Transcripts For KCSM Democracy Now 20151110

Walker who organized racism lives here demonstrations at the university, stephanie shonekan, chair of the department of black studies, and dave zirin, sportswriter for the nation. Then we go to Yale University, or nearly 1000 students protested yesterday around racerelated incidents. Then to egypt. No account ability for the mubarak killings, the transitional role that followed him or killing of protesters under morsi himself during the brotherhood rule. With the military back in power in the judiciary almost completely in support of the new militarybacked government, the hopes for credibility for those unnecessary deaths are even dimmer. Amy egyptian journalist and activist hossan bahgat freed just this morning after being detained in a cairo prison for his coverage of the military. We will speak with lina attalah of the news website mada masr and democracy now correspondent sharif kudos, both in cairo. All of that and more coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. University of missouri president tim wolfe has resigned after mass protests over his handling of racism on campus. For weeks, africanamerican students staged demonstrations over what they called a lax response to racial slurs and vandalism. Graduate student Jonathan Butler went on Hunger Strike last week. In a key moment saturday, africanamerican Football Players joined the protest, vowing to boycott games and other Team Activities until the president resigned. Faculty members staged a walkout, and the missouri students association, representing 27,000 undergraduates, called for wolfes resignation. He announced his departure at a News Conference. I ask everybody, the students, the faculty, the staff, to my friends everybody, use the resignation to heal and to Start Talking again, to make the changes necessary and lets focus on changing what we can change today and in the future. Amy the university of missouri columbia campus chancellor bowen loftin also stepped down. Protest at the University Comes as a similar dynamic lays out at one of the nations Top Ivy League schools. On monday, more than 1000 heldnts at Yale University a march over racial insensitivity on campus. We will have more after headlines with the student and professor at the university of missouri, Nation Columnist dave zirin, and the president of yale s black student alliance. Fast food workers are walking off the job in a record 270 cities today in what organizers call the largest action of its kind to date. One year ahead of the 2016 president ial elections, the workers are ramping up their call for a 15 an hour minimum wage and union rights. Protests by lowwage workers, including home care aides and child care workers, are expected in 500 cities today. Nearly 1000 youth activists converged in washington, d. C. , monday, shutting down parts of the city to demand action on climate change, Racial Justice and immigration. , under the banner our generation, our choice, the protest brought together activists groups from the environmental, immigrant rights and black lives matter , movements. Became as the World Meteorological organization said Greenhouse Gas levels in the atmosphere reached a record high last year. Talks aimed at reaching a Global Climate deal open in paris november 30. Democracy now will travel to paris to cover the full two weeks of the talks. Following the defeat of the Keystone Xl Oil pipeline, environmentalists are continuing to oppose other oil and Gas Pipelines across the country. Here in new york, nine people were arrested when protesters blocked the entrance to a wareyard in montrose to protest spectra energys plans to expand its pipeline. The protesters say the aim pipeline would run within 100 feet of the Indian Point Nuclear plant and expose local communities to toxic emissions. In egypt, a leading journalist and human rights activist has been released following his controversial detention this weekend. Hossam bahgat was detained after publishing a report on the secret convictions of 26 military officers accused of plotting a coup against the government of egyptian president sisi. His detention sparked international condemnation. We will go to cairo for more on his case later in the broadcast. President obama has promised a full investigation after a Jordanian Police officer killed two american contractors, two jordanians and a South African , at a u. S. Funded Police Training center near amman. The gunman was killed in a shootout. Four people, including two americans, were wounded. The slain americans were reportedly contractors with the military firm dyncorp, who were working for the state department on a program to train Palestinian Security forces. Obama denounced the shooting monday. The fact that someone dressed in military uniform carried out an attack at a Training Facility in which it appears there may have been two or three u. S. Citizens killed, and a number of other individuals injured. Obviously, a full investigation isakin p. We takthis very seriously and we will be working closely with the jordanians to determine exactly what happened. Amy the United Nations has warned the east african nation of burundi is on the verge of catastrophe amid fears of a potential genocide. The violence erupted earlier this year when the president announced what many say was an unconstitutional bid for a third time, winning reelection in july. The ensuing violence has killed at least 240 people andor than 200,000 have fled the country. Parliament members in the spains catalonia region have voted in favor of independence, approving a plan that would see them secede within 18 months. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy vowed to oppose the measure in court, saying catalonia is not going anywhere. Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto has agreed to a debate on marijuana after the Mexican Supreme Court paved the way for legalization. In a rebuke of the u. S. Backed war on drugs, the court ruled last week that four people who wanted to grow marijuana for personal use could do so. On monday, president pena nieto said he was open to a debate. For me, it would not be desirable, nor mi in favor of the eventual legalization of marijuana consumption, but our personal conviction does not keep me from opening up debate, a debate which scientifically and was solid arguments could allow us to arrive at another position. Amy drugrelated violence has killed well over 100,000 people in mexico since the war on drugs began under president Felipe Calderon in 2006 president obamas executive actions on immigration have suffered another setback in court. The 5th Circuit Court of appeals upheld an earlier injunction blocking the plan to protect up to five Million People from deportation. The challenge was brought by states with republican governors who oppose programs to protect parents of u. S. Citizens and undocumented people who were brought here as children. The Administration May appeal to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has accepted another challenge to the obama administrations initiative to require Birth Control coverage in Employee Health plans. Already, employers who object to providing Birth Control on religious grounds can claim an exemption, shifting the burden to insurers and the federal government. All they have to do is notify the government of their beliefs, generally by filling out a short form. But some groups say even that step violates their beliefs. The Supreme Court will consider several cases brought by groups including the Roman Catholic archdiocese of washington and the Little Sisters of the poor, which runs homes for the elderly. A federal Appeals Court has ruled louisiana can continue to imprison angola 3 member Albert Woodfox and proceed with plans to try him a third time for a murder after his two previous convictions for the crime were overturned. Woodfox has spent more than 40 years in solitary confinement. He was convicted of the 1972 murder of a prison guard, a crime for which he and late fell angola 3 member Herman Wallace say they were framed for their political activism. The slain guards widow is among those who have called for woodfoxs release. Herman wallace was released in and died of liver cancer three october 2013 days later. Woodfox remains in prison. And today marks the 20th anniversary of the execution of nigerian activist ken sarowiwa. He led the movement against shells oil practices in the ogoni region. Oil pipelines crisscross ogoni land and gas flares the size of apartment buildings lit up the night sky. Polluting the air. Despite Widespread International protests he was hanged after a , sham trial along with eight other ogoni rights activists. The anniversary of ken sarowiwas death comes as Amnesty International says areas of the niger delta remain heavily polluted by oil spills, years after shell claims to have cleaned them up. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. A revolt by africanamerican students at the university of missouri has forced two top officials to resign. On monday, president tim wolfe said he is quitting and columbia campus chancellor bowen loftin announced he will be stepping down by the end of the year in the face of protests over their handling of racism on campus. Africanamerican students have staged weeks of demonstrations against what they called a lax response to bigotry and vandalism. For a week, an africanamerican graduate student, Jonathan Butler, staged a Hunger Strike that he said would only end with wolfes resignation. Students set up a campus encampment in support of butlers action. Theyve dubbed themselves concerned student 1950 a reference to the year the schools first black student enrolled. The administration is also facing opposition from graduate students who fought to win back their health coverage, and activist who denounced the move to sever ties with planned parenthood under republican pressure. A turning point came on saturday when africanamerican players on the university of missouris Football Team joined the protest. In a tweet quoting dr. Martin luther king, jr. , the players wrote the athletes of color on the university of missouri Football Team truly believe injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. they announced they will no longer take part in any football activities until wolfe resigned or was removed due to his negligence toward marginalized students experience. The coach and Athletic Department soon came out in support. The pressure on wolfe then snowballed. The following day, members of the concerned Faculty Group at the university of missouri voted to stage a walkout, and the missouri students association, representing 27,000 undergraduates, called on wolfe to resign. On sunday night, wolfe was still defiant, vowing to stay on. But in a shocking turn of events on monday, wolfe held a News Conference to announce his departure. I am resigning as president of the university of missouri system. My motivation in making this decision comes from love. I love mu. Columbia, where i grew up, the state of missouri. I have thought and prayed about this decision. It is the right thing to do. The response to the announcement im sure ranges from joy for some to anger and others, and that is why were here today. So let mes be to why this is so important at this time. Concerneddents, from 1952 are grad students, Football Players and other students, the frustration and real,that i see is clear, and i dont doubt it for a second. I would ask everybody from students to faculty, staff, to my friends everybody, use my resignation to heal and to Start Talking again, to make the. Hanges necessary and lets focus on changing what we can change today and in the future. Amy that was university of missouri president , tim wolfe, announcing his resignation. His mo came just before the schools governing body, the board of curators, was set to discuss his future. The resignation of columbia campus chancellor bowen loftin came just hours later. His departure takes effect in january. He will stay working