"One, two, three four, we won't take it anymore...five, six, seven, eight, now's the time to compensate...what's outrageuous? Georgia's wages."
With chants of what’s outrageous, Georgia’s wages, and now’s the time to compensate, a group of protestors rallied at Tate Plaza this afternoon.
Students, members of Athens for Everyone, the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement, Economic Justice Coalition and students like Arianna Bun-we took part.
“The court of public opinion has some weight and we showing that we’re not taking racism has no place as an answer, they are sorely mistaken.”
Kira Napolitano is also a UGA student taking part in the march and walk.
“When most of our maintenance staff is black and they are not making a living wage, I mean, something needs to be done,” according to Napolitano. “I feel like as a history major, it’s kind of my job to raise awareness on what’s happening just so that we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past.”
While protests began by addressing the handling of the remains found at Baldwin Hall, Imani Scott-Blackwell, one of the event’s organizers and a speaker, says the list of demands has grown.
“Start with the establishing some sort of task force or office similar to the way the Office of Sustainability was created to address these issues, getting community members and elders involved and engaged in the process, working in collaboration” Scott-Blackwell said.
She says one of the most important changes they’d like to see is in the area of employee compensation.
“Of course raising the wages to a living wage, providing benefits to all employees. Just truly seeing an implementation of structural changes.”
The UGA History Department is hosting a screening of the film ‘Below Baldwin” scheduled for Tuesday at 12:30pm.