The Black Emergency Response Team has officially ended its three-day sit-in and hunger strike, saying they have reached an agreement with the administration and that most of its demands will be met.
In a statement from BERT co-directors Miles Francisco and Jamelia Reed, most of BERT’s “demands will be represented within the University strategic plan.”
“The Black Emergency Response Team began its sit-in of Evans Hall and hunger strike at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, February 26th, with the sentiment that we are fed up,” the statement read. “Fed up as Black students who have withstood racist incidents after racist incidents. We were ready for action. And we took it.”
After interim OU President Joseph Harroz put out a statement yesterday saying he would not meet BERT’s main demand — the resignation of OU Provost Kyle Harper — they created a new list of demands that will “ensure some accountability and checks on the Office of the Provost to bring about equity.”
According to the statement, two of the demands are “under the scope” of Harroz, which include creating a student advisory council to the provost’s office and “regularizing a 360 review process for senior executive leadership reporting to the office of president,” which will start with Harper.
OU's administration also committed to the establishment of a feasibility committee for a multicultural center, equity training for faculty and a course on diversity, according to the statement.
In the statement, BERT leaders said they are proud of the work that has been done, and they thanked Dean of Students David Surratt, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Belinda Higgs Hyppolite and interim OU President Joseph Harroz for working with them and listening to their demands.
“This is a win for us,” Francisco and Reed said in the statement. “This is a win for the people. But these are wins that we must continuously fight for. We must consistently put pressure on the administration to make it clear that we will not stay silent as long as marginalized students, staff, and faculty continue to be treated as less than human.”
According to the statement, Harroz has also agreed to meet with BERT every two weeks about the demands to hold the administration accountable.
The statement also encouraged students to attend the Board of Regents meetings from March 10–11, as BERT has a meeting set with the board during the session to present the ideas they discussed with the administration.
“Due to the legality, the fact of the matter is that the ball is in the court of the Board of Regents now,” the statement read. “Several open meetings will be held. We urge the entire community to be present, so they recognize the strength in our numbers. They will answer the question of whether they value the lives, bodies, and voices of marginalized people at the University of Oklahoma.”
Francisco and Reed emphasized in the statement that although the sit-in and hunger strike are over, “the fight continues.”
“This place does not run without us students, know that, understand that, and brighter days will come,” the statement read. “The Black Emergency Response Team will continue to work collectively with our communities, who are the reason why we do this work.”
BERT leadership said in the statement they are inspired and thankful for the support the sit-in has received across the OU community and nationally.
“Faculty, staff, and students occupied this building for the past three days and refused their bodies of the fundamental physical necessities to achieve a bigger goal,” Francisco and Reed said in the statement. “Together we sat and slept on hard floors until a change was made. Understand this impact is much bigger than what you think. We have made changes of a lifetime.”
To see BERT’s leaders read this statement in Evans Hall at the end of the sit-in, click here.