at the university. Students gathered on campus to celebrate their victory. Activist Jonathan Butler announced his Hunger Strike was over. Addressing supporters, butler wore a tshirt that said i love my blackness and yours. Fact theng on the Hunger Strike itself, look at why we had to get here in the first place and why the struggle and why we had to fight the way we did. At the end of all of this, after all of the letters we have sent in the in person to actions, after all of the forums we have attended, after all between its we have sent, im telling the administration about our pain. It should not have taken this much and it is disgusting and vile we find ourselves in the place we do. With that in mind, i give, one, glory to god for allowing me to. Tand in this moment will sto and two, i want to knowledge this was not i was not alone as these people im standing on the stage with, it was the black community, the black faculty, the other faculty, the people with planned parenthood it was everybody who chose to stand up in this time who made this possible. This is not Jonathan Butler, this is the mizzou committed he for one of the first times ive ever seen stand together united. [applause] amy that was hunger Striking University of missouri graduate student Jonathan Butler, speaking just after the resignation of university of missouri president tim wolfe. For more we are joined by three guests. Dave zirin is a sports columnist for the nation magazine. His latest article is called, 3 lessons from university of missouri president tim wolfes resignation. Danielle walker is a masters student at the Truman School of Public Affairs at university of missouri and creator of the racism lives here movement at mizzou. Stephanie shonekan is the chair of black studies at the university of missouri. She is an associate professor of ethnomusicology and black studies. We welcome you all to democracy now lets begin with danielle. Can you First Respond to the resignation of the university of missouri president tim wolfe as well as your campus chancellor who will leave his chancellorship at the end of the year . Yes, i think its important to highlight how leadership has to be held accountable when tim wolfe says he loves mu, how can you say you loved mu when you students of color suffering so long under your leadership role . It is bittersweet to see all of these changes going on in our university, but this is a long overdue and it is time for new leadership to take over the reins and to assure theyre it is about diversity, inclusion, and a welcoming environment for all students. , can youelle walker take us through what went through on your campus, why you created the racism lives here movement . I think for a lot of people, they heard for the first time what was going on at the university yesterday when the president announced he was resigning. But you have been dealing with this for a very long time. Explain what led to this point. I have been a student at the university of missouri since 2008. My sophomore year, we had an incident where white students sprayed cotton balls over our black Culture Center in our administrations response was they committed littering and vandalism. Not that it was a hate crime. That in action from there on all the way until now has just been building upon itself. And this fall, our student body president was called the nword while calling while walking on campus. It is a must normalized and expected that if youre walking on campus at night time and black, be prepared to be called outragedord and i was and disgusted that once again, the administration, who i had hoped that when our body president was called this, that they would respond more alert to this, and they didnt. Rallynt until i held a amy let me go to payton head, the president of the missouri students association. He recently told the new york times, theres not enough discussion about the history of systemic oppression at the university of missouri. The university of missouri was founded in 1839 as the perfect landgrant institution west of the mississippi river. Untily was in a polished 1865. So we dont talk about that history here at university of missouri. Who built this campus . Who built the library that is celebrating its centennial this year . Mr. Brady, the name of the mu student center, he fought to make sure lgbtq students could not lead on this campus. They would to the Supreme Court. That is why lgbtq students can meet all caps is around the country. That was the name of our student center. That is the systematic oppression im talking about. Amy that is the University Student president. Couldle walker, if you continue with the treatment of africanamerican students on campus that led to this. Once again, all of these incidents seem to be almost a rite of passage for black students, when they enter the university of missouri, that theyre going to be faced with this hostile racial climate, the lack of sensitivity from their professors when theyre trying to have engaging dialogue in classes, when their classmates are invalidating their experiences. I think it is atrocious that all these folks to get to this point in order to truly bring about change, that a student was willing to give their life in order to bring the necessary attention of what we have been experiencing so long at this university. 