Students celebrate 32nd annual African and Caribbean Day

Photo courtesy of Akua Omono Osei ’27

By Thandiwe-Wanjiru Delgado-Kinyatti ’27

Staff Writer 

On Saturday, Mar. 1, Five College students, faculty and community members gathered in Chapin Auditorium to celebrate the 32nd annual African and Caribbean Day. AC Day, as it is called by the students of Mount Holyoke College, is a time honored tradition at the College that is celebrated annually on Mar. 1 and organized by the board members of the Mount Holyoke African and Caribbean Student Association. 

Over 30 flags representing countries from Africa and the Caribbean were displayed around Chapin. This year marked the 32nd celebration of AC Day since its commencement in 1993, and the highlighted region chosen was East Africa. Students participating honored the phrase “Kuadhimisha Mizizi Yetu” which, directly translated from Swahili, means “to celebrate our roots.” 

Students celebrated their roots that Saturday by recognizing where they came from, celebrating their home countries and showing their culture through poetry, dances and music. Many wore clothes from their respective countries, including jewelry containing cowrie shells, which were once used as a form of currency in parts of Africa. These pieces were later showcased in the fashion show.

The two hosts from MHACASA, Nathania Amadi ’26 and Amanda Amoabeng ’25, not only made a point to honor and recognize the roots of those in the room, but also those not present whose homes are devastated by current ongoing conflicts. After the land acknowledgment Amoabeng stated, “Lastly, we would like to recognize Palestine, Congo [and] Haiti. … To stay in community, please speak up, please vocalize, do everything you can because what is happening today is not okay, so Free Congo, Free Palestine and Free Haiti.” 

The show started with the “African Intro,” showcasing dances from around the continent. Afterwards, other groups presented dances concentrated in the East African region, further  highlighting countries like Somalia, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya. Other dances focused on West African styles, and later in the night dancers brought the audience to the Caribbean to showcase countries like Guyana and the Dominican Republic. Many other countries were represented throughout the dances and songs performed by individual students and groups, including Mount Holyoke groups like Sangre del Sol and Five College organizations like the Students of Caribbean Ancestry from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

An emotional performance that stood out was the song “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika,” sung by Dani Darku ’27. “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” is the national anthem of South Africa and has a rich history and meaning behind it. In a text message to  Mount Holyoke News, Darku said, “I chose this song because of its embodiment of African liberation. Originally a hymn that was embraced as South Africa’s national anthem post-apartheid, this song has been used by other African countries as their anthems, although translated from the original isiZulu, isiXhosa and Sesotho into other languages like Swahili.”

Darku added, “Personally, I was first introduced to this song in my high school, which embraces a heavy Pan-African ethos. It has stuck with me ever since as a clarion call to lift up and decolonize the continent, and I wanted to share that with everyone else on this special day.”

For many Mount Holyoke community members, AC Day is a time to connect with their cultures and embrace who they are at a predominantly white institution. Omono Osei ’27, a member of the MHACASA board and the AC Day social chair, said, “I feel so wonderful … AC Day is my favorite event throughout the whole school year. It just reminds me that I am still with my people.”

One sophomore, who wished to remain anonymous, knew she had to return after attending AC Day in 2024. “AC Day was then an opportunity for me to connect with my cultural heritage and celebrate my Caribbean ancestry with the Mount Holyoke community, while savoring many traditional delicacies,” she said.

Others attested to the event’s inclusivity. Shenelle Sandoval Gonzalez ’27 said, “I feel very included and very appreciative to be able to learn and acknowledge culture all around me. It’s very beautiful to see and acknowledge all the dances, the performances, the singing. It’s just very powerful to see, even down to the food, and I appreciate it. This is my second year being at Mount Holyoke and I’ve always attended AC Day.It’s a great way to get involved and to learn more about your peers around you.” 

Jacksiel Colón Rodriguez came to celebrate with Mount Holyoke and echoed similar sentiments. “I feel very included, I feel like [AC Day] is very insightful, very poetic, very beautiful,” he said. 

One tradition of AC Day is to give back to the communities being celebrated. AC Day Coordinator Precious Biney ’27 concluded the showcase by presenting the organization that would be receiving a donation of over $1,000 from ticket sales. The organization that was chosen was Mathare Social Justice Centre. Mathare is a community located north of the Nairobi city centre in Kenya, and is primarily run by the youth of the community who work to make Mathare a more just place. The organization is dedicated to combating issues ranging from police abuse and forced evictions to climate injustice. 

