Protests continue at Bethune-Cookman

B-CU students protest on campus.
Photo courtesy: HBCU BUZZ

Students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities take pride in attending
institutions that created a space where people of color could go to school and obtain a
degree while given proper resources and genuine care.

Now, after experiencing neglect and lack of basic resources, students at Bethune-
Cookman University are calling on their administration for immediate action to fix the
damage and restore B-CU pride to their campus and community.

This call to action came after Ed Reed, the newly appointed football head coach for B-
CU, exposed the university’s poor condition on social media after visiting the campus in
early January.

He expressed his anger on Instagram Live while simultaneously complaining about
picking up trash around campus and pointing out the trashed buildings to his audience,
noting that he had yet to sign his contract with the Daytona Beach school.

When accepting the head coach position, Reed announced his plans for building the
football program and B-CU through partnerships and connections with his foundation,
the Ed Reed Foundation.

However, after the university heard news of his social media outburst, it terminated his
contract. This caused an uproar within the student body, which had supported Reed’s
unsettling, but true, statements.

The news sparked protests on campus, bringing primary issues that students are faced
with on an everyday basis to light. These issues include severe mold in residence halls,
raw food served in cafeterias, broken air conditioning and more.

Tia White, a third-year health and exercise science student at B-CU, said that her health
significantly declined while living on campus in a mold-infested room.

“Not just me, but many other students have been sent to the hospital with that mold
issue,” White told The Famuan. “The school, they really don’t do anything about it. They
kind of blame us for the issue and, I kid you not, they just paint over the mold.”

Students protested and marched at White Hall, taking turns speaking their truth through
megaphones and holding signs that read “We are skipping our lessons to teach you
one” and “30k for what? We haven’t had hot water for two weeks.”

B-CU freshman class president, Danae Allen, was seen in a viral video crying while
voicing her concerns for the student body through a megaphone.

“I sat quietly and listened to every testimony given by members of my class,” Allen said.
“It was truly heartbreaking to know that the future leaders of our world were going
through so much.”

The university has yet to make a public statement regarding the recent events on
campus. However, the university’s Student Government Association continues to
provide the student body with updates on their meetings with administration.

SGA Vice President Janiya Jones believes that change will come if they continue to
speak up.

“I’ve been meeting with the interim president, and he’s been very receptive to the things
that have been brought to him,” Jones said. “On top of that, we’ve come up with
solutions to issues that have been addressed.”

B-CU students have many concerns and requests to fulfill, and the student body is
determined to hold the administration accountable until they’re voices are officially
heard.