1950,oncern student articulating this complex history of the university, theyre so many tours on our campus and the history is still being denied him and i think that is why it is import for payton had to shed light on what has been occurring in our campus and why racism, when i say it lives here it lives in our history, embedded in our traditions and legacies, but never any form of acknowledgment of this history and how that continues to perpetuate these acts of hate. Amy can you talk about one of the latest incidents of a swastika . Again, i was deeply disturbed that the only way i was able to find out that this incident occurred on my campus was through twitter. And that someone tweeted about it. There was still information from officials on our campers campus or administration the released information. When the tweet happened, it was only a few days past the event. Amy and what actually happened . In regard to the administration . Amy the swastika. This was a swastika that was smeared in feces on a dorm wall . Yes. Amy do you know who did it . No. They said investigation is ongoing. Just like a lot of responses we get. Amy so now tell us once again, communication amy tell us about Jonathan Butler and what he decided to do almost two weeks ago. Im not too sure what person led Jonathan Butler to his decision. I found out just like the majority of campus, two weeks ago on monday morning, that he was embarking on this Hunger Strike. I was definitely concerned about his safety and his health, but understanding there are many toferent approaches in order bring about positive change on our campus. And it is going to take a lot of different angles, a lot of different strategies in order to truly bring change upon the university of missouri. I can tell you everything you need to know about the climate here that it took measures such as willing to give your life in order to truly try to bring about positive change in our campus because, you know, tim wolfe is saying this is the time for listening no, we have been talking for a while. Usre is no need to ask for just for you all to listen more. We have been talking. Before i was even at this campus, black students have been talking. It is time for you to take action. You are in positions of power and were holding your account will because when you say you are for the students, we are the students. Jonathan butler and barked in his Hunger Strike, once again showing the dedication and of what is occurring on our campus for those who are truly committed to social justice. Amy can you talk about the Football Team . What the Football Team did this weekend . Team wask the football a strategic and will need a blow to first open what has been simmering on the table for a while. I think it is important to show dozens of solidarity. Understand, there is power within the Football Team. The fact that students will receive an imo from our provost discussing the Football Game last thursday and how professors should let their classes out early or people at work should get off early in order to accommodate for Football Team, but we cant discuss issues of racism or hostility or hate happening on our campus. The Football Team was well needed because that is definitely a focal point in a position of power on our campus because of financial and economic reasons. Amy professor stephanie shonekan, youre the head of black studies at the university of missouri. Can you talk about how the faculty fit into the story . At the last minute, it was faculty walkout, the student strike, Jonathan Butler hunger striking, the university of missouri black players on the Football Team saying they would no longer play football. Talk about the teachers role, the professors role, and how long you have been there. Abouti have been here for 4. 5 years. I noticed as soon as i arrived detention on this campus. Of course, because i teach in black studies, i get to teach students who experience all of the things that daniel has just talked about. So i knew all of this. I know that most of my colleagues did not know, such as colleagues who are not black, did not know this was happening or if they knew, it wasnt a priority. So when this all started becoming more urgent, i, and a number of my black colleagues, began to Pay Attention and try to draw attention to the students movement. I dont want any faculty to take any credit for what has just happened. This was completely designed, implemented, and sustained by different student groups within the black student population. Ed fromy all coordinat a group last year that called themselves wage peace, a group called mu for mike brown. Danielles movement that really ramped everything up this semester and then we have the concerned student 1950 group. To be honest, the faculty did not come on board until it was really, really urgent. It is interesting that faculty did come on board for graduate students, and that was a very Quick Response on the faculty. But what bothered me just a little bit was that we did not have the same groundswell from the faculty for our students of color who were drawing attention to these incidents. However, once they did start paying attention, in the last week or so, and of course, elevating during this last weekend, they did come through. The faculty got together, decided first of all, the black faculty decided they would publicly come out and support our black students. And then other faculty also joined and decided there would be a walkout on monday and tuesday morning. And so this, i think, indicated to our students that the faculty was on board another faculty would support anything that the students needed to institute proper and complete change on our campus. We also, as faculty, are thinking about the things that we do best. The things that we do our that we research, we teach, and we provide service for this campus. And so as we study our mission at the university of missouri, our mission is to teach, educate, research to make our world a better place. What our students have done is really model for us what we should be doing. All hopefully, were faculty, not just the black faculty, but all of our faculty are seeing this as a moment to create change within our classroom so that our black students dont feel marginalized in our classrooms. That when theres a classroom that is premed, that a professor should think about, ok, what does the text say about dermatology and skin color . And how can we talk about that in a conference of way that includes black students . And this should be done across our curriculum most of so our ways toare working on effect change in the curriculum so that all of our students, those who think that it is a good idea to draw a swastika in wall thatrm student or