Photo courtesy of the Mount Holyoke College Archives
Photograph of Betty Shabazz (left), writer and civil rights advocate, speaking with alumnae at a Mount Holyoke College Black Alumnae Conference in 1983.
BY ANNABELLE SHEA ’23
On Wednesday, Oct. 30, the Association of Pan African Unity (APAU) and the Mount Holyoke African and Caribbean Students’ Association (MHACASA) held a celebration for the 50th anniversary of the Betty Shabazz Cultural Center.
The event was attended by students from all class years. After attendees introduced themselves, student leaders Janae Lewis ’20 and Denise Aninakwah ’20 commenced the celebration by reading the mission statements of their corresponding organizations.
Lewis, co-chair of APAU, shared several of APAU’s future projects, which include providing service to the Ronald McDonald House — a resource for underprivileged families seeking medical attention — and organizing a visit to Harvard University’s “Angela Davis: Freed by the People” collection.
For Lewis, the collaboration of APAU and MHACASA demonstrates the significance of the Betty Shabazz Cultural Center to black students on campus.
“I think now to celebrate [the Betty Shabazz Cultural Center] and do it in a way that honors both of the orgs [APAU and MHACASA] really humanizes this place and also the experiences of those who exist in this space,” Lewis said.
Following introductions, the leaders presented a video compilation of current black students and alumnae thanking the Betty Shabazz Cultural Center. Sentiments expressed in the video include the Betty Shabazz Cultural Center being “a safe space to be with my beautiful community and sisters” and a “home away from home.” The video also featured footage from events hosted by APAU and MHACASA like game night and karaoke. Attendees responded to the clip with appreciative murmurs and laughter.
“It was very beautiful,” Lewis said. “I didn’t see the videos before, so it was very nostalgic to see people who also used to come here still show active support.”
After the video presentation, attendees toured the building to learn more about its history.
The Betty Shabazz Cultural Center, formerly known as the “Black House,” was established in 1968. The Center was created in response to the student sit-ins of Dec. 12, 1968, during which black students on campus demanded a black student center. Due to the efforts of these students, space in the then-abandoned dorm Woodbridge Hall was designated as a center for black students on campus.
Unfortunately, Woodbridge Hall burned down in January 1969 — just one month after its opening. Students were then given the house on 2 Dunlap Place, which would become known as the Betty Shabazz Cultural Center.
The walls of the house are lined with portraits of notable alums, including Hortense Parker and Martha Rolston Perkins, the College’s first two Black alumnae.
“People fought to have it,” Lewis said. “It’s an honor to be part of such a rich history, ’cause they had to fight for us to have this space now where we can come freely and do things in it and commune together.”