Roughly 60 students and concerned citizens gathered Wednesday evening at the Black Student Union meeting in support of embattled NIU Police Chief Donald Grady.

“Tonight we are going to address an important topic,” BSU President Darrell Nelson said to the crowd in the Grant South Formal Room. “Chief Grady needs our help.”

The room broke into discussion about what it knew about the police chief and what it needed to know. The changes that have been put in place since he became police chief were explained to students who did not know much about the situation. The group then turned its attention to the Northern Star.

“How many of you know the number of black people that work for the Star?” Nelson asked.

The crowd listed the number of people that they know, including three members of the news writing staff. The leaders of the discussion then asked about how the black community is portrayed in the Northern Star, and what could be done to change any negative portrayals.

The discussion leaders used the recent robbery of the TCF Bank in the DeKalb Jewel-Osco on Oct. 12 as an example of a negative story.

“We can’t get mad at people for scrutinizing our actions when we act out,” one unidentified audience member said. “We must step up and be positive and act positively.”

Nelson then challenged the group to become more active and to not focus on what party or social event to go to.

“I challenge you to take action,” he said. “We need to get more black writers in the Northern Star and in other forms to make your voice be heard.”

Editor’s note: The Northern Star is an equal-opportunity employer that hires all candidates based on the merits of their individual qualifications.

Deldric Henderson, a Student Association senator in attendance, felt the meeting took steps in forwarding the voice of black students on campus.

“Specifically, African-American students need to take a more active approach to campus life,” he said. “Chief Grady being on campus has helped black students be more open to do things on campus.”

The Northern Star’s July coverage of former NIU police officer Dexter Yarbrough’s resignation was debated as well. Yarbrough, the former chief of police at Colorado State University, was hired as a patrol officer at NIU in January. Yarbrough resigned after local media outlets, including the Star and the DeKalb Daily Chronicle, printed stories highlighting Yarbrough’s past at CSU, where he resigned amid a cloud of controversy that included a sexual harassment allegation and a tape-recorded lecture to a class in which he endorsed paying off informants with drugs.

The sexual harassment allegations were discussed by the group, and it was pointed out that the charges were never taken to court. The group did not discuss the other allegations against Yarbrough.

The protest Tuesday outside the Campus Life Building was mentioned, and many audience members expressed displeasure at not being made aware of the protest. Nelson said more protests were planned, including one outside Altgeld Hall, and explained that more advance notice would be given.

It was at this point that an audience member suggested the Northern Star staff members in attendance leave the meeting. The Star reporter and photographer present were led out of the room as the doors were closed and the meeting continued.

Illinois state representative Robert Pritchard (R-Hinckley) was present for the start of the meeting, but left shortly after it began without making any statements to the group or the Northern Star.

Nelson summed up his argument by saying that it would take the African-American community as a whole to save Grady.

“It takes everyone joining in and standing up for him to make a difference,” he said.

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