For the past two weeks, students at Howard University have literally encamped in tents outside of the Howard University’s Armour J. Blackburn Center in protest of what students report as substandard living conditions. Students have reported mold, mice, and even interior flooding deeming their living quarters unlivable. While some like Martin Luther King, III have championed the students’ bravery in protesting, the university has warned that if the protests do not come to an end students may face suspension or even expulsion.
The NBA stands with the students of Howard University and all HBCU students. As the premier organization of Black lawyers, judges, and law students nationwide, the NBA relishes in the rich history and legacy of our historically Black colleges and universities. However, the NBA believes that just as our HBCU’s demand the best of their students, those institutions must also provide the best service possible to their students. If the reports are accurate, these reported conditions are indeed substandard and simply unacceptable.
“The images and reports stemming from Howard’s campus are disturbing. We want the world to know what we know- that HBCUs are some of the best institutions for higher learning in the world, but we must always do and show our best, and this simply is not it. The administration at Howard can and must do better to provide the proper environment for students to learn and thrive.” – NBA President Carlos Moore
The NBA urges the Howard University Administration to immediately enact a plan for remedial measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of each of its students.