After students and alumni confronted dog-walkers for using the Yard as a park for their canines, Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick banned residents from using the central lawn as a dog park.
Frederick sent an email on Friday, siding with the Howard faithful to combat the rising issue of dog-walkers and pet droppings on campus, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
As Blavity previously reported, mostly white residents living in the vicinity of the historic Black college have used the lawn to walk their pets, go on picnics, sunbathe and exercise. When asked not to, one man told the students to deal with it or "move the campus."
The president said the historic 152-year-old school isn't going anywhere.
The dog-walking was just the tip of the iceberg for some. Students feel there is a general lack of respect and reverence for the school among gentrifying D.C. residents.
“We recognize that service animals are a necessary aspect of modern-day life and we will accommodate them as needed,” Frederick wrote in the email. “We appreciate pet owners respecting our campus by not bringing pets onto the private areas.” He said he wants to see the campus “remain pristine and symbolic of all that Howard University represents.”
Concerned students and alumni took to Twitter expressing their concerns with the #HowardWontMove hashtag.
So Howard’s a private college but the gentrifying locals want to claim the Yard and every other speck of D.C.’s greenery as a part of their community? This winter, was it a community problem when Howard needed hot water on campus so students could resume classes? #HowardWontMove
pic.twitter.com/VT6fxawwGc— Caitlín???????? (@CaitlinBreshay) April 21, 2019
Historically, Howard was & remains one of the few safe spaces for black people in our nation’s capital and WE refuse to have that compromised by colonizers + dogs ????????♂️ #HowardWontMove
— Cinqué (@taylorveli_) April 19, 2019
#HowardWontMove | What’s unfortunate about the journalism work of local DC outlets is that, somehow, a story that is really about culture and respect has become about dog walking.
— Jaylin Paschal (@creativelbrtn) April 19, 2019
As a way to address and educate Howard's neighbors, Frederick has reached out to the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission and the councilwoman representing the area in hopes to make faculty and students' grievances heard.
The university described as a sacred place hosts various community events, parades, etc. The Yard plays a part in graduation ceremonies and serves as a symbol of the school's rich history.
“Howard is a private institution nestled in the heart of an urban city and we’ve shared a long-standing positive relationship with our evolving community for more than 150 years, which we look forward to continuing in the future, ” he said.
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