Community activists criticized Syracuse University Jan. 23 for its lacking presence in the community, hoping their words will help bridge two worlds: the University Hill and the lower-lying Syracuse communities.

The forum was held in conjunction with the university’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, which featured Ruth Simmons, president of Brown University, as a keynote speaker.

During an open forum, Walter Dixie, the director of Jubilee Homes, recalled the university community’s reaction after four SU students were stabbed outside Sadie’s Place, a bar on the city’s west side, on Oct. 31, 1999.

‘Everybody was shocked, but people were also asking each other, ‘What were they doing off the Hill?” he said before a mix of about 120 students and community members.

The incident, Dixie said, highlights the divide between an apathetic university community and the lower income, more diverse Syracuse neighborhoods.

Dixie spoke on a panel with three other people, including Louis Clark, the former director of Peace Incorporated, Pat Floyd, principal of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet School for elementary students and Linda Hall, the director of the Human Rights Commission for Onondaga County.

Throughout the forum, many people spoke directly to Chancellor Nancy Cantor, who sat in the second row, and challenged her to tackle sensitive issues, such as the delayed tenure of minority faculty members and the narrow focus of SU’s curricula.

‘Maxwell teaches from a Eurocentric perspective,’ said Horace Campbell, professor of African-American studies and political science.

Campbell suggested that Maxwell courses pay more attention to African and Asian countries, and he applauded the African-American Studies department for requiring that students complete an internship in the Syracuse community before graduating.

Zac Moore, a social science doctorate student, criticized the university for its stinginess in rewarding minority professors who publish books or conduct extra research, especially in the sociology and anthropology departments.

‘This university is a half-a-billion-dollar school. But it’s also a half-a-billion-dollar corporation that should be more involved (in its community),’ he said after the forum.

Many people urged Cantor to take actions quickly, cautioning that civil rights activism is easier said than done.

‘We’re all in this together,’ Cantor told the audience. ‘Bear with us, as frustrating as that is, and keep having these conversations, and I assure you actions will follow.’

Cantor said that the bridging between the two communities has already begun construction. University officials recently announced the purchase of 11 buildings in the community that will become academic buildings in the future.

Published on January 31, 2005 at 12:00 pm