X-NUPop-Charset: English Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 14:20:07 -0600 (CST) From: "Alan Spector" Sender: spector@calumet.purdue.edu Reply-To: spector@calumet.purdue.edu To: revs@csf.colorado.edu Subject: Hunger Strike at Vermont Note from Alan Spector, REVS editor: What follows is a very long series of messages about a hunger strike against racism at the University of Vermont. It is not exactly directly tied in to the main focus of REVS--(Racial-Ethnic-Religious Violence), and it does contain some more "personalistic" types of commentary. Furthermore, some of it contains ideas written in rage against oppression that nevertheless express concepts that many REVS readers, including myself, would see as not helpful, such as: <<< i come from a lineage of people whose DNA is programmed to fight>> <<< and be a warrior.>>> I can only hopefully assume that the writer is writing metaphorically in expressing legitimate rage. There is also some relevant information is some of these messages as well. In any case, as editor, I generally lean towards the direction of, perhaps, a little too much INclusion rather than EXclusion. The fowarded message is reproduced below: +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Mon, 11 Dec 95 12:24:46 EST From: coatesrd@casmail.muohio.edu (Rodney Coates) Reply-To: coatesrd@casmail.muohio.edu (Rodney Coates) To: Association of Black Sociologists , revs@csf.colorado.edu, PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Subject: [Fwd: UVM Hunger Strike; Please Read-Important! (fwd) -Fo =========BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE======== forwarded by request..... please see attached, /* Written 10:23 AM Dec 10, 1995 by bwitanek in igc:njspeakout */ PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE AND FAR AND WIDE AS POSSIBLE! HUNGER STRIKE AT UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT HITS RACISM OF ADMINISTRATIO University of Vermont is like many American universities and colleges in paying short shrift to the concerns and needs of students of color. Institutional racism, lack of recruitment and retention of African American, Latino, Asian and Native American student, lack of curricula and programs to meet the needs of these students and lack of hiring and retention of faculty and staff members from these communities are common themes on campuses across this nation. These issues could be somewhat more pronounced, at the University of Vermont, however, given the fact that Vermont is among the most white states in the US and the fact that University of Vermont is a very expensive, exclusive school. In recent years, students at the University of Vermont, particularly African, Latino, Asian, and Native American students, have challenged the institutionalized racism and white supremacy at that university. The challenges have manifested in marches, rallies, building takeovers and other disruptions. Each time, dome concessions were promised by the administration. And each time the promises were broken. Now, the students of color at University of Vermont are once again fighting back, under the umbrella of ALANA (African, Latino, Asian, Native American). A brave woman warrior is partaking in a very SERIOUS hunger strike as a final attempt to bring about some respect and recognition of the just demands of the students. Below are some writings by the hunger striker, Sister Shontae S. Praileau, or Maneshkona. Also included is some background and history on the issues at University of Vermont and messages of support. One concrete way you can show your support to the ALANA students is to send messages of support to: uvmtoday@elk.uvm.edu and alana-voice@elk.uvm.edu Let the students at U VM know that they are not alone. Tell them about similar struggles on your campus and what you are doing to fight around these issues there. Be encouraged by the struggles of ALANA students at U VM and be inspired to join the battle on your own campuses around these issues. - Bob Witanek ================================================================ FROM DIARY OF HUNGER STRIKER From: Shontae S. Praileau the diary of maneshkona as i sit and read the on going messages posted on uvm today in regards to racism, the commission on racial justice and provost low i begin to ask myself why i am sitting here at 3am in the morning crying over what i am reading.i am a 22 year old african-american and mohegan indian womyn whose family lives way below the poverty level.why i am saying these things over the net?well it has now come to the point where intellectual communication and stimulation is not working for me anymore.i am dying.yes.you ask how? is this just a symbolic jesture or something that i am saying to crave attention.no, absolutely not. i am truly dying. when i came to uvm in 1991, i never expected my college experience to end this way.i know that it is supposed to be a life altering experience but death was not what i had in mind.as this semester ends and i