Schalk began her presentation with the cover of the May 7, 1977, edition of the Black Panther Party’s newspaper, The Black Panther. It read, “handicapped win demands — end HEW occupation.” Schalk explained that cover stories, like this one, are kept for the most important issues at that moment, showing that the Party believed this sit-in to be a critically important issue directly connected to their work.
On Feb. 10, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer Kijua Sanders-McMurtry sent an email out to the Mount Holyoke community discussing the College’s efforts to educate the community on antisemitism. The letter focused on the progress made so far as well as steps forward in preventing it on campus.
When Kijua Sanders-Murtry, Mount Holyoke College’s Vice President for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, was first invited to join the board of directors for The Joseph & Evelyn Lowery Institute for Justice & Human Rights in Atlanta, GA, their first instinct was to decline the opportunity. They were afraid that this new position would interfere with their ability to connect students with opportunities at the Institute.
On Juneteenth, the Mount Holyoke administration announced a Community Match program for financial gifts made by students, staff, faculty and alumni in recognition of Juneteenth and Pride month. The initiative, led by the Office of the President and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, will strive to match community members’ donations to three charitable organizations: The Loveland Foundation, the Marsha P. Johnson Institute and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
