“Don’t just bring in speakers, make real change,” said Patrisse Cullors, this year’s keynote speaker for the College’s 11th annual Hortense Parker Celebration. Cullors visited Mount Holyoke to honor the legacy of Hortense Parker, the first Black student to graduate from Mount Holyoke in 1883. This celebration was started in 2009 by graduating seniors Ahyoung An and Camila Curtis-Contreras to raise awareness of the history, struggles and achievements of women of color at Mount Holyoke.
Community holds annual Hortense Parker celebration
BY LAYNE MCCARDLE ’22
Hortense Parker was the first recorded African-American student to graduate from Mount Holyoke. On Tuesday, Oct. 2, the SGA Students of Color Committee organized a celebration in honor of the 10th annual Hortense Parker Day. Members of the community gathered in Gamble Auditorium to listen to students, faculty and guest speakers discuss the significance of Hortense Parker’s life and her ongoing legacy, as well as honor the experiences of current students of color.