wonder if i am going to survive or even make it until may 19th graduation day i ponder on how i could have prevented this from happening.but then i realized i could not of and it was the road that was chosen for me to walk. dean batt, jenni johnson, leon lawrence, president salmon, tom triton, mara saule, robert low, and douglas samuels and whoever else this message applies to whether directly or indirectly i am one of the so called radical student activists from the ALANA (african latino asian native american) and i just want to let you know publicly that you have won the battle. i admit defeat and i will fight no longer. yes you have my word on that. i raise my white flag and ask that you all not destroy the community that we have left. while this is very, very, very difficult to write it needs to be said because there are more people dying in my community, the young ones and i can't see this happen anymore. for those who don't get the message by now keep on reading... i have been here throughout spring, summer, and fall 1995. i have been home for a total of 7 days since january of this year. it is now december and i must speak my peace before the new year rise.i guess the symptoms of my illness began to show in the fall 1994 with the harrassment by uvm police in them thinking that i was smoking pot while i was praying outside my dorm.praying you say outside the dorm? yes. why? the traditional way that my people prayed was through tobacco and the pipe. that is what i was doing, but the details are not important. just know that it was a very sacred time for me as yom kimpur, Lent, or Easter.from that day i no longer prayed outside the 4 concrete prison walls of my dorm. then spring 1995, the death threats was the climax of racist acts committed against ALANA people.besides living in the dorm in which it occurred during the FBI investigations or should i say interrogations the death threats seemed a minor thing in comparison to their words and actions against the survivors.now the hot summer of '95 where i became a regular on the evening news (please note that i worked 2 jobs and took 15 credits while this was all happening this summer.)the firing of anthony chavez was like mourning the death of a family member even though anthony did not actually perish.i have been working in the system and then chose to fight outside the system thinking i would change things. i have the honor of having the strengh, spirit, and blood of two groups of people(African and Native American) who lives have been a constant battle and struggle.i thought that i could help continue to fight. i now doubt this. but i will continue...end of the summer, angela cooke became the interim director of multicultural affairs and as expected she didn't last that long.not because she was weak but because there was a deliberate plan of action to neutralize and destroy something we have at OMA and angela was a pawn to further that mission.now we have mr.douglas samuels, a black man who many say is qualified and worthy of the position at oma, but i ask you to question this.not because i am telling you to, but ask yourself who benfits from leon lawrence(the president's diversity man and also president of black and 3rd world educators) and dean batt hand picking the interim director of oma.the alana students had someone from within oma who we wanted to be the interim director who is more qualified than doug (at least on the educational level). many people don't know this, but now people have to know especially white allies.this struggle can not happen without you, but you have to willing to listen to the community you are trying to help.it has been nearly two weeks since doug has been here and i feel death coming closer to me.i am not an irrational spastic radical militant cult follower. i am a woman of color who sees that this man is killing the alana community (at least the students).i will give him his brownie points and say that he has talked with some of the students and he talks a good game, but what the students that he talked with fail to understand that it has nothing to do with him being a good person,father, or husband.he was not chosen to be the leader for this particular community.what has he done to the black women who work here and the other women of color(as well as men of color) is display as well as act out his blatantly sexist behavior through jokes, words, innuendoes, etc.is this an attack on his character?no, because the women that he has done this to should speak out.please, begin to ask questions. one thing that i have learned from my days at uvm is that white people need to know what is going on.i will be silent no longer and allow these people to destroy my community whether it be by dividing the students into oma activists, non-activists, troublemakers, and diversity queens and kings or telling the asian people one thing and the blacks another or making deals with some people to fry the others.please this has to stop.i am taking one last