Minneapolis, MN – More than 200 students gathered at the University of Minnesota (UMN), Nov. 12, to show solidarity with student protesters at the University of Missouri. The rally, organized by the UMN Black Student Union, consisted of speakers representing a number of different student and community groups, including Whose Diversity?, Students for Justice in Palestine, and APIs for Equity and Diversity.

Students at the University of Missouri began protesting earlier this month after administrators there failed to adequately respond to a number of racist incidents on campus. The protests at Missouri succeeded when both the president and the chancellor of the University of Missouri resigned on Nov. 9.

“The racist incidents at the University of Missouri are not isolated. They're part of a much larger system of national oppression. It's good to see students here at UMN not only showing solidarity with students in Missouri, but also calling out the racism that exists on this campus,” said Manu Berduc of UMN Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

The rally organizers put forth a list of demands, including hiring more faculty of color, mandatory ethnic studies courses for all majors and increased recruiting from working-class neighborhoods of color.

Whose Diversity?, occupied the University of Minnesota president's office in February pushing for similar demands.

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