February 19, 1970
Black Student demands published in the Sophian after an incident at Amherst
Following an unnamed incident at Amherst College, Black students from across the Five Colleges banded together to stage an occupation of Amherst academic buildings with the ultimate goal of “clos[ing] the college down.” A letter from these students to the presidents of the five colleges, published in the Sophian, describes the students staging the action as a “coordinated unit” and sought to place value on both their “commitment to the concept of a Five-College Black community” and the fight for recognition of their right to “self-definition and self-determination.” This was followed by a list of demands which built on those spearheaded by the Smith BSA in 1969, including increasing the number of Black students, increasing the amount of scholarship funds available to support such an increase, appointing Black admissions officers, housing staff, and a full-time director for the Black Studies major, the establishment of a Black cultural center, and the allocation of additional funds to the BSA.
[Last updated on October 28, 2018]