stand.this stand is powerful and yet dangerous but i feel like i have no other alternatives because everything else that i have tried has failed. my greatest strength is my spiritual power because of many reasons. and now i chose to fight this war this way from now until...i am not promoting a takeover because there are too many ramifications for my ALANA brothers and sisters.as of today dec 1st until things change (i will not place any boundaries on where it begins because i am a member of this community and it is not my place to speak for all) i will begin a hunger strike. this will entail me not consuming the taste of any foods just juice and water.this is not a rash or sudden move, but something that i have thought about and decided it is the best way.all i ask is that people ask questions to the names mentioned above those who are religious or spiritual pray that this is over soon support me and my people in any way that you can whether by joining me or ... understand that this is not just student affairs matter or university business understand that these acts mentioned above have a history and i am not the only one who has or will experience these matters understand that this is not just happening at uvm, but since we all are here lets do something about our own backyard before critizing others understand and learn that this is the lives of human beings who are getting abused everyday here and ask yourself would you want a to experience that everyday understand that i know my reality as does anyone and alana people are no different respect that fact that we know what we are talking about and before you begin to help ask what you can do thank you peace out p.s.maneshkona is a short version of my native name.my english name is shontae sharae praileau 656-6437. ================================= UPDATE: i would like to say that on my 5th day of the hunger strike i am doing o.k.now concerning your issues about help from student affairs i had to immediately reply. on friday dec 1st i received a call from vp for student affairs dean batt letting me know "i am in his thoughts" and that if i needed anything in regards to health or medical issues please give him a call. Now the third day, dec 3rd, sunday morning at 7:53 am i received a call from one of dean batt's employees in student affairs. This person was more concerned with themselves than with my health or how i was doing, even though in the conversation my mental health was questioned. I may not "know your battles" that was said to me but i do know that if i was concerned about someone's mental health i would not call someone on the sunday morning to vent personal guilt, frustration and anger about being named in my dairy. So if that is what they consider "working" with me then yes, they have definitely acconplised that. But that is all the live communication that I have received from any administrator at UVM. Remember all that i asked was for people to question what is happening on this campus. Entering my fifth day of the strike it is difficult but with all the support i know that i can make it. They havent broken my spirit, yet, at least. Maneshkona-Shontae. 802-656-6437 202 Coolidge Hall, UVM Burlington Vermont, 05405 ======================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 05:52:11 -0500 (EST) From: Shontae S. Praileau hello everyone i have to speak on my own behalf in saying that the miseducation that i have received from uvm is not valued much where i come from because those who typically are lucky enough to get a degree in higher ed becomes the gatekeeper for my community.i do value education.the education of the history of my peoples(african and native),as well as other people in the world,but unfortunately i do not receive this kind of education at uvm.please don't be as ethnocentric to believe that my value of education is the same education that this society values.the kind of education that this society values can be addressed by others on the net.i also wanted people to keep in mind that this is NOT about me or how i am doing health wise. whether or not people care is not my fight or struggle even though it is appreciated. many people have asked what can i do? my response has been different for alana(african latino asian native american) and white people because different dynamics play out at this university for each group. there are many fronts to take in a war not everyone is on the frontline,but you must do your part in order to overcome. use the power that YOU have. ask the questions to administration. i never asked people to accept my reality as theres, but i did say is accept that i know my own reality and so do other alana people as anyone else. yes, i am on day seven of the hunger strike and i am willing to continue as long as the current conditions of alana people at uvm exist. people named and those not named have to come to the table with alana people.this has not been done. ask questions and then if you are still not