that group of students needs training. That Student Needs to understand what that hatred reallyand i spk that danielle losses because this, the level will also speak to this, the level of hatred and the reactions that were getting from this Movement Just really signifies the critical nature of the change that is needed. And when the president talks about accountability, we want earnest account ability. We want accountability that really comes with action, that you dont turn away from our students when they are really trying to get your attention about these issues. Before we ended the segment, though i would like you to stay on as we talk about the significance of the Football Teams action, i want to ask danielle, the sort of mantra has gone around, this is not a moment, this is a movement. Im wondering, are the students and professors going to be involved with the choosing of the next president of the university of missouri now that tim wolfe has resigned as well as the campus chancellor . And what are your other goals . I mean, it would be amazing collaboration to occur, for us to be able to provide input. Currently right now at the university, the chancellor staff is predominately white. This is presenting a great opportunity to desire some fine the staff diversify the staff in key positions. This is not just a moment, this is a movement. There is still plenty of work that needs to be done at the university. There are plenty of other people that need to be held accountable. I think another step in the right direction is instituting in establishing a hate crime policy of the university of missouri. So speaking on the students or students who did the swastika, and setting that tone that these acts are not tolerated at our university. Then understanding what will happen to you if you choose to violate our core values, which is responsibility, excellence. You cannot respect your fellow tiger if youre drawing hate crime symbols in fecal matter on a dorm room. Those are tactics to scare and a fear and it is rooted in hate. Once again, there are still plenty of work that needs to be done at the university. And this movement will continue. It is still strong. We have garnered the right amount of attention for support. There are plenty different avenues. Is thephanie shonekan only black Department Chair at our university. Once again, the demands lifted by concerned student 1950 of how the lack of representation is also a key problem in the events that are occurring on our campus. So to make our classrooms more inclusive so i dont have to feel uncomfortable being the only black person in the classroom. And how can we reach a higher percentage of africanamerican students on our cap is because it is currently around 6 or 7 . These are still key goals. Once again, that needs to be established in our university. So there are plenty of things that still need to be done. Once again, it does start from the topdown. With this new leadership and hopefully, a leadership of color, can start moving us in the right direction of becoming a more safe and inclusive environment. Amy were going to take a break. Were talking to Danielle Walker, a master student at the Truman School of Public Affairs at the university of missouri, thetive just created movement. And stephanie shonekan. We come back, dave zirin will join them. 1000rday about th students marched at yale. We will speak with one of the student leaders. Stay with us. [music break] amy hard times, by baby huey. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Durgin News Conference on monday, university of missouri for all coach gary pinkel said supporting his players decision to go on strike with her was the right thing to do and he would do it again. My players called to come in they were going to go over on campus that day and asked me of was ok to do that. In my players, those guys are good leaders. They want to get more involved with the campus. I think that is positive. I think that is a positive environment cap i got a call later that night by jonathan. The guys were very, very emotional. They were very, very concerned with his life. It that time they were discussing with me what they plan on doing this weekend. We went back and forth. I kept asking, is that the writing to do . Should you wait . Im talking to guys who are crying. They asked me if i would support them. I said i would. I did not look at consequences. It wasnt about that at the time. It was about helping my players and supporting my players when they needed me. I did the right thing and a we do it again. Amy dave zirin, sports columnist for the nation magazine, his latest article is 3 lessons from university of , missouri president tim wolfes resignation. He is the host of edge of sports podcast. Can you talk about the significance of what is called university of missouri mizzou Football Team, the africanamerican players coming out over racism in the country and refusing to play football until the president resigned . Was massive. Icance first and foremost, it struck an economic blow at tim wolfes chance of keeping his job. If the team had forfeited its game this weekend against byu from the school would have had to write a check for one lane dollars, more than top twice what tim wolfe makes any year. The second part of the significance, immediately it blew up the story on a National Level beyond which the Hunger Strike, beyond which the protest could have possibly imagined. For example, the subject of the Football Players going on strike has been walltowall coverage on yesterday in. You have masses of people who read the sports page, but dont necessarily read the front page or who click on sports twitter and not necessarily the mainstream news are all of the sudden reading about the story come all of a sudden learning about what is happening at missouri. I will tell you something, this is not just a chicken coming home to roost, it is a golden goose coming home to restore tim wolfe. It has been his decision in order to put the Football Team front and center, to