Art school's board of trustees agrees to listen to SJP divestment proposal

The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Board of Trustees will consider a proposal authored by Students for Justice in Palestine (RSJP) to divest from Israel. 

A school spokesperson confirmed that board members intends to “share their thoughts” on the proposal originally from March, as reported by The Brown Daily Herald. It is unclear whether this will result in a final decision on divestment.

Located in Providence, RISD is closely affiliated with nearby Brown University.

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In its agenda for its most recent meeting with the board on October 17, RSJP framed divestment as a “human rights issue,” claiming that the school’s reputation in the art and design community depends on it.

“There is a positive, long-term impact of divestment. In response to RISD divestment policy, it is increasingly evident that divestment is not a political issue, but rather a human rights issue,” RSJP wrote. “Additionally, it is in RISD’s best interest to remain a relevant institution of art and design, as well as being known as a place where students know that they have a voice.”

The following day after the meeting, Brown SJP activists led a protest against the Brown Corporation for recently voting against a divestment resolution. Student activists are currently under investigation for their alleged behavior during the protest, including “banging on a vehicle,” “screaming profanities at individuals” and using a “racial epithet directed toward a person of color.”

“As a campus community, we should be resolute that these behaviors are not acceptable, are not reflective of the Brown student body or our community as a whole, and are not commensurate with what we expect of ourselves and others,” Brown Executive Vice President for Planning and Policy Russell Carey wrote in an campus message following the incident.

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RISD agreed to several meetings with members of RSJP during the past academic year, including one that the school granted on the condition that RSJP would refrain from creating a disturbance at commencement.

According to RSJP spokesperson Jo Ouyang, however, the school’s decision to agree to a meeting in March has not changed the group’s patterns of activism.

“I think this trustee meeting is really a crucial step for us to remain in communication with the Board of Trustees, and we hope to have future meetings,” Ouyang told The Brown Daily Herald. “But this will also not stall our tactics and strategies of protesting on this campus and calling for divestment now.”

Campus Reform has reached out to RISD for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.