satisfied keeep asking. i am taking care of shontae. despite the rumors that are out, the diary of maneshkona was not a suicide letter or a letter with suicide intent. i am not depressed or suicidal. stop questioning my mental health in order to avoid the necessary questions and debate needed for alana people to stop living in a hostile environment. THIS IS NOT ABOUT SHONTAE. i represent something that this administration can not break within a four or five year period. this is what many people especially white people fail to understand. five years at this university whether i graduate with a legitmate diploma or not is not what it is about. i come from a lineage of people whose DNA is programmed to fight and be a warrior. understand this when you read my diary. this has not been nor will it be the last time you hear from me or my people. you see we don't give up that easily. keep in mind that in my diary i raised the white flag of defeat to administration winning the battle BUT i NEVER said that they won the war. ================================================================= UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT HISTORY From: Daren Rikio Mooko <00drmooko@bsuvc.bsu.edu> Subject: Re: Vermont Hunger Strike About Vermont: As a result of the Takeovers in 1988 and 1991, the university created what was called "The President's Commission on Racial Equality and Multicultural Education." For about two years, this Commission only existed in "planning" committees and structure committee meetings--typical administrative feet-dragging. In the Fall of 1993, they started taking applications for the new Commish and it was finally off the ground in May of 1994. Chavez and I were on the first Commish and we worked to ensure that its agenda was anti-racism focused and accountable to the ALANA (African, Latino, Asian and Native American) community--especially the students. Part of the plan for the Commish was for it to have a high-ranking Executive Director that would parallel the Provost or any VP as far as the hierarchy. This position would be totally accountable and answer to the Commish, which is a grass-roots body and constituency based. In the Fall of 1994, the Provost took control of the Commish because the President didn't want any part of it-- he was too busy. The Commission, the first year, did not have this Executive Director because of the time constraints of the search process. Instead, we had a full-time Chair--which was hand selected by the Provost. The Chair was a white woman. One of our responsibilities was to create a job description for the ED and start the search process. The Commission submitted a job description that basically followed the direction of the past structure committees--the ED was to be accountable to the Commission. The Provost changed the description, made the ED accountable to the Provost and even changed the name to include the word "diversity" in it so the ED does not have to even focus on racism. We went to war with the Provost and eventually brought the search process to a hault, despite the fact that he secretly posted the job description and the job announcement nationally during Spring Break while everyone was away. It was about this time that the Board of Trustees, for the first time in the 200+ years of the university, appointed an "Oversight" committee to ensure the President makes good on his grand "Diversity Initiative" that he announced at the Board meeting. At this same Board meeting, all the African American professors signed an Initiative of their own that demanded the university stop using the "UVM is an Equal Opportunity Employer . blah blah " on all of its stationary and publications until they do something significant about recruitment and retention of ALANA faculty--specifically African American Faculty (At the start of this year, UVM only had 2 tenured AfAm Faculty members--on a campus of 10,000+ students). Needless to say, the President was on the ropes. When the year ended, the Commission turned over half of its members. About this time, discussion about the ED came up again and because the Commission was new, the Provost once again tried to railroad the whole process. Chavez, myself and the new co-chairs of the Comish met with The Provost and basically applied direct pressure. He made it clear that it was going to be his decision about the Commission. One month later, Chavez was fired. His "termination" letter was tacked to his office door and was given 48 hours to clear out. The official claim was "financial mismanagment". Chavez was fired two weeks before the end of the fiscal year. It was a racist take down. I organized the students over the summer--speak outs, press conferences, marches, rallies and leafletting the orientation for new students. That brings us to the beginning of this school year. The Provost was still hell-bent on his job description. He told the Commission he would be moving forward with the search process using his job description. In