Terrence Freeman
Template:TOCnestleft Terrence Freeman is a leader of the Appleton Students for a Democratic Society.
FRSO
Terrence Freeman is a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization/FightBack!.[1]
Palestine rally
On April 13 2022, the Appleton Students for a Democratic Society and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization held a rally that expressed solidarity with the Palestinian national liberation struggle and demanded an end to the Israeli occupation.
Gustavo Zuniga, the deputy chair of SDS, initiated the rally by reading an official statement that delineated SDS’s stance on the Palestinian struggle: “Appleton SDS condemns the U.S.-backed, Israeli occupation of Palestine. We - an organization that stands in solidarity with all oppressed peoples - vehemently support the Palestinian national liberation struggle for self-determination against the settler colonial government of Israel. The nation of Israel exists on an expanse of stolen land, which must rightfully be returned to the Palestinian people by any means necessary.”
Terrence Freeman, the chairman of SDS and a member of FRSO, added, “The ongoing liberation struggle in Palestine has been forgotten. It is time that we bring attention back to Palestine’s fight for freedom, and if you are truly progressive and anti-war, you must care about this fight.”
The rally organizers emphasized the West’s complicity in the oppression of Palestinian people, with Audari Tamayo, a member of both FRSO and SDS, proclaiming, “Israel’s crimes have always been supported by the Western world - with the missiles and bullets that kill and wound Palestinians simply defending their homes having the damn names of weapons manufacturers based in the U.S., France, Britain and other imperialist states.”
Tamayo posed the following inquiry to the audience, “Why did Amnesty wait so long to go against the status quo and say what we already knew for years?” Tamayo put Amnesty’s report in a larger context, asserting, “NGOs and so-called human rights organizations like Amnesty were created to neutralize liberation movements and often helped Western states carry out the same oppressive agenda they are supposedly against.”[2]
SDS convention
On the weekend of Oct. 16-17, almost 170 students convened at the University of Minnesota for the 15th National Convention of National New Students for a Democratic Society. It was the first time SDS organizers had gathered together physically since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Attendees also heard from SDS leaders about the effects of the economic crisis, the mass layoffs and unemployment. They talked of student demonstrations that stopped budget cuts, new campaigns for living wages for campus workers. They spoke of the big picture importance of solidarity between workers and students and applauded strikes such as the ongoing United Auto Workers’ strike at John Deere, and the successful Nabisco strike.
“Each of these anecdotes indicate that improved working economic conditions must be tirelessly fought for—even on college campuses,” said Terrence Freeman of Appleton Students for a Democratic Society at Lawrence University.[3]
Lawrence University Fight For $15
On April 16 2021, the Appleton Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Sunrise Appleton, the Student Liberation Front and a grouping of international students kicked off their Fight for $15 campaign at Lawrence University. Many international students have been discussing the idea of a potential raise of the minimum wage at Lawrence University. Currently, the average student worker makes $7.25 an hour and for many students on-campus jobs are their only avenue of income.
The students who rely on these wages to survive, with the help of student organizations have started to collaborate in this fight for a living wage. The three organizations (Appleton SDS, Student Liberation Front and Sunrise Appleton) hosted an open rally at Warch Campus Center, raised a banner and passed out a list of demands to sign. There was a good turnout of around 30 students and faculty over the course of the event.
The rally was kicked off by Barrah Kunaan who spoke of her personal experience as an international student surviving on Lawrence University’s low student worker wage. Next, Terrence Freeman, president of Appleton Students for a Democratic Society, gave a rousing speech calling out Administration.
“Lawrence University, just like any other institution of higher education, seeks to extract the most amount of profit from its students, its workers, its faculty and staff…and these profits go to pockets of administrators,” Freeman said.
Next, Gustavo Zuniga of the Student Liberation Front shared his experience as a student worker. Making only $81.00 bi-monthly, going to the grocery store is a luxury for him. Gustavo emphasized how an increase of the minimum wage can improve the material conditions of students who rely on Lawrence University paychecks.
As the speeches started to wind down, Terrence Freeman emphasized to the crowd that the struggle for a living wage will not come overnight, but instead is a long struggle that we must all fight for.[4]
SDS
In 2021 Terrence Freeman was the chair of the Lawrence University Students for a Democratic Society.