COLUMIA, MO.–Concerned Student 1950, the African (black) student group leading an effort to challenge the power relations at the University of Missouri –Columbia, joined forces with a national black-led student organization, Black Liberation Collective.
Black Liberation Collective describes itself as “a collective of black students who are dedicated to transforming institutions of higher education through unity, coalition building, direct action and political education.”
The collective holds weekly conference calls for African student organizers and allies who are engaged in on-campus struggles to combat racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia against African students.
During these calls organizers give regular updates about the struggle on their respective campuses and share their strategies for addressing campus issues.
These calls are also meant to give students a safe space to offer love and encouragement to each other as they strive towards achieving black liberation.
Some of the leaders who are responsible for organizing these calls belong to the “Black Lives Matter” movement.
Students unconvinced by reactionary politics
Using its twitter account, Concerned Student 1950 called the university out for its reactionary politics.
The group shared a tweet sent out by one of its core 11 members that read: “Mizzou administrators are REACTIONARY, they only responded to us when we had media attn #StudentBlackOut.”
There has been growing criticism amongst student leaders against Concerned Student 1950 for not having a prepared plan for executing and achieving its list of demands after the protests.
Many student leaders who do not align with the group argue that the 11 members created a stir on campus and a media frenzy, but refuse to come to the table with a coalition of student organizations that were committed to addressing issues of inequality at the university before the group formed and set out on its own mission.
As threats against the group mounted and the criticism grew more forceful, Concerned Student 1950 fell into relative quietude.
There are whispers that the group is planning to resume its activities at the start of the spring semester.
The State looks to punish African football players
Missouri state representative Rick Brattin filed House Bill 1743 on December 11, 2015.
The proposed bill would strip a college athlete of their scholarship if he or she "calls, incites, supports or participates in any strike or concerted refusal to play a scheduled game."
The bill came in light of University of Missouri –Columbia African football players joining in protest with other African students fighting for power.
Although the bill was withdrawn on December 16, 2015, if passed it would have sent a very clear signal to African athletes that they are seen as no more than property of The State and cannot engage in any form of resistance against colonial domination.
We encourage all African students across the country to resist co-optation and continue to resist wherever they are!
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