protest to this power play, the Commission decided to not be part of the search process, which raised a lot of hell on campus. They could not ethically take part in a racist search process that was plagued with arrogance, racism and ill-intentions. This past month, the Provost disbanded the Commission, the only legitimate access to resources the ALANA students had. In its place, the Provost created an "Advisory Board" that consisted of administrators and students. But the ALANA students were *specifically* left out of this Advisory Board. Instead, the Provost included the 99% white Student Government Association. Meanwhile, the new Vice-President for Student Affairs appointed a new Director at the Office of Multicultural Affairs. The ALANA students had NO input on this decision and the decision was made soley by the VP and an assistant. The person they hired as no experience in this arena and was clearly hired because he is black. The new Director comes in and basically says "I am in charge. I am the Director. I can do anything I want to. We are going to build bridges and I will control these radical activists." Not a good move. To make matters worse, he has totally abused his all Black female staff. He constantly uses sexist remarks, jokes and statments. The students, in a meeting, told the VP for student affairs they highly recommend the current Academic Support Coordinator, Lufuno Tshikororo as the new Director. They trust her, she has been around for the last year, has a clear anti-racism analysis and her doctorate. Instead, hired someone else with no doctorate, never stepped foot in the office before and someone the students never met. A clear power play. Two weeks ago, the university sponsored a recruiting weekend trip for prospective ALANA students. During this weekend the new VP for student affairs told them, in response to questions from the high school students, that there were not acts of racial violence on campus. He painted a picture of "there are some struggles, and it can be difficult at times, but all in all, ALANA students have a positive experience." When the current ALANA students heard about this, they told the real story. In February of 1995, 5 Black women recieved 3 racial death threats in a matter of two weeks. The university administration did nothing until the OMA staff demanded more security and so forth. In fact, the university police were questioning ALANA students as far as their investigation went. Total incompetence. When the Black women received the racial death threats, the university administration and the university police (fully operating police force, sanctioned by the state of Vermont) did *not* notify the FBI, even though they are mandated by Federal Law to do so. It wasn't until Chavez contacted them (FBI) did they send someone out. This was after the third death threat. Univeristy police claimed they did contact the Feds, but when Chavez talked to them, they told him that was the first they ever heard of this case. There was a dinner where all the prospective students, current ALANA students and the Administration were in the same room. One of the prospective students asked the same question again regarding racial violence and it was directed to the Administrators. He said "what you tell us is very differnt from what the students tell us. You didn't tell us about the death threats." This put the VP on the spot and everything he said was rebutted by the ALANA students. They completely discredited him in front of the prospective students--with only the truth. After all this happened, the VP threatened the ALANA students with putting them through the university judicial process for some undisclosed reason. In essence, the past 6 months have seen: * The ALANA students' leader, Chavez, taken out * Their only access to legitimate resources disbanded and replaced with an "Advisory Board" that has a terrible track record with the students (These are the same administrators the students told to leave the building when they took it over in 91) * Their only office on campus be infiltrated and prostituted. * Threats of judicial backlash for speaking out * Administrators totally discrediting the ALANA students, marginalizing them and choosing a Director of their office in spite of their recommendations. * The ALANA students feel they have no alternatives at this point to resist the white supremacy and racism that is abusing them. * A strong sister, Shontae (who was one of the 5 Black women to receive the death threats) goes on hunger strike. