WE DEMAND

4 SCHOOL OF BLACK AND PUERTO RICAN STUDIES.

This school will be controlled by the community, students and faculty.
The courses and programs offered at this school will be totally geared
to community needs. For the first time we will be able to study our
true past history in relation to our present condition. We will know
our heroes and our culture which has been denied us by the present
racist society. The school will bring about an increased understand-
ing of the political, social and economic forces which work to exploit
us in this society.

A FRESHMAN ORIENTATION FOR BLACK AND PUERTO RICAN STUDENTS.

Since Black and Puerto Rican children are alienated and destroyed in
the New York City School System, by the time thaz those few of us
reach College we find that we suffer from many basic problems. For
example, because of racist attitudes of the teachers throughout the
City, our children turn out graduating from high school without being
able to read, write or do simple mathematics. These racist teachers
teach our children that they are inferior and not worth educating.

THAT THE SEEK STUDENTS HAVE A DETERMINING VOICE IN THE SETTING OF
GUIDELINES FOR THE SEEK PROGRAM, INCLUDING THE HIRING AND FIRING
OF SEEK PERSONNEL,

Seek is a program which recruits Black, Puerto Rican and other
minority people who otherwise would be unable to afford a college
education and the opportunities which are opened by such an

education. Yet there is fault to be found in the program. The fault
is that the teachers, counselors and tutors are not really accountable
to the Seek students. What che students demand is that they have a
determining voice in setting the guidelines for the Seek Program, in-
cluding the hiring and firing of Seek Personnel. For up to now, Seek
Personnel has not been accountable to anyone.

THAT THE RACIAL COMPOSITION OF THE ENTERING FRESHMAN CLASS BE R4CIALLY
REFLECTIVE OF THE HIGH SCHOOL POPULATION.

This demand is the most important of our demands. At present, Blacks

and Puerto xicans comprise 40% of the high school population. Yet at
City College (now renamed Harlem University) There are only 9% Blacks
and Puerto Ricans and $1% whites (Day Session)--even though City
College is located in Harlem which is 98% Black and Puerto Rican.
Aiong with these shocking figures comes the fact that 95% of all Black
and Puerto Rican people are working class people and pay for all
schools including the colleges directly through their taxes. Beyond
the fact that we pay for the college and are excluded from then is

the abuse to which our children are subjected in the High Schools. At
present the schools, with the aid of their racist teachers force our
children to drop out at fantastic rates (84% of all Black and Puerto


.

Ricans are forced to drop out). This forces our children to take the
lewest positions in the society. Others are drafted against their

will to fight a racist war in Viet Nam which kills our children in far
greater proportion than our numbers. The few that manage to struggle
through are advised to seek vocational diplomas, general diplomas and
to join Job Core training centers, etc. This is done by the people

who run the City to promote white privilege. That is, the ruling. class
forces our children out of the high schools so that their children can
be the only ones to attend college. We demand that this abuse stop.
Our new admissions policy would guarantee high school graduates a seat
on the entering freshman class at City College regardles’s of their high
school grades. By high achvol graduates we meat Soiders of all types.
of diplomas. Our new admissions would also allow people who have
graduated in the past to attend college. Every person entering through
our special admissions would receive checks ani the proper courses to
overcome individual deficiencies. Ve

THAT ALL EDUCATION MAJORS BE RECUIRED TO TAKE BLACK AND PUERTO RICAN
HISTORY AND THE SPANISH LANGUAGE.

This demand is designed to deal with the attitudes of ‘teachers toward
Black and Puerto Rican children. City College produces 40% of the
teachers in New York City. We find that a teacher will be better able
to teach and relate to our students if he has some understanding of

the social, economic and political Oppression under which they Live.
The demand requires that he take a course in Black history and a

course in Puerto Rican history. The demand also requires that teachers
take Spanish in order that they be more effective when teaching Puerto
Rican children.

SUMMARY OF EVENTS
On April 22, 196%, a contingent of Black and Puerto ican students moved
onto City College, secured it and occupied it for two weeks. This was
done to bring attention to the’5 demands that had been ignored since they
were originally presented to the college administration six months ago.

During the two weeks, negotiations were initiated and Progress was made

on three of the demands. Negotiators from ‘the faculty and the president

were represented and all agreed that the College should remain closed as

long as the talks progressed. Former President Gallagher, negotiators

J. Copland (now acting president), Prof. Biersian and Prof. J. Schulman

all signed a statement to that effect. :

On the very day that our Special Admission demand had been completely
presented, and our research made available, the Supreme Court in cahoots

with puppet politicians (Mario Procaccino and Francis X. Smith), the

Board of Higher Education and the College administration attempted to idefeat
undermine all progress by issuing an injunction and bringing the Police (pigs)
on campus. :

The College is now under Police control ( pig control). The violence that
the media has projected has been totally inaccurate and irresponsible. The
real issue is that New York City does not want to allow Black-and Puerto
Rican people in the colleges in direct proportions to the high, school
population. . ,