On May 4, the students who had camped out in the HUB-Robeson Center for 10 days dispersed. Their signs and posters came down, the sleeping bags were packed up and the student union center became a much quieter place.
The students' initiatives did not disappear over the summer break. Student leaders remained active, planning how to instill the spring's momentum in the upcoming year. This fall, the group is planning a large-scale rally and weekend of workshops on campus.
After meetings with university administrators during the spring sit-in, displays of solidarity, communal dinners and nondenominational group prayers, the Black Caucus and administrators, in conjunction with the students calling themselves the Village, signed a revised "Plan to Enhance Diversity at Penn State."
The Village grew from dialogue that developed during a planned, university-sponsored "No Hate at Penn State" march. Members of Black Caucus urged students to remain and not march unless administrators met with them. Although some of the throngs of attendees left when the planned march did not occur, others moved to the HUB to speak with administrators, where the sit-in began.
The demonstrators posted signs in the HUB about ending racism and later adopted the name "the Village," referring to themselves as villagers. They organized escort services at night, solicited food donations, set up information tables and created study groups for villagers as finals approached.
After attaining the short-term goal of the revised diversity plan and gaining national media attention, the group decided to leave the student union center at the close of the semester. This was the end of only the first battle in the villagers' crusade for diversity. The Village is remaining active on campus with plans for a rally in September.
"It's a collaboration between Black Caucus and the Village," rally chairperson David Davis said.
"The concept of the rally started sometime during the summer when we went to Michigan. There was a By Any Means Necessary (BAMN), conference."
While Penn State students were at the conference, Reverend Jesse Jackson voiced his support over the telephone for the proposed rally.
The theme behind the rally starts with the words, "Justice! Now more than ever," part of which is taken from the prayer that the villagers spoke in unison every hour during the HUB occupation.
Information on the schedule and plans for the rally, a review of the past racial climate at Penn State and the creation of the Village are linked on the rally Web site (www.geocities.com/psurally). Organizers have invited guest speakers from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and other groups.
According to Davis, Philadelphia poet Sonia Sanchez, NAACP National College/Youth Director Jeff Johnson and Ramona and Pam Africa of the MOVE Organization are confirmed to attend the conference. In addition to speakers, plans include workshops, entertainment, a rally and a march through downtown and campus. Information on the conference encourages visitors from outside the Penn State community to come to State College for the event.
Inviting guests from a variety of areas will match the rally's broad theme of dealing with problems beyond the university itself, Davis said.
"We're speaking universally of all injustices."
