2015-2016 Stanford University protests

2015-2016 Stanford University protests were a series of demonstrations and sit-ins led by the Black Student Union and other student groups, including the Stanford NAACP and Stanford University Chicano/Latino Student Organization of Stanford, at Stanford University in California. The protests were sparked by concerns over diversity and inclusion on campus, as well as the university's handling of sexual assault cases, which drew comparisons to similar issues at University of California, Berkeley and University of California, Los Angeles. The protests were influenced by the Black Lives Matter movement and the Ferguson unrest, with students drawing inspiration from the work of Angela Davis and Cornel West. The movement also drew support from faculty members, including Stanford Law School professor Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar.

● Background

The 2015-2016 Stanford University protests were part of a larger national conversation about race and ethnicity on college campuses, with similar protests taking place at Yale University, University of Missouri, and Harvard University. The protests were also influenced by the Civil Rights Movement and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, with students seeking to address issues of systemic racism and institutional bias at Stanford University. The university's Faculty Senate and Board of Trustees were also involved in the discussions, with members such as John Hennessy and Condoleezza Rice playing key roles. The protests drew attention from local and national media outlets, including the San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Times, and NPR, with commentators such as Sarah Kendzior and Glenn Greenwald weighing in on the issues.

● Timeline of events

The protests began in November 2015, with a rally organized by the Black Student Union and other student groups, including the Stanford Asian American Student Union and Stanford Queer Student Resources. The rally was attended by hundreds of students, including members of the Stanford University Marching Band and the Stanford University Dance Team, and featured speeches from students and faculty members, including Stanford University President John Hennessy and Stanford Law School professor Lawrence Lessig. The protests continued throughout the 2015-2016 academic year, with students occupying the Stanford University President's office and staging sit-ins at the Stanford University Library and the Stanford Memorial Church. The protests drew support from other universities, including University of California, Santa Cruz and San Jose State University, with students from these universities attending rallies and events at Stanford University.

● Demands and grievances

The students involved in the protests presented a list of demands to the university administration, including increased diversity and inclusion efforts, improved handling of sexual assault cases, and more support for underrepresented students, such as those from low-income backgrounds and first-generation college students. The demands were influenced by the work of bell hooks and Michelle Alexander, and drew comparisons to similar demands made by students at Columbia University and New York University. The students also called for the university to address issues of systemic racism and institutional bias, and to provide more support for student organizations, such as the Stanford African Students Association and the Stanford Latin American Student Organization. The protests drew attention to the work of Stanford University faculty members, including Shelby Steele and Thomas Sowell, who have written about issues of race and ethnicity.

● Response from university administration

The university administration, including Stanford University President John Hennessy and Stanford University Provost John Etchemendy, responded to the protests by meeting with student leaders and agreeing to implement some of the demands, such as increasing diversity and inclusion efforts and improving support for underrepresented students. The administration also established a Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion, which included faculty members such as Stanford Law School professor Deborah Rhode and Stanford University School of Medicine professor Lloyd Minor. The task force was charged with developing recommendations for improving diversity and inclusion on campus, and drew on the work of Stanford University researchers, including Claude Steele and Jennifer Eberhardt. The administration's response was influenced by the work of Derrick Bell and Richard Delgado, and drew comparisons to the responses of other universities, including University of Michigan and University of Texas at Austin.

● Impact and aftermath

The 2015-2016 Stanford University protests had a significant impact on the university and the wider community, with the university implementing a number of changes aimed at improving diversity and inclusion and addressing issues of systemic racism and institutional bias. The protests also drew attention to the work of Stanford University faculty members, including Stanford Law School professor Pamela Karlan and Stanford University School of Education professor Linda Darling-Hammond, who have written about issues of education and social justice. The protests were seen as part of a larger national conversation about race and ethnicity on college campuses, and drew comparisons to similar protests at University of Chicago and Northwestern University. The movement also drew support from local and national organizations, including the NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union, with leaders such as Cornell William Brooks and Anthony Romero weighing in on the issues. Category:Protests in the United States