50 signatures reached
To: WSSU Chancellor – Dr. Elwood Lee Robinson
FIRE WSSU Associate Professor, Cynthia Jan Villagomez
HBCUs have historically been safe and nurturing institutions for Black students. They have served as an insulated environment where Black students can thrive, grow, and excel. Cynthia Jan Villagomez does not belong in an HBCU or any institution of higher learning. She has chosen to use her race, power, and influence to traumatize a classroom of young, ambitious and promising Black students by having one of them handcuffed and arrested, in her classroom with absolutely no justification. The student Leilla Hammoud now faces the dire prospect of losing her college education and facing criminal charges and a criminal record. This is the antithesis of what is expected at an HBCU. Therefore, Cynthia Jan Villagomez needs to go.
Why is this important?
HBCUs across the United States are known to have a warm and welcoming culture. The campus environment is supportive and provides a voice and platform to allow students to grow into leaders in their fields. Cynthia chose to weaponize the campus police in an environment that would otherwise be insulated from the traumas that Black Americans experience routinely. This space needs to be protected and her actions cannot go unchecked.