Hales hits ‘University of Capitalism’

Larry Hales of Fight Imperialism, Stand Together (FIST) facilitated a workshop entitled the “University of Capitalism” at the Black Student Activism Conference held at New York University on Feb. 27.

The workshop’s stated aims were to “discuss the ways in which we can turn our profit-seeking corporate educational institutions into organizations that train students for community activism and investment.”

Hales discussed plans for a national day of protest on March 4 on educational issues, including the privatization of education from kindergarten to graduate school. About 15 of the 100-plus students at the conference contributed to a lively and informed discussion of the issues. Their comments integrated the students’ personal experiences with an overall view of the capitalist drive to privatize education and restrict it to a narrow elite group of students. They particularly protested this policy’s harmful impact on the African-American community.