NYU Student Group Advocates For Racially Segregated Housing

A student task force at New York University who call themselves the Black Violets, are pushing for segregated housing in dormitories. The Black Violets created a petition in July to establish floors specifically for black students in NYU student housing.

The petition, which currently has over 1,000 signatures, reads “We, members of the Black student body, demand that NYU implement Black student housing on campus in the vein of themed engagement floors across first-year and upperclassmen residence halls.” The first demand listed on the petition is to create  “floors completely comprised of Black-identifying students with Black Resident Assistants.”

Nai Robinson, co-founder of the Black Violets, told Washington Street News that currently black students are not cared for on NYU’s campus. “There is nothing to protect us,” Robinson said. “Literally no systems in place. What do you do when your professor is racist and wants to take it out on your grades? Microaggressions in classroom discussions?”