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The interview excerpted below was conducted with TJ Whitaker, who was among the leadership of a building takeover at U VT a few years back. WE MUST TEACH OUR CHILDREN THE TRUTH!!! You were involved in a building takeover at the University of Vermont before you graduated from that college to demand a multi- cultural curriculum there. Can you talk a bit about the action you took and what motivated you to take this action? In 1987, there was a student takeover that resulted from a history of half stepping of the college administration after it had promised certain courses. Out of that action came what was known as the Waterman agreement. That agreement said that by 1991, there would be a specific number of multi-cultural courses relating to specific ethnic groups, a specific number of faculty of color who would be tenured, a specific number of students of color who would be enrolled, and that practices relating to minority recruitment and retention would be implemented. By the spring of 1991, as I was finishing up my senior year there, none of these promises had been kept. At the beginning of my senior year, in the fall of 1990, we began negotiations with the new college president, George Davis to try to get the university to keep its promises. After a year of meetings, committees, task forces, being blatantly lied to and put through a series of bureaucratic maneuvers, we decided that the university was marginalizing our demands for justice and for a true education. In January of this year, there was a supposed agreement between the students and the university president that was to be signed by the president on January 15, Martin Luther King's Birthday as a show of solidarity, a show of peace, and of the university's commitment. Davis reneged on the agreement and refused to sign the agreement. >From that point on, our relationship with the administration continued to worsen. In April, it was clear that the administration was not listening to us and we had to get there attention. Then we decided to take over the building. =============================================================== MESSAGES OF SUPPORT Posted nattyreb@ix.netcom.com Sat Dec 2 10:28:19 1995 From: nattyreb@ix.netcom.com (Marpessa Kupendua ) Subject: Re: Hunger Strike At U VT! Oh my God! Bob! This was a TREMENDOUS and terribly important post! After reading this heartbreaking message and what Bro. L'mani was recently detailing in his post, I wonder how many of us are willing to give this sister support and guidance through this enormous undertaking. I am feeling more and more outraged over the non- support those of us who are not on campuses give to student activists since we KNOW that these campuses are oftentimes where most people get their first taste of P.E., and I include myself in the number of those who could be doing a WHOLE lot more to support these young warriors! It is absolutely ridiculous that we don't afford more of our time and energy to making sure they LIVE to graduate, purely based on their activism! This sister has told the world that she is dying as a result of her campus activism. She has eloquently outlined her defeat and what prompted it. I am personally willing to dedicate whatever time and energy I can to insure that her actions have not been in vain and that she not only LIVES until May but GRADUATES from this school intact. Bob, I forwarded this to Can-R and Tank and hopefully we can get something going on this sister's behalf, at the very least DEMAND she receive national publicity behind her incredible ordeal! Will others who are interested in becoming involved and/or have more information get with me and/or Bob so we can strategize around this? Sis. ================================================================= Posted nattyreb@ix.netcom.com Tue Dec 5 09:49:20 1995 From: nattyreb@ix.netcom.com (Marpessa Kupendua ) Subject: YOUNG SIS. HUNGER STRIKES @ RACIST UNIVERSITY!!!! There is an urgent situation taking place at the University of Vermont that we ALL need to be aware of. Many of our brothers and sisters in these institutions face all manner of racial aberrations and we on the "outside" do little to offer them support. THIS MUST CHANGE. This young sister has been on a hunger strike to protest racist policies at UVM since December 1. PLEASE READ all of the information. At the time of this posting the only action step that I have not been made aware of is to send messages of support to uvmtoday@elk.uvm.edu. --------------------------------------------------------------- SUPPORT: An open letter to Thomas Salmon, Board of Trustees and the UVM Community: The GRADUATE STUDENT COALITION FOR RACIAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY/ UVM ALUMNI are in support of Shontae Praileau's highly moral decision to hunger-strike, as a protest of the University of Vermont's virulent institutionalized white supremacy. In mid August, our Coalition of UVM Alumni and Graduate Students formed in response to the clearly unprofessional and racist conduct of the UVM administration towards ALANA people. Our organization, which is comprised of graduate students throughout the U.S. and concerned UVM Alumni, is well informed of the history and present crisis of UVM in dealing with racism [white supremacy.] Needless to say, our constituency is neither impressed nor pleased with the "track record," and current course of the UVM administration. It