Kresge College claims "to create opportunities for personal growth and strengthening communities, to foster creative and critical thinking about the world we live in, to cultivate good citizenship, and to facilitate stewardship of a just and sustainable society." ( straight from the Kresge College website). However, there is a significant and obvious lack of diversity, power, and representation that community building requires at the college. 

As an RA for Kresge for over two years, I have seen and heard firsthand how students of color, especially black students, are isolated and ignored by their peers and the university. The anti-blackness at UCSC is only growing, and it is up to us to make those with power listen. Kresge requires their freshman to take the core class entitled "Power and Representation," and the dining hall for Porter and Kresge has a mural of Angela Davis. It is deeply harmful and ironic to claim to fight for "power and representation" and promote an image of "social justice" using notable black icons, yet not actually provide support for black students. 

Recently, a Native student floor was added at Porter. If they can make space for another marginalized community, there is no reason why they cannot do the same for our ABC students. There are currently 12 floors at the Kresge dorms, and the themes are as follows: 2 LGBTQIA+, 2 EcoVillage, 2 Gaming, 1 Writer's House, 2 Single Gender Female, and 3 with no theme. 

I am petitioning that Kresge College and PKRG housing change the first unthemed floor to be ABC housing. The second unthemed floor should be a general BIPOC floor to help other marginalized communities in the face of priority housing being abolished. 

Please sign the petition and share with anyone you know. 

I will be sending a more detailed letter of demands to PKRG Housing and connecting with ABCSS, so please contact me if you would like to aid in that process. Thank you!