Students Rally in Rain, Call on UNC Trustees Divest from Coal

September 22, 2011 at 9:25 pm cfunc Leave a comment

Wednesday afternoon in the pouring rain UNC Beyond Coal supporters gathered on the steps of the Ackland Art Museum to rally in front the Board of Trustees as they walked to dinner. The students called on the university to stop funding the coal industry and divest the UNC endowment from coal company holdings. Students held signs proclaiming the negative effects of coal and chanted in support of a responsible endowment.

Several activists inspired the ralliers by sharing their personal stories about the coal industry and explaining that the campaign to move beyond coal to clean energy is among the most important causes on campus and in the country. Stewart Boss, UNC Sierra Student Coalition Co-Chair, read a copy of the letter that he later delivered to several trustees and the chancellor, and despite the pouring rain the rally was certainly a success. “Even if there is a hurricane coming we’ll be here to ask the trustees for their support to move the endowment out of coal,” said Sierra Student Coalition organizer Harry Alper, summing up the dedication of the attending students.

The Trustees were impressed as well – board member John Ellison remarked, “Y’all are mighty hearty and you believe in your campaign.”