A UC Santa Barbara doctoral student announced her hunger strike from March 8 to March 17 in an email to UC Santa Barbara administration, Associated Students and other members of the campus community.
Department of Education doctoral student Charlene Macharia listed several demands to administration on March 9 in the wake of the suspension of the MultiCultural Center following anti-Zionist and pro-Palestinian signage posted at the Center and subsequent protest of the suspension. She said her strike will not end until all demands are met.
“I AM ON STRIKE – I WILL NOT CONSUME ANYTHING BUT WATER UNTIL YOU LISTEN AND FULFILL THESE DEMANDS, UNTIL WE WIN,” the email read.
Macharia sent the email to an extensive list of campus community members and the UC system at large, including Chancellor Henry T. Yang, the UC Regents office and members, A.S. boards, committees and commissions, campus activist organizations, Educational Opportunity Program entities, the Office of Black Student Development and various professors.
Macharia clarified that she announced her strike on its second day to avoid potential attempts at negotiations from the University.
Macharia listed 10 demands for the University to fulfill, including seven demands presented at the Department of Black Studies’ teach-in held on March 7. The teach-in was part of the department’s call for a “day of interruption” in response to the temporary suspension of the MultiCultural Center (MCC).
Their demands to the University include the following: call for a ceasefire in Gaza; denounce the ongoing crises in Congo, Sudan and Haiti; re-open the MCC and create a taskforce on intersectional racial justice; oppose UC policies that allegedly censor departmental websites and other communication; hire faculty who specialize in defending academic freedom and students who have been doxxed or harassed.
“And to our comrade organizers, LISTEN TO BLACK PEOPLE, DEFEND BLACK PEOPLE, LOVE BLACK PEOPLE. THANK YOU,” the seven demands concluded in the email.
Macharia added three demands she created herself in addition to demands presented by the Department of Black Studies. She called for the University to divest from investments in weapons manufacturing companies profiting off of the crisis in Gaza, citing a Nexus editorial calling for such divestment; divest from the Thirty Meter Telescope; and rename North Hall to Malcolm X Hall.
Macharia claimed that the University responded to her email announcement by offering mental health services and resources — a gesture that she claimed was “questioning [her] sanity.”
“OF COURSE I AM NOT OKAY WITH THIS SYSTEM and you shouldn’t be either. YOU ARE NOT FIT TO LEAD AND HOLD POWER IN THIS INSTITUTION IF YOU DO NOT CARE ABOUT ALL THE STUDENTS THAT YOU CLAIM TO BE SERVING,” the email read.
The email also denounced the University’s actions in light of campus climate as being “an enforcer of this hate-based system.”
“The issue is that you stay reacting to the symptoms, covering them up with bandages, without treating the roots and hence the disease continues and worsens and you still don’t pay attention to it (since you have more important things to do) until its next eruption,” the email read.
“Thus in loyalty to the system that feeds you and crowns you, you are actually an enforcer of this hate-based system rather than being a committed agent in your alleged mission of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and poster Principles of Community,” the email continued.
Macharia said she will continue her professional duties as a teaching assistant at UCSB through her strike.
“I am not here to punish my students,” the email read. “I am here to show you that you are the ones who are punishing us, by the decisions you are making, and by your silence and inaction.”
She also clarified the strike is not a suicide attempt.
“This is NOT a suicide attempt. I LOVE LIFE which is why I am fighting for all our lives. If anything, this would be a HOMICIDE attempt, and you are the “homies” that are being held responsible,” the email read.
Macharia urged the University to “do the right thing” and ensure her demands are being met.
“And in conclusion, please don’t do “your jobs” – Now is the time to DO THE RIGHT THING. Actually serve us all. Heed the call: FREE US ALL!…For this cause (ONE LOVE at the UC and US) I hunger, and if not taken seriously, I will certainly thirst,” the email read.
“I’m not here to play games with you so please don’t play games with my life,” the email continued.
The Nexus will continue to report on this topic as more information becomes available.
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Filed under makes no difference and doesnt matter.
Her demands are ridiculous. She should not be able to be a TA. There is NO way she can be non-biased.
fasting for a week is not really risking much.
Communist nonsense. Boot her out
Will that be all madame?
Cool that she is making a statement against the arbitrary suppression of free speech by an administration addicted to money from arms dealers and Zionist millionaires. You can’t hide the criminal abetting and aid to genocide. History will judge and tribunals will call out those who are complicit with Netanyahu’s butchery. No one cares what these troll boys write here, they are pathetic losers with nothing better to do than heckle a BIPOC woman with more guts in her pinkie than they have in their inadequate excuses. Palestine Will Rise.
Amy YOU are part of the problem. YOU don’t get it. YOU and Machiria are in violation of the things you are claiming others to be. You are not inclusive nor are you multi cultural. Educate yourself.
Wow your sexism and racial bias is showing. You are part of the problem
Wait. She’s been doing this for days and ya’ll are only reporting on it now?
Charlene is sacrificing her physical well-being and available energy level to work on her doctorate because she feels so strongly at the way the racist, Zionist puppet UC regime is exploiting a somewhat indiscrete scribble by two or three undergraduates. They are literally making a mountain out of a molehill (no, you can’t hide when you are an academic politician positioning for a career as a professional victim, circuit-rider and public speaker/whiner.) All BIPOC students and ultimately the entire academic community are harmed by the draconian shutdown of the MCC including programming utterly unrelated to the public crybaby scene that… Read more »
Not eating for a week is barely sacrificing her physical well being. Again showing your bias and sexism. Your self righteousness is embarrassing.
Free the hostages. So very simple.
From Santa Barbara to Ramallah
From LA to London to Rio
We Stand with Charlene!
Free Gaza from Hamas terrorists
Sorry commie, hope you dont loose to much weight or no man will want you