TV Show Incenses Black Students at UCSD
Eleanor Yang Su, San Diego Union-Tribune, February 19, 2010
Students angered by the portrayal of black culture at UC San Diego meet with campus officials early Friday, Feb. 19, 2010.
A student television show last night taking the side of fraternity members who held a party mocking Black History Month has further heightened racial tensions at the University of California San Diego.
About 200 students met with university officials this morning, presenting a six-page list of demands for improved conditions for African-American students.
The demands include free tutoring for black students, a temporary “safe place” on campus where intimidated black students can go, a task force with additional funding for outreach, and an effort to hire more black faculty.
The tensions started Monday, when members of Pi Kappa Alpha and other fraternities held the “Compton Cookout” party, {snip}
{snip} The story reverberated across the state, and was the subject of an angry news conference by legislators in Sacramento yesterday.
Last night, a show on SRTV–or student-run television–took the side of the partygoers and objected to the reaction from black student groups. The show was led by students involved with The Koala, a publication that has been controversial.
{snip}
The controversy has played out on a backdrop of a school that has 2 percent black enrollment, a statistic that African-Americans have advocated for years to increase with little progress. Some have talked about transferring elsewhere in response to the week’s events.
[Editor’s Note: Additional information about the Compton Cookout is available here.]