say that he was going to cut health care for grad students and teachers while at the same time investing 72 million into the football stadium. It has been his administrations decision to even do things like not pursue Sexual Assault charges against people on the Football Team way back in 2009 that led to the suicide of a swimmer on campus, which was one of the things that Jonathan Martin talked about when he talked about the climate on campus, not just about racism, but also gender violence and lgbtq writes and utter marginalization of the students. The rest were talking about social powerful stuff the number of africanamerican students at Missouri University of a roughly 7 , the number of africanamerican Football Players were talking about 69 . So here they are at the fulcrum of the political, economic, social, and psychological life of campus, but none of those billiondollar gears move at all if they choose not to play. Amy how much is the coach paid at the university of missouri . Great question. That is a great question. The coach makes over 4 million he or. In other words, im not great at math, but he makes roughly 100 times what tim wolfe makes. It reminded me from a story a few years back when the School President gordon gee was talking about his own coach and asked if you would fire jim tressel and gordon gee said, i just hope he doesnt fire me. In one respect, this is a case in some ways of gary pinkel firing gimbal but we have to realize that gary pinkel doesnt stand with his players and lets his players stand up. His players dont stand up without the students standing up. So the base of everything we have seen happened has to do with Remarkable Movement building done on the ground by students, by black students essentially, at Missouri University. Amy i think kerry can go makes about eight times what tim wolfe made. I want to go back for a minute to Danielle Walker talking about what it meant for the africanamerican members of the Football Team, and overall the Football Team with the white coat, supporting your actions, basically, as founder of racism lives here, supporting Jonathan Butler on his Hunger Strike. Completely just flabbergasted that the Football Players come the black Football Players were taking this initiative. I understand that student athletes, Football Players, live a very different life on college in college versus traditional students who are not athletes. So i recognized the significance of their support and how this can really actually generate the muchneeded momentum to really accomplish a lot of the demands that once again students even before i was here were asking for. Once again, who showing the solidarity and how this was, you know, reaching all areas of our campus that people were really starting faculty, staff, student athletes were starting to understand the issues that are happening on our campus. More important, understanding their stakeholders and never rolled a plane this movement as well. I do appreciate that they finally recognized and understood from their position what power and influence is they have and taking that initiative and how they definitely led to the events that unfolded yesterday. Amy dave zirin, how unusual is it for a college Football Team to take this stand . Again, started with the africanamerican players, but then the full team with the white coaches supported them. That is a great question. I think the root of that question is sometimes people who care about the rise of college athletes, particularly revenueproducing sports, particularly black athletes who represent the heart of football and basketball, mens sports, we often talk about them in terms of their powerlessness and not their power to ask a stop the gears of this billion dollar industry. Sought in the late 1960s and early 1970s, often called the revolt of the black athlete, were you players as goals like syracuse, for example, say they would not play unless the head coach they said was racist stepped down. Or at the university of washington where players refused to take the field unless a statement against the war in vietnam was read over the pr system. That actually happened. In recent years, as the College Football system has become such a multimillion dollar leviathan, youve also seen athletes begin to get more rest of and say, wait a minute, what about us . What about our rights . You sought at Northwestern University as players try to organize a union, at grambling where players said their working conditions, the weight room was unsafe and they would not play unless they were able to have a safe working space. But this is above and beyond that. This is the first time you have seen a living, breathing connection between a foot all team and a campus movement. I think it lays a handbook for campus activists around the country, particularly at these big state schools, to say, lets talk to be athletes and not see them as living in a separate space. Lets try to connect with them. Lets hear the grievances and see if theyre willing to hear hours as well. Amy z, thank you for being with us, sports columnist for the nation magazine. We willing to your article 3 , lessons from university of missouri president tim wolfes resignation. Also author of the book brazils dance with the devil , the world cup, the olympics, and the fight for democracy. To yaleve on right now at theity, the protest university of missouri come as a similar dynamic plays out at one of the nations Top Ivy League schools. On monday, hundreds of students at Yale University in connecticut held a march over racial insensitivity on campus. The march of resilience comes after several incidents where students of color said they faced discrimination. One woman of color was reportedly denied entry to a Fraternity Party because she is not white, and a faculty member drew criticism after rejecting calls for students to avoid racially insensitive costumes on halloween. Mondays crowd of over 1000 chanted slogans including, we are unstoppable, another yale is possible. For more on the