When Reverend Jonathan Weaver arrived at WashU as a first-year in 1968, there were 27 Black students in his class. Just a few months after he moved in, Weaver helped organize a sit-in to protest an incident of police violence toward a Black student that led to meaningful changes on campus that are still in effect today, including the creation of the African and African American Studies Department. 

At 6 p.m. this evening, WashU alumni Rev. Jonathan Weaver will be addressing an audience at Graham Chapel to talk about his role in organizing a sit-in at Brookings Quadrangle in 1968 where students protested against racism. 

Join Multimedia Producer Zoe Gibbs for the pilot episode of Inside WashU, a podcast uncovering the interesting people, places, and stories that shape WashU. In this episode, dive into the story behind WUPD’s mental health dogs, Brookie and Bear, and hear Gibbs reflect on the relationship between WUPD and Black students on campus. Whether you’re interested in campus life or looking to learn something new, Inside WashU is here to satisfy your curiosity! You can listen to episodes of Inside WashU on Spotify or Apple Music.  

This February, the Association of Black Students (ABS) has a lineup of events centered around education and elevating Black students at WashU. From a Super Bowl watch party to a panel with Black law professionals, sophomore and ABS President Spencer Snipe hopes to engage the whole WashU community this month. 

As a coalition of affinity groups representing Black, Latine, and Asian students at WashU, we are deeply disappointed by the substantial decline in students of color enrolling at WashU.

Instead of taking what happened in BD and the campus response as a way to further divide ourselves, we should take it to consider where we get our information, how we want our campus spaces treated, and how we engage with all members of this community in the future.

Though many people at the moment saw the event as another example of harmless frat-boy rowdiness, to me, the event was yet another manifestation of the power imbalance between dining workers and WashU students.

The Association of Black Students (ABS) published a list of grievances and demands for WashU’s administration over winter break in a series of Instagram posts titled “Enough is Enough.” 

The group criticized the administration’s response to a number of events in recent years that have affected students of color.

A coalition of student groups advocating for the University to use disaggregated demographic data hosted a town hall prior to releasing a survey about different student identities.

Four years ago, Student Life published “Invisible on Campus,” a five-part series focusing on the fight for Black undergraduate representation and inclusion at Washington University, both historically and in the present day.