is for this reason that our Coalition has adopted a policy of "nonsupport" for UVM (our alma mater for many of us) which entails refusing any contributions to, or support of UVM infrastructure [recruitment, donations, conventions, scholarly work, events, etc...] "Nonsupport" will continue to grow until UVM retracts from its policies of dictating to the community "how" and "when" UVM will address dismantling its racism. The recent disbanding of the Commission on Racial Justice by Bob Lowe/ Thomas Salmon is an apt example of why our Coalition refuses to contribute economic or human resources to an institution which perverts the meaning and significance of racism, and refuses to give into serious change. Our Coalition has suggested significant and practical solutions to President Salmon as a means to reinstate our faith and support in UVM; those suggestions have obviously fallen on deaf and frightened ears. Our Coalition is actively expanding its campaign to inform higher education students, faculty, UVM Alumni, and prospective students of the nature of UVM's backwardsness, particularly in light of Ms. Praileua's courageous resistance towards white supremacy in UVM. We are currnetly networking with interested parties in Washington D.C., Los Angeles and Hawai'i to spread the word on UVM's continued resistance to fighting white supremacy on its campus [the word from other campuses around the nation is that UVM takes the cake in ineptness.] Our purpose is to inform as many as will listen [Boston Globe, Chronicle of Higher Education... ,] gain the growing support of UVM Alumni and those in higher education, and to be in accord with those at UVM who are active in dismantling white supremacy. Soon, concerned parties are going to be asking UVM from every direction, "what will you do to ensure the welfare of Ms. Pralieau and other women like her!?" We fully expect the answer NOT to be a persecution of Ms. Pralieau or others like her, but a sincere effort by UVM to humble itself to its tasks and the actions of knowledgable and committed anti-racists. Until this happens, UVM will, in the eyes of a candid world, continue in its steady progress to the bottom of educational institutions; tradition will not sustain UVM in the arena of competitive higher education. G.S.C./ UVM Alumni Representatives: Eric Toshiyuki Takayama, Class of 1993; UHawai'i Graduate History Rafael Mares, Class of 1994; Harvard Law School Daren Rikio Mooko, Class of 1995; Ball State University D. Hayes, UHawai'i Graduate American Studies A.H. Hartle, UHawai'i Graduate American Studies --------------- People can send messages of support to the university discussion listserv at: uvmtoday@elk.uvm.edu. ------------ THE FOLLOWING ARE EXCERPTS OF MESSAGES SENT TO UVM PATRONIZATION BY UVM ADMINISTRATOR: "Maneshkona, we commend you for your strength of commitment and your willingness to sacrifice yourself for your beliefs. However, I hope you will not throw away your college degree (or God forbid your life) in the twilight of your senior year. I can't see how you will be able to continue your studies without nourishment. By taking a stand here you may be reducing your effectiveness in the future as you seek to "change the world" without the college degree that is the passport to many of the jobs that have the greatest influence. I sincerely hope you listen carefully to your close friends and family who understand you and seek what is in your best interests. The rest of us send our thoughts and prayers." ------------ SUPPORT IS COMING THROUGH: "... all of us should be thinking about her everytime we put a piece of food in our mouths. In response to the many white people who have asked me (another white person), "What can I do?" -- I am putting below a few quotes from a book called Uprooting Racism by Paul Kivel. Please read carefully. And, I would urge everyone who has a copy of the diary to re-read it...print it out and share it with your co-workers, family, friends. One of my co-workers brought a copy home to her 13 year old daughter. Her daughter and her two friends decided to support Shontae in spirit by foregoing their lunch the next day. A small act with a powerful message." ----------- "I read your post about the hunger strike and what the administration has done with horror. I live in the South and it's hard to imagine that the "enlightened" Northeast would have these problems. Obviously, you can't trust the university police, so you'll have to call the FBI yourselves." --------------- "I am writing to express support for Maneshkona/Shontae Praileau, her fellow ALANA students and their supporters, for everyone involved in current efforts to eradicate white supremacist policies at the University of Vermont. The university's failure to address the ALANA students' needs and concerns is extremely disheartening; its apparent disregard of death threats leveled against some of the students is shocking. Having learned of Maneshkona's hunger strike and the history behind