Black organizations feel frustrated about NDSU President’s lack of authority
President Bresciani denied their request to meet with him, the task force on diversity and the equity office.
FARGO, N.D. — The North Dakota NAACP and the Black Lives Matter chapters of North Dakota State University and Fargo Moorhead say NDSU President Dean Bresciani needs to stop hiding behind emails and show up for students of color.
“Racism isn’t getting worse. Racists are just getting exposed,” says BLM NDSU Allye Doyle.
Organizers say this is just the tip of the iceberg.
“Following this initial incident we have had more videos, posts, e-mails and information come out broadcasting more white NDSU students exhibiting bigotry, racism and disrespect towards their black community members,” says BLM NDSU Aeshia Williams.
Including an email sent by a group that calls themselves the “NDSU European-American Student Union” in which they address President Bresciani and other university officials.
“‘They have decried your smallest effort toward positive change as evil and antithetical to every fiber of our being,” says BLM Fargo-Moorhead Jamaal Abegaz.
The organizations also feel frustrated and disappointed about the lack of authority they have seen from President Bresciani.
“Leadership is taking accountability and actively working towards a positive outcome. That’s not what we’re seeing here,” Doyle said.
President Bresciani denied their request to meet with him, the task force on diversity and the equity office.
NDSU released a statement saying in part “We continue to work directly with our students and have had several productive meetings to listen and exchange information.”
Instead they want President Bresciani to act deliberately to make racism unwelcome in the NDSU campus.
“Black Lives Matter NDSU demands that the students found responsible for committing these blatant acts of racism be held accountable for their actions through disciplinary action,” Williams said.
They also want NDSU to protect and support their minority students and faculty members by revising the code of conduct so that they’re appropriate consequences for future misconducts.
The North Dakota NAACP says it is dedicated to bringing a college chapter of the NAACP to the NDSU campus.
