As Howard University’s first in-person homecoming festivities in two years continued on Saturday, about 150 students camped out in front of a campus building, with some camped in the building’s lobby, continuing a sit-in that started nearly two weeks ago. Students, local activist groups, and HBCU alumni from around the country have joined in solidarity for the “Blackburn Takeover,” referencing the student center where the tent community is located.

The students say they pay too much in tuition — upwards of $26,000 per year — for administrators to not meet their list of demands, which include, among other things: dealing with reports of mold in dorms, creating a reliable housing plan for incoming freshmen, increasing COVID-19 testing, and bringing back student representation on the school’s board of trustees. In June, the board voted out faculty, student, and alumni positions on the board. Students have also demanded more transparency about how university funds are allocated and shared their personal stories about dreams of thriving at a storied institution, but say they were instead met with rats and roaches in university buildings.

On Saturday morning, families decked out in Howard blue, grey, and red hopped out of SUVs and walked to Greene Stadium to cheer on the Bison as they faced off against Norfolk State. The main yard was full of balloons and family-friendly games, DJs spinning rap hits, and food tents. (This year’s homecoming is a smaller affair than previous years, but local restaurants and bars have still hosted their typical homecoming specials and unofficial events.)

Nearby, at the Blackburn Center, students woke up in pajamas and walked to tents where activists groups like The Live Movement, Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, and Freedom Fighters DC had boxes full of food and toiletry donations.

“A lot of people are getting sick from the mold and other organic things that are growing in their rooms, and Howard does not seem to care or have a plan to fix that,” said a freshman involved in the protests, who preferred not to be named for fear of backlash from the university. A number of other students declined to speak until university officials grant them immunity from suspension or expulsion. (The protestors have been met with a police presence and threats of academic repercussions if they don’t leave Blackburn.)

“It seems like Howard cares more about their money that they can get from Homecoming than their students,” the first-year student continued. “Howard seems to always put up an image that their money and the way that they present themselves to the world is more important than their students’ well-being. So it’s really just a slap in the face that they would continue having homecoming in the middle of a pandemic as if everything is normal.”

In the days since the protest started, some local politicians and students at nearby universities have offered their support of the student protestors. At-large councilmember Anita Bonds wrote to the administration to express her concern. Rapper Gucci Mane and his 1017 record label pulled out of their homecoming performance in protest of the unsanitary living conditions. On Friday night, the protestors organized their own party and step show in front of Blackburn. Some students and community members called for alumni to boycott the entire weekend celebration, pointing out the hypocrisy of promoting traditional homecoming events while students are demanding change.

The students at @HowardU have always been changemakers and have made history as a result. I support their struggle for safe, dignified housing. It's the same struggle Black families face against gentrification all over DC. Power concedes nothing without demand. #BlackburnTakeover pic.twitter.com/NOTNjv0i7v

— Janeese Lewis George (@Janeese4DC) October 19, 2021

Cynthia Evers, the vice president of student affairs wrote in a statement last week that university President Wayne Frederick and other members of the administration had “opened a dialogue” about the list of demands and that the university’s “goal has always been to listen to the concerns of our students and find a path forward.”

Evers sent an email to students last week stating that the “mold issue is not widespread” and that the university held a third-party vendor responsible for the mold issues and HVAC duct cleaning, according to WUSA9.

“The well-being of our students is always one of Howard University’s top concerns, and we always support students’ right to peacefully protest,” Frank Tramble, a Howard spokesperson told ABC News. “The administration is actively addressing the concerns students have shared. While there have only been a small number of documented reports, we are actively seeking out any issues that may be in the dorms by going door to door to address each room.”

Tramble also told ABC that members of the administration have surveyed the dorms and that students impacted by mold have been relocated to temporary housing. But the protestors say the university is downplaying their concerns.

Elijah Dvine, a 25-year-old local activist who’s supporting the protest, said the protests will continue through homecoming and until Frederick agrees to a town hall with the students.

“How can you come home when you’re coming home to mold?” Dvine said. “How can you come home when you’re coming home to circumstances that are sending you to the hospital? There’s no such thing as a homecoming if everyone that’s at home is not living in great conditions.”