it from a posting to an Internet discussion list, I'll be forwarding the info. to all other lists on which I participate." ------------ "I will give you support in Prayers for Shontae Prailau, it is the best I can do. I will make Prayers in "Seven"day incriments, the Sacred number of my People the Tsa la'gi. I will Pray that she is given an inner strength to win her battle, and that she will keep both feet planted on the Mother and on the good Red Path. I will Pray that she is watched over by the Creator Yowa. I will Pray that we all come together as One in support of what she is doing." ----------- "I bring you greetings from the Frontline Network, publishers of six newspapers that process liberation information with readership numbering well over 100,000 that encompasses Amerikkka, the Caribbean, Africa and throughout the diaspora. We commend you for your strong stance in the face of the vicious onslaught you and the ALANA students face daily at that institution, particularly at this critical time. There are many of us all over the world who are now aware of your hunger strike due to your tremendously moving diary, and are also now aware of the history of the racist practices and neocolonialist tactics being used by the powers that be at UVM. We who struggle for justice outside of the UVM institution have been enlightened and invigorated by your courageous action to be much more watchful, vigilant and aware of the battles fought by our future generations in these glorified kkkamps. We will not stand idly by while the ALANA students are stripped of their rights to self-determination. We are willing and very able to bring national and international pressure to bear upon the purveyors of the historic oppression of our people at the University of Vermont, recognizing that many of these actions are being carried out in Wilson Goode fashion via black-on-black subjugation and manipulation. We are with you! The world is watching. Solidarity, Struggle, Love, and Respect, Sis. Marpessa Kupendua Frontline Network/News Service International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal" ------ Submitted by: Sis. Marpessa WILL WE LET THIS SISTER DIE FOR HER BELIEFS? SEND YOUR MESSAGE OF SUPPORT NOW! =================================================== solidarity fast Over forty students are fasting for 24 hours today in solidarity with Shontae Praileau, the 8th day of her hunger strike, and the long history of struggle for racial justice at UVM. Over 50 supporters -- primarily white allies -- marched in silence this morning to the President's wing to deliver canned goods...'food for thought' for the administration that some can continue eating while others starve in the fight to end racism. The undersigned are some of the people fasting in solidarity with Shontae today: Claire Tebbs / Atlantis Russ / Suzanne Lips / Jen Hecker / Tom Young / Betsy Keteltas / Gabriel Wishik / Shannon Williams Jon Akland / Jeffrey Nelson / Amy Quinn / Gwen Sheinfeld Cathy Lubow / Paula Palatella / Simeon Darele Chapin David Zuckerman / Marc Estrin / Anna Myers-Parrelli Susan Bradley Valz / Will Miller / Emily P. Shelling Renee LaRue / Antonio Fortin / Janet Redman / Tara Wood Anna Buckley / Brigette Knight / Sunni Rucker (Witenberg College) Emily Murray / Amy Bray / Peter Bassett / Greg Czarnecki Nathan Brubaker / Kai Forlei / Scott Muggleton / Wessley Price Jen Cirillo / Jill Adams / Elizabeth Keim (San Francisco) Kim Knowlton / Catherine Friedman / Kristen Meyer and others. . . ============================================================== >I >****************************** >In becoming forcibly and essentially aware of my mortality, and of what I >wished and wanted for my life, however short it might be, priorities and >omissions become strongly etched in a merciless light, and what I most >regretted were my silences. Of what had I ever been afraid? > To question or to speak as I believed could have meant pain, or death. But we all hurt in so many different ways, all of the time, and pain will either change or end. Death, on the other hand, is the final silence. I was going to die, if not sooner than later, whether or not I had ever spoken myself. My silences had not protected me. Your silence will not >protect you. What are the words you do not yet have? What do you need to say? What are the tyrannies you swallow day by day and attempt to make your own, until you will sicken and die of them, still in silence? > In the cause of silence, each of us draws the face of her own fear -- fear of contempt, of censure, or some judgment, or recognition, of challenge, of annihilation. _Sister Outsider_ Audre Lorde ====================================================== =========END FORWARDED MESSAGE========= "Only when lions have Historians will hunters cease being heroes." African Proverb UMOJA, Still in the struggle Rodney D. Coates Director of Black World Studies Associate Professor of Sociology Miami University Oxford, Ohio - 45056 PH: 513-5291235