Through Our Eyes: The State of the Black Student at IUPUI

Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis is an urban institution home to less than 2,300 Black students, and continuously dropping. This is due to the fact that the campus reflects a false sense of diversity, respect, and support for its Black student population. IUPUI says it aims to provide for you as a Black student, but in all actuality, it provides "nothing". There is no mission, no goals and no vision for Black students here at IUPUI. Our voices must be heard. Ultimately, Black students and their organizations on the campus lack communication, equality, support and respect here at IUPUI.

What we want changed and our demands:

*Communication
-Publication of events, policies and procedures that affect IUPUI students
-Publication geared for black students to serve as a resource guide, which means the reinstatement of the Black Student Resource Guide


*Respect
-Accept and respect us as Black students
-Take the time and learn about the various Black organizations
-Mandated training for all university officials (i.e. Board of Trustees, Chancellor, Vice Chancellors, etc.)

*Support
-We want to see more Black people in administrative, faculty, and staff positions
-We want administration to attend Black programming

*Cultural Competency
-More Black History in the curriculum at the undergraduate level

-A Black Student Center to house an area for African American culture, an office that advocates for Black Student Affairs (consisting of qualified Black faculty and staff), an office for Black Student Union, and an office for the IUPUI_National Pan Hellenic Council.'

-We want an undergraduate degree curriculum for African American studies

*Funding
-Create a budget of $78,000 for black student organizations




Black students of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis are tired of the mistreatment we have recieved. The negative attitudes and behaviors are less than human, and we deserve and demand to be treated with the utmost respect that any student deserves and should recieve. Discrimination is alive at IUPUI; disrespect is abundant; discntentment is burning among black student. The success of IUPUI black students is not a priority of IUPUI, it is a political formality so that the campus can "look" good, while using our faces and images to its advantage.

We are taking a stand against the barriers IUPUI has placed against us as the Black student community here. It is time for this campus to see hat promoting diversity is more than just putting our faces on websites and brochures. It is time for this campus to embrace us and realize that we are vital members of the IUPUI community. One of the commitments that IUPUI has made to us is that it will, "Offer a physical enviornment free from barriers, and it is time for those walls to come down. The revolution has begun...