resolution

1. THE UNIVERSITY PARK UNDERGRADUATE ASSOCIATION
The Pennsylvania State University
16th Assembly
2021 - 2022 Session
Resolution #18-16
December 1st
, 2021
Be it decided by the Assembly of Student Representatives,
having been brought to the floor by a vote of two-thirds (2/3rds),
a
RESOLUTION
In Support of the 2001 Village Protest Recognition Plaque(s)
Nature of the Situation:
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In late 2000s, then Black Caucus president, Lakeisha Wolf, received a hand-written letter
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consisting racial slurs and death threats. In addition, the letter said that there would be a black
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male body found in Mount Nittany. Days later, a black male body was found in the woods. Wolf
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was put under 24/7 security and the University began doing head counts of the Black students.
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The University stated that the FBI would be involved to figure out who did this, but no one was
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caught. In fact, it is known that the University tried to cover up the murder. The Pennsylvania
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Attorney General at the time said the body had no correlation to the University even though the
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letter indeed states that there would be a black male body found in the woods. Furthermore,
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Lakeisha Wolf went on CNN and stated that seven (7) Penn State football players had openingly
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addressed that they have also received death threats. Later, the Vice President of Student Affairs
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at the time, Bill Asbury, was interviewed by the same CNN anchor and he said neither he nor the
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University knew about this.
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April 21st, 2001 was the Blue and White Game at Penn State. Black Caucus thought it would be
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a great idea if they could go on the field and have a non-violent protest. They were denied, but
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were still persistent. During half-time, students rushed to the 50-yd line, sat down and prayed
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together. Immediately, security began arresting people. In total, 26 Penn State students were
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arrested on that day. As the students were getting released, they found out the University police
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gave out a press release about a march called “No Hate at Penn State.” The police planned the
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2. march that morning, yet the Black community has been fighting for a march for about six (6)
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months.
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The No Hate at Penn State march took place on April 24, 2001. At 3:30PM, the members of
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Black Caucus spoke to students on the steps of Old Main. They expressed their seriousness for
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change, wanting a better curriculum for Black history and African American studies, and hiring
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diverse faculty. At 4:00PM then president, Graham Spanier, arrived and he said “we are gathered
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here today to say that there is no hate at Penn State… Racism is a terrible [part] of society [and]
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we have it here at Penn State just as we have it everywhere else around the country.” He backed
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away from the microphone and another administrator, a black man named Mr. Clark began to
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speak. The crowd became outraged due to the fact that he was reading his lines, and was not
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genuine about the cause. LaKeisha took the microphone from him and started to talk to President
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Spanier, asking him to speak with her. He stayed silent and backed away. Students stated that it
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“showed lack of commitment, lack of humanity.”
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Immediately after the march, Black Caucus officially demanded the following: more African
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American scholarships, more African American faculty, and an endowment for the Office of
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Educational Equity. This began the Village Protest, a sit-in inside of the Hetzel Student Union,
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now known as the HUB-Robeson Center. Black Caucus were going to stay inside the HUB until
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their needs were met because the president was not willing to sign them right away.
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The Village Protest lasted for 10 days. The University committed $900,000 in funding the Paul
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Robeson Cultural Center (PRCC) over the next five (5) and had 10 full-time faculty members in
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the African and African-American Studies department by Fall 2003 along with giving more
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scholarships and developing an African American Research Institute.
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Every year, the Penn State Student Black Caucus holds Now More Than Ever Week in late April
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to pay tribute to the Village and its participants. In April of 2021, the twentieth anniversary was
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celebrated with some of the original students involved in the Village Protest. What happened in
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2001 has and forever will be a part of them and along with other past and present Black Caucus
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members advocate for better equality and treatment of students of color at the Pennsylvania State
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University.
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Recommended Course of Action:
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The University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA), hereby charges the Committee on
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Justice and Equity to initialize the Village Protest Plaque(s) campaign, expressing the UPUA’s
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support for commemorating the actions taken place in 2001.
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The UPUA recognizes the impact that the Village Protest had and continues to have on the
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student body of color in forms that include, but are not limited to, enrichment of campus culture,
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3. student advocacy and anti-racist rhetoric. The UPUA praises the efforts from the Black Caucus
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for continuing to tell the history of the Village through “Now More Than Ever” week.
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Furthermore, the UPUA commits itself to continuing advocacy directed towards minority
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communities and anti-racism on the University Park campus of the Pennsylvania State
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University.
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The Department of Public Relations is hereby charged with disseminating this information
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through all appropriate channels, while further collaborating with the Justice and Equity
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Committee on a case-by-case basis involving the creation of graphics related to future advocacy
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followed by the UPUA in relation to this topic.
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4. Special Acknowledgments to the 2001 Village Protest Alumni and the 2021-2022 Black Caucus
Executive Board.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeanelle Loiseau
Black Caucus Representative
Aarathi Kallur
APIDA Caucus Representative
Chair of Justice and Equity
Steven Zhang
At-large Representative
Giani Clarke
First-Year Representative
Carter Gangl
At-large Representative
Giselle Concepcion
At-large Representative
Megan Neely
College of Art and Architecture
Representative
Ryan Loscalzo
Lion PRIDE Representative

5. Committee Vote: N/A
Assembly Vote: Unanimous Consent
Speaker of the Assembly ________________________________________________
President of the Student Body ________________________________________________
The University Park Undergraduate Association