The students who authored the petition, Brenah Johnson and Nia Robertson, told Fox News that “NYU is a predominantly white institution, making it very difficult for Black students to connect or find community, especially when incidents involving racism occur.” They said their proposal was “not about exclusion, but rather creating a space where Black students can feel included.”
But despite what the students said, the petition—which was signed by 1,000 people—inarguably uses the language of exclusion. It specifies that the housing must include “floors completely comprised of Black-identifying students with Black Resident Assistants.” If a proposal requires that certain floors only include back students, then it is a proposal for racially segregated housing.
