[This speech was delivered at the November 15th, 2005 scoping hearing on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Columbia expansion proposal]

Tonight, we, the people of Harlem, are making history in our total opposition to Columbia University's 17-acre land grab in West Harlem for a $5 billion expansion that would double the size of its current campus in a city today where there are 1.6 million New Yorkers mired in poverty and over fifty percent of black men jobless. So much for the priorities of the so-called liberal institutions whose real priority is that of a multi-national corporation--enriching its coffers on the dispossession of the poor, the working class, and small businesses.

Columbia University's conduct and decorum to date throughout the entire scoping process has been one of typical racial arrogance, duplicity, lies, disinformation and misinformation. The University was forced to admit it held secret meetings with the Empire State Development Corporation, to jump start its application to seize private property under the State's eminent domain law, and for assistance in acquiring property below street with the intention of building facilities five to seven stories below ground.
For the record, the proposed expansion site is not a blighted area, although the assemblage of sites and warehousing of space by Columbia may give the appearance of blight. Therefore, it is crucial that the EIS include an analysis of Columbia's proposed Manhattanville campus development without eminent domain as an alternative.

We must look at an alternative that will have in-field development focused on preserving existing residential buildings, businesses that want to stay, and buildings that are proposed for historic preservation. Secondly, the Draft Scope must include proposed methodologies to determine the appropriateness of takings by ESDC. Thirdly, Community Board #9's 197-a Plan must be analyzed as a comprehensive alterative to Columbia University.

Just let me say something about mitigating factors, primary and secondary displacement. We have an example here of 3333 Broadway. People have been displaced. If you didn't get the enhanced voucher, you are now paying triple and double rents. Look -- try to imagine what is going to happen thirty years from now. Do you think that this neighborhood is going to look like this? No, it won't. Because Columbia University is determined that the Upper West Side will be an Upper East Side.

We must resist. We must mount a campaign of resistance and fight back because if we don't, we will not be here, our children will not be here and we will not recognize this place. We have no other alternative but to fight back and we must do it together. And we must hear the voices of the people of color. You can't sit back. You have to speak out, even if it's to utter one sentence. Get up. Speak in your own language. Get up. Rise up, in the tradition of the [Inaudible]. Get up and speak out because only you can give authenticity to your own voice. Let us tell them, Columbia University, that we, the people [INAUDIBLE] in 1968, we will defeat them again this year and next year and the next five years and the next ten years. We will defeat them because we have no other place to go. We have no other place to go. You can't go to the Bronx, you can't go to Brooklyn, because you are being priced out. You['ve] got to take your stand here. It is our last stand and this is our Custer's Waterloo.

NELLIE BAILEY

co-founder, Harlem Tenants Council