The Associated Students Board of Directors endorsed the Black Student Union’s statement against it, following a series of statements from student organizations condemning the student government.
Monday’s statement from the BSU demanded that AS cancel its Malcolm X Mural Celebration after BSU decided to host its own event. AS agreed to postpone its own event, but did not provide a projected date for it.
AS Executive Director Dr. Tonee Sherrill released a now-deleted response to BSU’s statement on Tuesday that announced AS’ postponement of its mural event.
The response encouraged people to attend BSU’s Malcolm X Mural event on May 11. However, Sherill said that discarding AS Education Representative Shanice Robsinson’s work toward the AS mural celebration would be anti-Black.
“I am now seeing the rich labor of a Black woman, which is often devalued, and I needed to explain to her that she was being requested to discard this labor, which to me would too be anti-Black.”
According to AS Academic Affairs Vice President Jennifer Valencia and AS Chief of Staff Chantel Bermudez, they were unaware that Sherill was posting a statement and did not approve of his message.
BSU External Affairs Vice President Lee Lockhart said Sherill’s statement hurt him, as it juxtaposed BSU to the support of Black women.
“We are constantly framed as aggressors,” he said. “Even in this conversation where we explain our experience, make one demand and ask for AS to work at rebuilding the relationship. We’re tired of fighting AS, it has become yet another organization that is an obstacle to Black students.”
The fact that no one [in AS] questioned this event being put on without BSU or didn’t think to reach out to us shows the lack of care or importance members of this organization have for students.
— BSU President Ja'Corey Bowens
During public comment, members of BSU also requested that AS release a public apology to the BSU and establish an AS funded scholarship for Black students at SF State. The Board of Directors did not yet address these requests but did express interest in visiting them at a later date.
“The fact that no one [in AS] questioned this event being put on without BSU or didn’t think to reach out to us shows the lack of care or importance members of this organization have for students,” BSU President Ja’Corey Bowens said.
Representatives from student organizations such as the League of Filipino Students, Student Kouncil of Intertribal Nations and Black Residents United in Housing left public comment during the two hour board meeting in support of BSU’s statement.
After the Board of Directors unanimously approved the endorsement of the BSU statement, Burmudez said that this is only the bare minimum.
“It’s hard to feel congratulatory about it when it’s under such negative circumstances,” she said. “So I hope we continue to do the bare minimum to support students and a lot more.”
