation rates for African American
students have gone down by 24
percent. By ushering (the women)
out the door, this university is saying
it is satisfied with the declining
graduation rates for African American
students."
Millner added that the racial diversity
of the faculty on campus is weak.
"We notice that in the English department,
a department that is a gatekeeper
institution on campus - every
student must take English 1A and
1B," he said. "In the English department,
there are 38 members on the
tenure-track faculty - not one is African
American. That's outrageous, as
far as I'm concerned. And I think we
should all be outraged by that."
Millner went on to add the
chemistry department, the computer
science department, the economics
department, the psychology
department, the history department
and the mathematics department to
the list of areas containing no African
American tenure-track faculty
members.
"We even note that in music and
dance, and we know African Americans
can dance and sing - we know
this," he said. "In music and dance,
of 21 tenure-track faculty members,
not a single one of them is African
American."
Millner said these statistics are
from 2003 and little has changed
since then.
"Some of these departments have
had these numbers for years, if not
decades," Millner said. "We find this
to be outrageous, and it doesn't have
to be that way."
Millner said the protest would force
the campus to deal with these issues.
"We are going to march today
to say we are not satisfied with that
kind of trend," he said.
"You should only be silent as we
march. Our silence will speak volumes."
At the closing of the press conference,
the march began at the King
Library and snaked around the campus,
as onlookers watched.
The silent, double-filed line made
a full circle back to the library and
ended in front of Kassing's offi ce.
Greer and Williams then delivered
the petitions to Kassing's office
while the hushed protesters awaited
their return.
Students said the march affected
them in different ways.
"I feel it was something that
touched a lot of lives and it is the
right thing to do because an atrocity
has taken place and I just think
that it was something that had to be
done," said Ifrah Ali, an undeclared
freshman.
Joel Bridgeman, a junior political
science and African American studies
double major, said although the
march was powerful, it hurt as well.
"(Nehanda) was a counselor to
me and helped me out with any
problems I was having," said the Iota
Phi Theta fraternity member. "It's
sad that things like this have to go
on for people to be treated fairly."
Bridgeman added that it was important
that the university see the
march.
"I feel it is necessary for us, as minority
students and students who are
actually part of programs affected, to
be present and visible," he said.
Dontario Givens, a sociology junior
and member of Kappa Alpha
Psi fraternity, said he hopes Kassing
will read the petitions and listen to
the community.
"Hopefully a change can happen,"
he said. "I pray to God that
it will."
The march was the first time
Kimberly Haley, a senior behavioral
science and sociology double major,
had participated in a protest.
"It meant a lot to me ... that people
from different organizations, different
clubs, different backgrounds
can come together for one cause,"
Haley said.
Dona Bertain, associate vice president
for Human Resources Service
Group, responded to accusations
that the rate of ethnic retention is
low.
"I know the ethnic composition
is about 70 percent minority in Academic
Services and Enrollment Services,"
Bertain said of figures from
last year. "The difference between a
year ago to now, I think is just about
flat. It might be about one or two
percent off."
Bertain added that the percentage
of women in Academic Services and
Enrollment Services, which combined
last year, is about 80 percent.
"I think that speaks pretty highly
of the composition and the university's
efforts to have a diverse group
here," she said.
Bertain said the assumption
could be made that since such a high
percentage of the staff in Academic
Services and Enrollment Services
are both women and minorities, that
most of the non-retentions would be
minority women.
She added that these issues being
brought up by the African American Faculty and Staff Association and the
Black Student Union are not legitimate
concerns.
"(Each non-retention is) very carefully
reviewed," Bertain said. "In the case of
Enrollment Services, there would be three
levels of other people looking at the nonretention
and the oversight of human resources."
Bertain stressed that each retention decision
is extensively thought out.
"No employment decisions are made
precipitously," she said. "We really owe it
to the community that we serve and the
citizens of California that we use our resources
carefully."
Elgrie Hurd III, student liaison for the
African American Faculty and Staff Association,
said he thought the march was
successful.
"It was rare to see students, faculty and
staff and community members come together,"
he said. "For those who were curious
and not sure, they will begin to ask
why."
Hurd said when the petitions were delivered
to the president's office, the staff in
Tower Hall was surprised at the number of
people standing outside.
"If it all falls down, and the president
doesn't make any attempt to address this
issue, more progressive things will be
done," he said. "This isn't about the seven
people; they are only a small part of it."
Hurd added that he thought the march
made a large impact on Kassing and the
campus.
"It would be silly for him not to (take us
seriously)," he said.
Spring Break
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