My roommate and a few other folks I know are among the several UNC students on the second day of their protest against UNC's use of sweatshop labor, having occupied South Building since yesterday and with no intent of leaving until the Chancellor quits brushing them off. Check out the video below, and attend a rally in their support today at 4:30 PM just outside on the south quad. If UNC decides to use their police force to remove this peaceful protest, local friend and prominent civil rights attorney Al McSurely has agreed to serve as their legal representative.
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Comments
This makes me nostalgic
I participated in a sit-in in South Building in 1993 to support the construction of a free-standing Sonja Haynes Stone Black Cultural Center. It took over 10 years, but it was finally built, and has been a blessing to our community. I also visited the students who sat in against sweatshops in the late 90's.
Hopefully these students will accomplish their goal much sooner than the dozen years it took for UNC to build what is now called the Center for Black Culture and History.
Isn't this trespassing? I
I'm pretty sure that any
Direct action
This is kinda silly...
I really think there are a lot more pressing and worthy causes to be up in arms about if a group of students really wants to stoop to strong-arm tactics. The BOT's market-driven tuition policies come to mind.
At the very least, I would be pretty discouraged if a dozen kids who do not have jobs (clearly if they're sitting in for days) could force the University to make a potentially costly decision based on ideology without even addressing revenue loss from increased overhead. This isn't likely a small amount of change, either, since UNC is (or was not too many years ago) the most lisenced college brand. They should act like adults and offer up alternatives instead of just throwing a temper tantrum. I think they also need to realize that if higher costs (through higher wages, etc) negatively affect sales, then not only does the University lose money, but fewer units will be produced, which means the unemployment line for some of the workers they're trying to help.
They don't need to have an MBA or en economics degree, but they need to at least acknowledge the hardships that they're asking others to take on. This isn't a sit-in like the 60's. This is protesting because caring is chic.
Anonymous is uninformed
To me fighting so children all over the world don't have to sew together our Tar Heel Sports shirts, hats, soccer balls, etc. etc. is one of the most SELFLESS causes a young person can fight for. The dismissive attitude of Anonymous is untrustworthy and uninformed. There are many causes worth fighting for. But the argument that one is more worthy than the another is a tactic worth ignoring.
Another part of these students righteous fight was also conducted by Martin Luther King, Jr. He died after giving a speech for sanitation worker. American workers that many modern politicians pay lip service to today during election season.
The workers at the University these students are ALSO fighting for are our professors, adjunct faculty, grounds keepers, food workers, housekeeping, etc. These are your neighbors. Americans of many races and classes. Right now they have no ability to collectively bargain with their University employers. Not for exorbitant raises but LIVING WAGES. Which our State Elected officials continue to deny the employees of our flag ship "public university" over and over.
I hope one day caring really is chic.