Pitzer professor Kouross Esmaeli along with his MS 124 students hosted “Does Context Matter?,” an open dialogue concerning Mo Amer’s usage of the N-word in his recent comedy show at Scripps. Many noted that the TSL opinion piece on the topicfailed to mention that Amer used the slur in reference to his oppression as a Middle Eastern person in America. Attendees sought to contemplate this issue as well as other related concerning the intersections of race and identity.
Tag: BSU
Pitzer, Scripps BSUs challenge lack of Black History Month initiatives, demand increased institutional support
As Black History Month came to a close this February, the Black Student Unions of Pitzer College and Scripps College called out their administrations for a lack of support for Black students on Tuesday, Feb. 28 and Wednesday, March 1, respectively. Pitzer’s Black Student Union (BSU) released a seven-page document
Leaders of 5C Black student organizations plan social and educational events for Black History Month
This February, Black student organizations across the 5Cs. Each club works to empower Black student voices across the campuses. Many of them address important issues such as student inclusivity and education of the Black experience in the United States.
Student affinity groups at Pomona fight for permanent space on campus, reject dividing wall
Over the past month, several 5C affinity groups have been in an ongoing struggle with Pomona College administration to preserve and provide permanent safe spaces for students of color.
Before Inside-Out and PAYS, Danny Wilks PO ’71 brought activism into the community
Teaching partnerships between incarcerated people in California and the 5Cs might seem like a recent development. But in the late 1960s, student members of Pomona College’s Black Studies Center developed an educational program for prisoners in Chino, led by BSU founder Danny Wilks PO ’71.
‘Faculty and student silence means nothing less than passive consent’: Chronicling the fight for a Black Studies Center in Claremont
The 1960s were an eventful time for Black students at the 5Cs. Until 1967, they didn’t have a Black Student Union, which eventually came to fruition largely because of the efforts of Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran PO ’69, John Payton PO ’73 and Danny Wilks PO ’71.
From Claremont to the Supreme Court: John Payton’s PO ’73 search for knowledge and justice
Well before he was tackling some of the most monumental affirmative action cases before the Supreme Court, John Payton PO ’73 was advocating for the rights of Black students at the 5Cs.
From Black student admissions to Black-centered curriculum, Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran PO ‘69 paved the way
From Compton to Claremont to Kalamazoo, Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran PO ’69 has been a trailblazer in the field of education her entire life. What started as activism in her teenage years only grew stronger as an undergraduate at Pomona College, carrying through in her years in Nigeria and as president of Kalamazoo College.
Pomona Black Student Union pushes for full-time room dedicated to Black students
Last month, Pomona College granted the Black Student Union’s request for Black students to have their own designated room on campus with the caveat that the room would only be theirs after 7 p.m. In response, the BSU is calling for that room to be available “full time.”
Pitzer BSU calls for greater support for Black students from admin
The Pitzer Black Student Union called on the college to provide greater support for Black students in a six-point address, offering solutions that they say would “support and foster a successful and well-rounded college experience for their Black students.”