A group of individuals standing in a circle, extending their arms towards the center. The participants' hands vary in skin tones and their wrists are tied with purple and yellow ribbons, which are loosely wrapped and knotted. The background consists of a striped brownish-orange carpet.
Photo by Thandiwe-Wanjiru Delgado-Kinyatti ’27
Thandiwe-Wanjiru Delgado-Kinyatti ’27
Staff Writer
Remembering those who came before us, who paved the way, who put in the work and fought for the right for Black students to be on this campus: these ideas were the sentiment of the weekend homecoming event celebrated by Black students at the Betty Shabazz Cultural Center from Sept. 21 to 22. The house was filled with students from all different class years and backgrounds with the common desire to interact and be in community with fellow Black students. The center, often referred to as the “Betty,” is described by the College as assisting and supporting students from the African diaspora through interactive programming.
Homecoming weekend at the Betty started on Saturday with an opening passage from the book “The Temple of My Familiar” by Alice Walker, read by Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Kijua Sanders-McMurtry. Alums who were able to stop by expressed their joy at Black students being able to meet in this capacity with the support of the Betty.
After introductions, students broke up into groups to do workshops led by Assistant Professor of Religion Meredith Coleman-Tobias, Assistant Professor of Gender Studies Sarah Stefana Smith, and Assistant Professor of Africana Studies and Critical Race and Political Economy Ximena Abello Hurtado from the College who also came to be in community with students. Every room of the Betty was filled with students engaging in dialogue with professors and each other alike.
As dinner was served, Associate Dean of Students, Community and Belonging Latrina Denson walked the students through the history of Black life at Mount Holyoke College and the first known Black students to attend the school. Denson focused on Hortense Parker, the first known Black student to attend Mount Holyoke from 1878 to 1883. What was cemented in this exploration of the archives was that Black students have been fighting for many years to be recognized at the College. From Hortense Parker to the students that inhabit the space today, they have all been fighting and will continue to fight in the spirit of thriving and not just surviving.
After a financial literacy workshop led by alum Jadah Quick ’17 and a yoga session run by Carla J. Lee, students gathered around another alum, former Francis Perkins Scholar Anastasia Morton ’12. During her time engaging with the students, Morton said that while she was at the College, the Betty was one of her safe places, something that resonated with many Mount Holyoke students in attendance.
As the night continued, after making s’mores by the campfire, students gathered around a low table in the living room as Sanders-McMurtry dealt cards in a ten person game of spoons. It was a rough game of broken fingernails and screams of joy. Others gathered and watched, or played their own trivia games on the side. The night didn’t stop there, as a handful of students stayed up until the late hours of the night, singing karaoke and line dancing. In the early hours of the morning they retired upstairs, crowded on the floor in a mess of sleeping bags. Afterwards, a few students would remark that during that night, they felt like kids again. They ate candy, sang, danced with their friends and had a sleepover, an act they had not participated in for years.
The next morning, after breakfast, Sanders-McMurtry and Coleman-Tobias returned to lead the group in a closing ceremony where the playfulness of the night before resurfaced. While it can be seen as counter revolutionary for Black people to rest, Sanders-McMurtry told the students that they all deserve rest and play as Black people.
As the weekend came to an end, all the students in attendance were given gold and purple ribbons and were instructed to find a person they either hadn’t already interacted with or someone they would like to express their love for and tie the ribbon around their hand. In the end, everyone's wrists were adorned with colourful ribbons, a testament to the care they all shared for one another.
Homecoming weekend at the Betty closed out with a final circle meeting. Students shared their thoughts and feelings, many showing tears of joy for having a space like the Betty to exist in as Black students at a predominantly white institution like Mount Holyoke College. When asked to describe their weekend in one word or sentence, students expressed a range of answers. Many spoke of their gratitude to be part of the Black community on campus. Others said, “Joyful. I feel it was a wholesome experience,” “Rested,” and “Black Girl Magic.” When asked what they thought of seeing Black excellence at Mount Holyoke College, a visiting Five College student said it was “inspiring.”
On Saturday night, Anjolie Kwakye Minott ’27, the program assistant at the Betty, expressed their gratitude for the event,
“I really feel like this event has provided a lot of Black identified students comfort, and a home, and a safe space to be themselves, to encourage Black joy, and to have all the conversations they’ve been itching to have,” Minott said.
The next morning, Cindy Ntembe ’27 said, “The most amazing thing about this event is how much effort everyone put into making it happen. I know a lot of students and staff plan events and then people just don’t bring the energy that’s needed to make it come alive. But people were really invested in making this work and all coming together.”
Shirley Chisholm, the namesake of the Living-Learning Community founded for students of the African diaspora at Mount Holyoke, once said, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” That is what the Black community at Mount Holyoke College did during the Betty’s homecoming weekend: they made space for themselves and occupied it with love and joy.
Sofia Ramon ’27 contributed fact-checking.