2008 Woodie Awards
SGA faces accusations
Senator's comments on Braden cause turmoil
Audrey Kunkel
Issue date: 4/12/06 Section: News
Following some pressure, the Student Government Association voted 15 to 5 to pass a resolution to name something on campus in honor of professor Anne Braden.
Braden, who died in March, was a civil rights activist who taught an Honors Program class at Northern Kentucky University since 1997.
The resolution, introduced by Senator Paul Myers, asks that the Honors House and half of Nunn Drive be renamed in Braden's honor.
The resolution was introduced March 27 and, rather than being passed April 3, was tabled for discussion. Sen. Shaun Fugate took some heat after the April 3 SGA meeting when he said, "I heard (Anne Braden) was a communist."
Several guests came to the April 10 meeting to encourage SGA to pass the resolution.
Jon Stone, president of the African American Studies Club, stood up to address the senate and the comments made about Braden. "I think it's pretty disgusting this body would consider (Braden) a communist and use that as something negative about her," Stone said. "There are a lot of conservatives at NKU, and when you throw the word 'communist' around, you scare them, and no one will even think about all the amazing things (Braden) accomplished for human rights."
John Fisher from the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights encouraged the senate to pass the resolution. "She (Braden) breathed fire into the Civil Rights Movement," Fisher said. "I hope this fine university will commemorate something in her honor so future generations of students will remember her."
Fugate said he wanted to clear up misconceptions caused by his statement the week before. "I had read online that she had ties to the (Communist) Party," Fugate said. "But I knew hardly anything about her, and neither did most of the senators. I made a motion to table the resolution until the senators were more educated. I've spent a lot of time reading everything I could get my hands on, and I'd be proud to vote to name something in her honor now."
Braden, who died in March, was a civil rights activist who taught an Honors Program class at Northern Kentucky University since 1997.
The resolution, introduced by Senator Paul Myers, asks that the Honors House and half of Nunn Drive be renamed in Braden's honor.
The resolution was introduced March 27 and, rather than being passed April 3, was tabled for discussion. Sen. Shaun Fugate took some heat after the April 3 SGA meeting when he said, "I heard (Anne Braden) was a communist."
Several guests came to the April 10 meeting to encourage SGA to pass the resolution.
Jon Stone, president of the African American Studies Club, stood up to address the senate and the comments made about Braden. "I think it's pretty disgusting this body would consider (Braden) a communist and use that as something negative about her," Stone said. "There are a lot of conservatives at NKU, and when you throw the word 'communist' around, you scare them, and no one will even think about all the amazing things (Braden) accomplished for human rights."
John Fisher from the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights encouraged the senate to pass the resolution. "She (Braden) breathed fire into the Civil Rights Movement," Fisher said. "I hope this fine university will commemorate something in her honor so future generations of students will remember her."
Fugate said he wanted to clear up misconceptions caused by his statement the week before. "I had read online that she had ties to the (Communist) Party," Fugate said. "But I knew hardly anything about her, and neither did most of the senators. I made a motion to table the resolution until the senators were more educated. I've spent a lot of time reading everything I could get my hands on, and I'd be proud to vote to name something in her honor now."