Around 100 students, faculty and community members gathered on the Quiet Green with loudspeakers and microphones Friday to demand that the University increase its voluntary payments to Providence. The rally was organized by the Brown Activist Coalition, which is an alliance of several student advocacy groups on campus.
At the protest, BAC called for the University to pay $15 million annually to the city of Providence 鈥� a 鈥渕eager amount compared to what they owe,鈥� according to Niyanta Nepal 鈥�25, co-president of Students for Educational Equity and a lead organizer of the rally.聽
As a non-profit, the University does not pay property taxes on its educational buildings but does on its commercial holdings. Last year, a from the Providence Finance Department and the Office of then-Mayor Jorge Elorza estimated the University would pay almost $50 million if it were taxed on all of its property holdings, The Herald previously reported. The University is currently expected to pay in voluntary payments to the city this fiscal year.
The demonstration intentionally coincided with A Day on College Hill, the University鈥檚 admitted students day, according to student activists. 鈥淚 think (the University) is going to feel a little bit more nervous about the power of student voices when it takes place in front of a bunch of prospective students,鈥� Nepal said.
Speakers at the rally compared the wealth of the University to that of Providence and its public schools.
Hope High School has used to 鈥渕ake sufficient repairs鈥� because its facilities are 鈥渃rumbling,鈥� said State Rep. David Morales MPA鈥�19 (D-Providence). 鈥�(But) Brown University seems to be developing a new building every other month.鈥�
In her speech at the rally, Nepal described a 鈥渓ack of basic necessities鈥� in Providence public schools, citing a Johns Hopkins University that found issues and deficiencies such as .
鈥淏rown has for decades been the largest voluntary contributor to the city of Providence, and we recognize and appreciate that direct payments are one important way in which we can provide support to our home community,鈥� wrote University Spokesperson Brian Clark in an email to The Herald.聽
The University鈥檚 current voluntary payment agreements with the city expire in June, and negotiations for a new agreement are currently underway. In a campus talk last week, Mayor Brett Smiley said that Brown and other non-profit, tax-exempt institutions 鈥渟hould be paying more鈥� to the city.
鈥淲e are in conversation with city leaders as we speak on what our contributions will look like in the years to come,鈥� Clark wrote.
BAC鈥檚 campaign to encourage the University to increase voluntary payments to Providence was inspired by the New Haven community鈥檚 successful drive to increase Yale鈥檚 payments to the city. In 2021, Yale signed an that would increase its contributions by $52 million over six years.
After a series of speeches, the crowd marched to University Hall to deliver an to the administration as prospective students attending ADOCH looked on. The letter called on the University to support two bills in the Rhode Island State House, and , which would levy taxes on University property and the endowment, respectively.
The letter also called for additional financial support for the city鈥檚 K-12 schools and encouraged the University to increase engagement with the Providence community, such as by expanding public access to University libraries.
Students from various student activist groups attending the event echoed their support for the rally鈥檚 message.
鈥淲e all have a vested interest together in participating in this rally and urging the University to contribute more to the city,鈥� said Isabella Garo 鈥�24, a Sunrise Brown organizer.
鈥淲e鈥檙e right here, we鈥檙e going to be with SEE and all groups that are supporting this issue,鈥� said Ethan Drake 鈥�24, another organizer with Sunrise Brown.
鈥淥ur causes appear different on the surface, but ultimately, they are inextricably linked,鈥� said Jack Doughty 鈥�23, a Brown Students for Justice in Palestine organizer.
Ashley Cai is a Senior Staff Writer from Los Altos, California covering the staff and student labor beat. She is a Brown-RISD Dual Degree studying computer science, IAPA and graphic design. She is also a member of The Herald's Tech Team.
Ryan Doherty is a Section Editor covering faculty, higher education and science & research. He is a sophomore concentrating in chemistry and economics who likes to partially complete crosswords in his free time.