protests, we are joined by lex barlowe, African American studies major at Yale University and the president of the black student alliance. We welcome you back to democracy now can you talk about what is concerning students at yale . Absolutely. Thank you so much. As you said, there had been incidences this past week, we can i have that have really been very blatant and obvious about the ways in which the Yale Community is not welcoming or hospitable or even save for students of color, and particular women of color on campus. The thing that happened at the Fraternity Party and the way in which administrators are undercutting each other by first, administrators sending out i mean, saying, please, do not be culturally inappropriate for halloween and another saying it is fine, maybe should just look away someone is doing something that is completely disrespectful to you culture andire tradition. These are things that are very public right now that have happened and never really brought to a head the ways in which more broadly and systemically yale is just not safe for people of color. We have been talking amy i want to go to thursday win hundreds of students confronted nicholas christakis, the master of one of the colleges residential dorms, over the email his wife sent, in which she condoned offensive Halloween Costumes. The moral of the story is, she wasnt im just saying, are you going can i finish . Are you going to address the heart of the comment . Are you going to give an apology . Are you going to than go to the were notgths making judgment we just want an acknowledgment and weve yet to get that. My question is, are you going to say that or not . Leave if youre not going to say that. Amy students confronting the master of one of the colleges residential dorms at yale. Lex, if you could expunge a letter that his wife sent out about Halloween Costumes . Absolutely. Council, aal affairs body of various administrators at yale sent out an email a couple of days before saying, please do not be culturally inappropriate for halloween, respect other peoples traditions, do not wear anything that is not of your own culture. Polite,imple and pretty to be honest. A couple of days after that, the associate master class wife sent out an email to the residence of a Residential College basically saying, none of that matters, do whatever you want. The university is trying to control you, china tell you what to do. If you want to be culturally inappropriate, it is ok if you like it, do whatever. Students were outraged. It was basically an outright come you know, completely ignoring the students in her college and also at the university who find these issues to be not just, you know, discomforting and upsetting, but really deeply harmful and actually creating space for violence to happen on campus. In particular, the advice she gave was to either look away or to engage in dialogue with someone who might be wearing something culturally appropriate it. One student did try to engage with people. They were harassed. They were mocked. They were physically intimidated. It really did create a completely unsafe atmosphere on campus. Amy and then what happened this week and with the confrontation of hundreds of africanamerican students on campus who are questioning the first africanamerican dean, dean holly, who used to be the master of one of the residents him even the word master has come up as a question of why the heads of these residences, dorms, are called masters . Absolutely. We actually had a forum the night before were students were airing grievances, students were crying, people were telling her stories about the ways in which these events just pointed to not beingsues of yale a safe and welcoming and parma for students of colors. We came out across campus to talk, to write affirmations, to draw pictures come to sort of be with each other and dean. Olloway came out he had not attended the form the night before. Up until this point, which was honest a week after these incidents as had happened, there was no acknowledgment from the administration whatsoever that any of this had happened, not even an email. Students began demanding, wheres our email . Why have you not acknowledged this . And particular because when past events of hate crimes, to be honest, have happened in the past, dean holloway has it out a response within under 24 hours. Immediately addressing it. Students were furious, especially the black community, as dean heller is the first black teen of yale college, expecting him to be more accountable to us. We were across campus for hours and hours right before the confrontation happened and people were telling him their experiences, expressing the disappointment and their pain for hours, again, and public, you know, women crying in front of him, black men saying, you were my role model and now you have lost that respect. Was moreally it than anything, just sad and very painful. Amy lex, i want to ask about last nights march of resilience. Was it also inspired by or fueled by what happened at the university of missouri . And in his 30 seconds, if you can say what our what do you want to see happen now . Absolutely. The march was actually planned we found it right before us the march was are ready in the works, and about to be planned, the president of the university of missouri stepped down. So that was incredibly inspiring and inciting and gave a ton of energy to the march. The march for us was really about reclaiming our right to community and illustrating the beauty and resilience that we have for each other and with each other. At this point, it was not as much about what happened at the fraternity or the email sent out, but about these broader issues on campus. And so we have specific demands of the administration, which more sensitivity trainings, things that are related to the with which faculty get hired, next of these departments being underfunded, faculty of color being were working on fleshing those out for an more but really celebrate the women of color who have been leading this and leading organizing on campus and were most deeply affected. Amy lex barlowe, thank you for joining us African American , studies major at Yale University and the president of the black student alliance. When we come back, we go to cairo, egypt. [music break] amy marcel khalife, passport. