By — Kenya Downs Kenya Downs Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/twitter-chat-demanding-change-on-college-campuses Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Twitter chat: Demanding change on college campuses Education May 10, 2016 2:16 PM EDT In fall 2015, racial tensions at the University of Missouri sparked a firestorm of student protests at universities across the country. These protests reached a fever pitch in November, when students at Princeton occupied the president’s office and two top Mizzou administrators resigned. But months later, what has changed at these schools? What do activists feel was achieved? What are the lessons learned? And what’s next for those who became the faces of campus protests across the country? NewsHours hosted a Twitter chat discussing campus activism and the growing political and social engagement of college students across the country. The chat was part of our special, month-long series on higher education. We were joined by leaders of these student movements and others who discussed how universities can better address student concerns and institute systemic change. Our guests included student activists Asanni York (@TodaysAsanniDay) of Princeton University and Erendira Calderon (@et_calderon) of the University of Chicago. Also joining was Dr. Shaun Harper (@DrShaunHarper), executive director at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education, and Tom Hayden (@TomEHayden), former California state senator and founder of the Peace and Justice Resource Center. As the leader of Vietnam-era campus protests with the Students for a Democratic Society, Hayden offers firsthand knowledge on how students can use the experience of social engagement in college to propel them into leadership positions in the working world. As part of the annual survey of incoming freshman, the Higher Education Research Institute found that 33 percent of college freshman expect to participate in student protests or demonstrations, and 40 percent believe that being a community leader matters. The infographic above shows a breakdown on where college students fall on their desire for engagement and support for various issues. Take a look at the recap of our chat below. [View the story “Twitter Chat: College Activism” on Storify] We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Kenya Downs Kenya Downs Kenya Downs is the digital reporter and producer for PBS NewsHour’s Race Matters and education verticals, creating multimedia content for online and television centered on issues of race and social justice, including exploring the intersection of identity and culture with education reform and policy. Kenya also contributes content related to the Caribbean region for NewsHour's international coverage. She’s previously worked with National Public Radio, Al-Jazeera Media Network and CBS News. Kenya is a graduate of both Howard University and American University and is based in Washington, D.C. @LiveFromKenya
In fall 2015, racial tensions at the University of Missouri sparked a firestorm of student protests at universities across the country. These protests reached a fever pitch in November, when students at Princeton occupied the president’s office and two top Mizzou administrators resigned. But months later, what has changed at these schools? What do activists feel was achieved? What are the lessons learned? And what’s next for those who became the faces of campus protests across the country? NewsHours hosted a Twitter chat discussing campus activism and the growing political and social engagement of college students across the country. The chat was part of our special, month-long series on higher education. We were joined by leaders of these student movements and others who discussed how universities can better address student concerns and institute systemic change. Our guests included student activists Asanni York (@TodaysAsanniDay) of Princeton University and Erendira Calderon (@et_calderon) of the University of Chicago. Also joining was Dr. Shaun Harper (@DrShaunHarper), executive director at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education, and Tom Hayden (@TomEHayden), former California state senator and founder of the Peace and Justice Resource Center. As the leader of Vietnam-era campus protests with the Students for a Democratic Society, Hayden offers firsthand knowledge on how students can use the experience of social engagement in college to propel them into leadership positions in the working world. As part of the annual survey of incoming freshman, the Higher Education Research Institute found that 33 percent of college freshman expect to participate in student protests or demonstrations, and 40 percent believe that being a community leader matters. The infographic above shows a breakdown on where college students fall on their desire for engagement and support for various issues. Take a look at the recap of our chat below. [View the story “Twitter Chat: College Activism” on Storify] We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now