The Black Student Union (BSU) at Pomona College in Claremont, California, recently held a town hall to protest against the liberal arts college for enabling a racist environment on campus, according to a report from The Claremont Independent.
The event was attended by some 400 people, including students from Pomona and other Claremont Colleges, as well as local community members. Several members of the BSU spoke to the crowd, citing numerous incidents of racism against Black students at Pomona.
According to these students, there have been several reports of White student-athletes using the n-word in front of Black teammates and facing no repercussions for their actions. One speaker described a “YN” party hosted by a sports team, “where athletes cosplayed as negative Black stereotypes.” There were also reports of a professor repeatedly using the n-word during class.
During the event, the BSU listed demands for Pomona administrators. The student group calls on Pomona leadership to create an “independent bias response and accountability office, separate from existing administrative systems,” conduct clearer and more transparent investigations, implement mandatory bias training for staff and faculty, ensure real consequences for incidents of discrimination, increase Black student participation in institutional governance, and increase funding for Black affinity groups and the Office of Black Student Affairs.
In response to the event, Pomona administrators released a letter to the campus community regarding the reports of anti-Black racism. The notice outlined that student-athletes received “an intercultural competence refresher” during Spring Break and that the athletics department leadership is developing bias reduction and cultural awareness training programs. Additionally, leaders across the Claremont Colleges are collaborating on future bias reduction programs for all students.
“Racism is antithetical to the College’s mission and core values,” wrote Pomona’s Brent Carbajal, interim vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college; Avis Hinkson, vice president for student affairs and dean of students; and Jeff Roth, vice president, chief operating officer, and treasurer. “It has no place on our campus. We are grateful to the students who spoke up and continue to speak up about their concerns. We remain committed to offering support to affected community members as we proceed with our investigations and we look forward to ongoing engagement with our community on this important issue.”
Pomona College enrolls some 1,700 students, 9 percent of whom are Black. The college’s current president, G. Gabrielle Starr, is Pomona’s first African American and first woman president.
