By Randi Locke
In a country that is hell-bent on profiting off African Americans suffering: Historically Black Colleges and Universities are known for being a haven for black scholars. Institutions such as Spelman and North Carolina A&T are household names in the Black community. Though the larger institutions are widely known, smaller ones are known to create great black minds. One of which is Bennett College. Founded in a basement church in Warnersville in 1873, Bennett College is one of two HBCUs that is also a women’s college. Though less widely known than their sister Spelman, Bennett has a rich history. From laying the groundwork for sit-ins in Greensboro to being one of the first colleges to have Dr. Martin Luther King as a speaker, Bennett College is known for producing brilliant and passionate women. Unfortunately, in the past few years, Bennett has been known for their financial troubles and lack of health care as of April 4th. These same women came to Bennett to learn in a safe environment. Instead, they were forced to jeopardize their academic future to ensure incoming students get the mental health care they deserve.
At the beginning of February, Bennett College fired the head of the counseling services. Leaving behind two interns from North Carolina A&T. The students were promised that by April 1st, they would have virtual assistance to fill the void. Leaving the student body for two months without mental health services and answers. When April first arrived, the students found that the promises made still needed to be met. Forcing the student body to have no choice but to protest. Starting on April fourth, students on campus did not attend class and have taken residence in the school’s main building. The students came up with a list of demands for the president. The demands were as stated: 1. In Person Counseling (virtual counseling can be included but will not be the only source of counseling) 2. Accessibility service staffing 3.Direct communication regarding changes on campus 4. All faculty and staff must receive mental health services and crisis management training. Some could argue that protesting this close to exam week is risky. But for the students not having mental health services, the school set the students up for failure.
Current Miss Bennett College Ja’Nylah Jones stated, “Within the two months we have been without mental health services, issues students face have increased in both number and severity.”. Students must either try to ignore the issue or work through it blindly. Despite this, these women have not lost hope. Current SGA president Zakyah Jones Walker remarked that “The girls are very passionate about the issue. We also have the support of local Alumni to help with our cause. Those of us in leadership roles try to keep the rest of the student body up to date”. Student leaders ensure that communication between them and the rest of the student body is open. Miss Senior Kyresha Bowman stated: “The students respect transparency above all else. The protest could have easily been avoided if the school had been honest about what has been happening.”. To quell the protest, Bennett Colleges President Suzzane Walsh addressed the student body’s demands on Wednesday, March 5th, at 4 pm. She has so far offered the short-term solution of two counselors that would be in from 10-3. This counteroffer contradicted the student’s demands for having accessible mental health access due to the majority of the classes being from either 9-12 or 2-5. Walsh also stated that the on-campus security would be trained in mental health crises, eventually including a virtual service offering 24/7 services. Although there is a shortage of mental health professionals throughout the country, Walsh used that as an excuse not to meet the student’s needs. She stated that the counselors she offered the students are the most they can offer now. In response to this, the students ratified the list of demands. One of which was adding that communication between administration and students must be consistent starting after the meeting. This also would include quarterly updates from President Walsh’s office. The two parties finally agreed on Saturday when President Walsh met all the demands. While Bennetts’s student body celebrates its victory, I cannot help but marvel at its determination.
Despite what these women went through, one thing has been made clear. They did this because they love Bennett. These students could have gone to class and transferred. Instead, they decided that they wanted to fight for the students, both past and future. Whether that is the administration opening up communication between students and faculty or continuing to receive support from the surrounding alumna, the protest set a precedent to hold staff accountable and future students. As an alumna of Bennett College, I feel proud knowing that the current and prospective students will continue to stand for what is right.
