race - The Amherst Student

Racial Epithet Discovered in Valentine Hall

On May 13, Dean of Students Liz Agosto sent an email announcing the discovery of the n-word scratched into a chalkboard in Valentine Hall. An individual found the racial epithet on the second floor near the balcony door and reported it to the Amherst College Police Department. The circumstances regarding

AAS

Let's Start With Disarmament

Yesterday, April 13, the Black Student Union (BSU) called for a college-wide walkout via a message circulated by the Association of Amherst Students (AAS) and on the BSU’s Instagram page. The walkout was planned following the Amherst College Police Department’s (ACPD) refusal to disarm and the killing of

Reform

“Disarm ACPD”: The Association of Amherst Students’ Position on Campus Public Safety

On Monday, March 29, Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety John Carter attended the public safety town hall hosted by the Association of Amherst Students (AAS). This meeting occurred on the first day of Derek Chauvin’s trial for the killing of George Floyd. It has been nearly

divestment

It's Time to Lead, Not Follow

On March 31, Board of Trustees Chair Andrew J. Nussbaum ’85 sent a statement to the college community announcing a new policy to refrain from investment in the fossil fuel industry and, ultimately, phase out all existing fossil fuel investments by 2030. The announcement largely seems to be a response

abuse

We Need to Help Hampden County Inmates

Content Warning: Violence, Racial Violence Right now, the people held at the Hampden County Jail (HCJ), a correctional center located 16 miles from campus, are facing constant abuse. In letters to a local abolitionist group named Decarcerate Western Mass, incarcerated people have detailed the regular violations and threats they face

crisis

Black Perspective: American Normalcy

Welcome to the inaugural article of our new column, Black Perspective. We, the columnists, lament the fact that we must begin our writing careers with the circumstances of the past week looming large. On that topic, we would like to begin by recognizing and denouncing the abhorrent acts of racial

anti-racism

We Need More Than Just Diversity Training

Several weeks ago, I wrote an article in response to New York Times coverage of race relations at Smith College, which argued for a more methodical and nuanced approach to accountability and investigation of identity-based prejudice and harm. While researching the article, I came across a surprising scholarly consensus — apparently,

aapi

Defying the Invisibility and Misrepresentation of the Asian American Experience

It has been an extremely hard week for people of Asian descent living in the United States after eight people, including six Asian women, were murdered in the March 16 Atlanta spa shootings. We all know that the story of anti-Asian racism didn’t start on that day, though it

black

How Can We Right Past Wrongs?

Last Wednesday, March 10, the Associated Press (AP) published an article following the recent push for reparations in the town of Amherst. The article draws heavily on a recent interview with former Sociology Professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMass) Edwin Driver, the first professor of color hired by

black

Symposium: The Racial Politics Underneath the Welfare Question

In my last column, I discussed the rhetoric surrounding the Texas freeze, the relief going to Texas and Republican arguments about relief and redistributive government programs in general. I showed how the moral arguments of personal responsibility and pulling oneself up by the bootstraps are self-defeating and lead to stagnation.