The Centre has a book club, which they have named Matigari as an ode to Kenyan novelist Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o who is famous for his works centering the topic of decolonization. In its mission statement for the Matigari book club, the Centre writes, “Matigari Ma Njirungi means the remnants of the freedom fighters, and we see ourselves as the generations to take up the mantle from where our freedom fighters in Africa left, because for us it is not yet uhuru; even though the physical chains are gone we are still mentally enslaved, especially through the education system in our African countries.” 

In her address to the crowd, Biney said, “After learning about the transformative work that is done by MSJC, advocating for social justice, human rights and community empowerment in Mathare … we were deeply inspired by their mission and for recognition for their impactful effort we were honored to make a donation to support the stuff theyìre doing.”

“Mathare Social Justice Centre … is making a real difference in the fight for social justice in Mathare, and I am so proud to have your support and to see how much we have come together to help,” Biney said.

After her speech, Biney said in an interview with Mount Holyoke News, “The number of people who showed to the event … have significantly decreased over time, but this year it was a surprise that we were able to raise over $1,000 in donations, and also over two hundred [people] showed up for AC Day and seemed really excited to celebrate with us … I am really grateful for everyone that came and supported this event.” 

The final moment of the night was the flag walk. Students flooded the stage, each dancing with their country’s flag. Each time a new flag was presented, the audience erupted with cheers. Even students who were not a part of the showcase went on stage with their peers to represent their countries, and with this joyous tradition, the night came to an end.

Abigail McKeon ’26 contributed fact-checking.

Mount Holyoke students join Lobby Day for climate justice movement

Photo by Kannille Washington ’28

By Kannille Washington ’28

Staff Writer

On Feb. 11, a group of Mount Holyoke students crammed onto a bus headed to Boston for a day of climate justice lobbying at the Massachusetts State House. They planned to meet with various senators and representatives to share their support for different bills on climate policy. The trip was organized by the Growing Vines Collective, a BIPOC-centered student collective advocating for environmental justice and food sovereignty, which received a grant from the Miller Worley Center.

The drive was about two hours of uncertainty over what the event would look like, as many on the trip had never attended before. Cindie Huerta-Velazquez ’25, a member of the Growing Vines Collective and the main organizer of the trip, acknowledged the scope of the event.  

“The current political climate in the United States has instilled some urgency in many students, and we saw that with the event RSVPs doubling in the weeks after the inauguration,” Huerta-Velazquez said in an email to Mount Holyoke News. 

Despite nervousness from attendees, there was no disappointment as students arrived at their first destination, the Old West Church, which was packed to the brim with young students, ranging from high school students to college undergraduates, from west to east Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition, which hosted the event, provided a pizza lunch and asked all students to meet with their group leads to discuss their meeting times, priority points, and what questions to ask legislators that would encourage them to co-sponsor these bills. The group established six bills “priority bills”: “Provide ‘Sunlight’ to State Government,” “Air Quality,” “Preventing Gas Expansion,” “Polluter Pay Climate Superfund,” “Interdisciplinary Climate Action” and “Farm to Schools.” 

As the day went on, many groups received notification that their meetings with officials were cancelled, postponed or that a stand-in congressional staff member would sit with the groups. In the midst of all the chaos, this was a bit of a let-down for some students. However, many students found opportunities to help their peers where they needed extra support in their lobbying. 

After lunch, group leaders led workshops in songs and chants, with everyone promptly leaving the church to march towards the State House afterwards. The march was not very lengthy, but notably cheerful as the megaphone passed around the crowd for people to pick their favorite chant and lead the group. At the State House, the crowd continued chanting while they waited for the news outlets to catch up.

Various students made speeches and shared statements to reporters. Then, everyone split off to attend their respective meetings for the rest of the day.

“There is power in numbers and all our voices deserve to be heard. It was wonderful to have the space and place to have them heard,” Huerta-Velazquez said. 

Abigail McKeon ’26 contributed fact-checking.

