At Brandis the Afro-American studies faculty is siding with student protesters

A few minutes into an emergency faculty meeting at Brandeis University on Tuesday, Chad Williams stood up.

A lot has happened this week, and faculty members from across the Massachusetts university had gathered to learn what was going on. For the past four days, students had been occupying an administrative building to fight for racial equality on the campus.

It was important for faculty members to be informed, Mr. Williams, chair of the department of African and Afro-American studies, told his colleagues. But right now, he said, it was more important for him to be with the students.

He walked out of the meeting. The rest of the African- and Afro-American-studies department — along with a few professors from other departments — left with him.

"I felt personally that I needed to be visibly supporting the students who still are sacrificing so much," Mr. Williams said in an interview. "I just wanted to make it clear to my colleagues that this was not theater, that this was happening." ...