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. We turn now to egypt, where a leading journalist and human rights activist has been released following his controversial arrest this weekend. Hossam bahgat was detained after publishing a report on the secret convictions of 26 military officers accused of plotting a coup against the government of president abdel fattah elsisi. Bahgat was interrogated for hours on charges of publishing false news harmful to national security. According to lawyers, he was offered a deal never write about egypts armed forces again and he could walk free. He refused. On monday, officials announced they would hold him for four days. But after an outcry in egypt and around the world, bahgat was set free earlier today. For more we go to Sharif Abdel Kouddous and egypt. Can you talk about both the detention of Hossam Bahgat and his release just a little while ago today . News caused a great amount of joy here in egypt when he was released. But at the same time, his arrest is yet another instance of state intimidation against journalists in a crackdown against press freedoms in general. Hossam bahgat is very well known in egypt and internationally. Forounded the egyptian personal rights, egypts probably leading human rights groups. A couple of years ago, he turned to investigate of journalism and quickly established himself as arguably the premier investigative journalist both locally and internationally in egypt and penned a series of exposes, painstakingly researched and very well written , and very well reported. And the latest one was looking at the secret military trial of 26 Army Officers who were convicted of plotting a coup in coordination with the muslim brotherhood. He got a hold of the indictment sheet. He spoke to relatives of the officers. No one had reported on this except for a very brief piece in bbc and he really delved into it was investigated allegations of torture. Following this, after his arrest him he was summoned to military intelligence and was questioned for hours and hours, some of it without lawyers were allowed to make a phone call, about this one article. He was then held for about a day and a half. No one knew where he was. He was held at military intelligence and was only released this morning. This is really an excellent reporter. OfHossam Bahgat is guilty publishing false news, that makes every journalist in egypt adamned liar and we are all guilty with him. I want to turn to comets emit on the show in october 2013 suggesting u. S. And other countries should suspend aid to egypt. Talks in egypt especially after the massacres, our position was there should be investigations, there should be an independent factfinding and accountability and until that takes place mentally government also accepts responsibility for these killings, there should be a suspension of the provision of any arms or tools of repression for many country in the world, not just talking about the u. S. Military assistance. Ofany resumption of the sale weapons or tools of repression to the Egyptian Government must be conditioned on accepting the retraining and provision of new tools, but the business should not continue just as usual when it comes to egypt. Amy that was Hossam Bahgat democracy now on democracy now two years ago. Sharif, as we wrap up, where you left off. What message this sends to you and to other journalist, to egyptian society, yes, Hossam Bahgat has been released, but he was also held and that is a strong message. He was held and has been intimidated. We dont know yet if you will be facing military trial. And we have to remember, there are many other journalist that are in prison. Three have been sentenced to who are at a protest. One has been held for over two years without trial, which is in violation of egypts own penal code. Sisi has become increasingly hostile toward the media. Recently condemning the media for the criticism of the governments lack of response to floods in alexandria, a tv state anger was recently suspended for calling for people to be held accountable. We assume the owner of one of egypts biggest newspapers be arrested on corruption charges. And speculate is because of the newspapers increasing criticism. This is the environment that journalists are operating one of intimidation, of censorship and arbitrary arrest. It is become one of the most dangerous places in the world to work as a journalist, but people like Hossam Bahgat really give us hope because he continues this important work and speaking truth to power. Amy sharif, thank you for being with us, Sharif Abdel Kouddous democracy now correspondent in egypt. Happy birthday, pedro rodriguez. Democracy now is hiring a Development Director to lead our Fundraising Efforts and an onair graphics operator. [captioning made possible by democracy now ] democracy now ] from the editors of fine cooking magazine, we bring you moveable feast with host pete evans. Evans today were on the beautiful grounds of the Culinary Institute of america, one of the finest cooking schools in the world. And our plates are full with three chefs today. Weve got connecticuts pizza master bruno difabio. Dude, your passion is insane. Evans germano minin flies in all the way from santa monica, california. These barrels, theyre calling me. You know, theyre calling my name. Evans and theyre joined by new york citys tim reardon at this, his alma mater. The cia really did make me the chef that i am today. Evans were throwing a party, and youre invited. Great flavors. So tender. Im very excited to eat, yes. These are two of the best pizzas that ive ever made. Evans yep, its a little bite of the mediterranean right here on the hudson, next on a moveable feast withfine cooking magazine