The University of North Carolina has turned its back on students, staff, and faculty who have expressed disapproval over the university's decision to spend millions of dollars protecting and preserving Silent Sam, a statue that glorifies and embodies white supremacy. UNC TAs and faculty have outlined the following demands: 

We call on all UNC TAs and faculty to withhold grading final exams or assignments for the fall 2018 semester until the the following demand is met:

1. That the Board of Trustees withdraw the proposal to spend $5.3 million dollars to build a separate “indoor location” to house Silent Sam on UNC’s campus, and to create a 40- person “mobile force” at the tune of $2.2 million per year to further police student protests. We demand, instead, 1) that the statue remain off campus in accordance with expressed student and faculty demands. 2) That the BOG hold listening sessions in good faith with the campus community.

Grades will be released to the university upon meeting the aforementioned demand. Action from UNC TAs and faculty will continue into the following semester(s) until all demands are met:

2. That the Confederate monument never return to campus in any shape or form nor a center to its history be erected.

3. That the BOT disclose the “necessary changes” to campus policing outlined in the appendix of their report published on December 3rd. According to this document, they have already begun implementing these changes without consulting the university community. We demand the BOT withdraw the proposed security escalations, specifically:
The increased use of “intelligence gathering” and “protest management” by UNC Police
The formation of a 40-person “mobile force” of police to deploy in response to protests, costing $2 million per year

4. The allocation of $500,000 in equipment costs for this mobile police force4. That the University withdraw its plan to increase student fees of $65.39 for building maintenance, and instead use the $5.3 million allocated to house Silent Sam, the yearly $800,000 allocated to maintain it, and the yearly $2 million allocated for increased policing to fund clear needs, which the University consistently claims it does not have money for, namely:
The aforementioned building maintenance
Increased wages for graduate and campus workers, the majority of whom make less than a living wage
The abolition of fees for all graduate workers
Dental insurance for graduate workers, and
Reduced parking fees for all workers.

Faculty, undergraduate affiliations, staff, and workers can support us by joining the actions or not punishing us for what actions we take against an immoral and unethical institution. 

For more information on #SilenceSam and the #StrikeDownSam movement, see here: http://silencesam.com/about/ 

GWU Students, staff, and faculty: show your support for #StrikeDownSam organizers and participants by signing this petition.