Lily Rood ’27 launches NTLCC, aiming to foster trans leadership nationally

Photo courtesy of Lily Rood ’27

By Sydney Wiser ʼ27

Staff Writer

After six months of preparation, the National Transgender Leadership Conference Committee, founded by Lily Rood ’27, has officially begun operations. 

The NTLCC, which launched on Feb. 24, 2025, is a new organization designed to cultivate aspiring transgender leaders in a diverse range of fields, including politics, the arts and community service. It is led by Rood, who serves as the founder and executive president, and Howard University’s current Student Association President, Jay Jones, who serves as the executive vice president for partnerships. 

According to the NTLCC’s mission statement, the organization aims to “create programming, highlighted by an annual national conference, that brings together trans leaders across the United States in order to build community and drive progress.” 

At the NTLCC’s inaugural press conference, Rood explained that these programs will help emerging transgender leaders develop skills such as networking and community building, which Rood and her team feel are needed to tackle “the unique challenges and opportunities that come with trans leadership.” They are open to transgender individuals who have held two or fewer professional leadership roles. 

The NTLCC's first major initiative is its “Launch to Lead” program, which aims to connect aspiring transgender leaders from around the country with seasoned transgender leaders. The virtual monthly program will include Q&As with transgender leaders in fields like government and science, discussion panels and leadership training. More details about registration and events will be provided in the next few weeks. 

“By bringing together more experienced folks and newer and developing leaders in a really accessible way through virtual programming, we’re going to be able to really create learning opportunities for our new and developing trans leaders,” Rood said. 

The organization intends to build on this preliminary program, expanding to in-person programming and larger-scale events. According to its website, these events include the  National Transgender Leadership Summit, to be hosted in Western Massachusetts in the fall of 2025, and a national conference held in a major U.S. city, which is projected to launch within the next two years.

For Rood, there were various benefits to organizing at the national level. Rood noted that there is a lack of national spaces for transgender people and hoped that her organization, which is composed of senior members from a diverse range of states including New Mexico, Texas and Michigan, will address that disparity. The organization’s outreach attempts include speaking with news outlets from across the country such as the 19th, Out In Jersey, and Philadelphia Gay News. The 19th story was also republished in local outlets like Michigan Advance and Queer Kentucky

While legislation limiting transgender people’s access to gender-affirming healthcare, ability to play sports and legal protections are increasing nationwide, those living in Republican-controlled states are far more likely to be impacted and less likely to have spaces to connect with like-minded individuals.

Rood highlighted the value of the NTLCC for transgender people in this situation. “Folks who are facing really specific challenges can meet folks in other states who might be facing similar challenges, and also meet folks who are in a position where they’ve been able to have a little bit more room to figure out creative solutions with less imminent pressure,” Rood said. 

Vice President for Communications Lex Stewart found that attending college in southern Ohio gave them limited access to queer-friendly spaces where they could advance their leadership skills. They hope the NTLCC’s work will provide individuals in similar situations with opportunities to hone those skills. 

“I feel like this is a great bridge for a lot of people, especially those new and developing trans leaders [who] maybe don't have spaces like this to develop themselves,” Stewart said. 

In addition to bridging regional disparities, Rood also noted that recent federal decisions demonstrated the need for an organization like hers. “In a moment in which the federal government is taking unprecedented action to attack trans communities across the United States, we can really unite around opposing some of these federal actions and organizing for collective liberation across the United States.” 

The organization has already been active in the political sphere. After the House passed the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports” bill, which would have prevented transgender girls and women from playing on girls’ and women’s sports teams that are “recipient[s] of Federal financial assistance” — for example, teams at K-12 schools — the NTLCC wrote to the 47 members of the Senate’s Democratic Caucus urging them to filibuster the bill. As of March 4, the bill has been blocked in the Senate by 45 Democrats and Independents.

As the organization looks to grow its leadership team, students are encouraged to apply for positions, which are currently all volunteer-based. 

“One thing that's been really important to me as I’ve worked to build this organization from scratch is that we lean into our values by having new and developing trans leaders as part of the team that is supporting new and developing trans leaders,” Rood said. 

As more events and information are soon to be announced, the NTLCC encourages those interested in its mission to follow along on its social media accounts and sign up for its newsletter, which can be accessed through NTLCC’s website, ntlcc.org. 

Abigail McKeon ’26 contributed fact-checking.