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trinity_coalition_of_blacks [2024/08/13 14:34] – bant05trinity_coalition_of_blacks [2024/08/13 15:03] (current) – [Trinity Coalition of Blacks (TCB)] bant05
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 In 1973, the TCB devoted a great part of its energy toward organizing the first Black Culture Week, inviting artists, musicians, and political speakers to campus to bring Black culture directly to Trinity students. The festival began with a concert co-featuring the Elvin Jones Quartet and the soul a capella quintet, The Persuasions. Two lectures were delivered by James Turner, chairman of the African Studies Institute at Cornell University, on the rise of Black nationalism and by Herb Edwards, professor at Harvard Divinity School, on trends in Black theology. TCB would continue to hold similar annual week-long celebrations of Black Culture well into the following decade. In 1973, the TCB devoted a great part of its energy toward organizing the first Black Culture Week, inviting artists, musicians, and political speakers to campus to bring Black culture directly to Trinity students. The festival began with a concert co-featuring the Elvin Jones Quartet and the soul a capella quintet, The Persuasions. Two lectures were delivered by James Turner, chairman of the African Studies Institute at Cornell University, on the rise of Black nationalism and by Herb Edwards, professor at Harvard Divinity School, on trends in Black theology. TCB would continue to hold similar annual week-long celebrations of Black Culture well into the following decade.
    
-During the 1980-81 school year the TCB, in conjunction with the Student Coalition and the [[student_government_association|Student Government Association (SGA)]], helped to organize and sponsor the College’s first Student Awareness Day, during which all classes were cancelled and a school-wide forum centering on discrimination against minorities was to take place. The idea for an Awareness Day was born of recurring instances of intolerance to minorities on campus as reported by many individuals and student groups. After a meeting between minority student groups, the SGA, and the [[board_of_fellows|Board of Fellows]], the concept of a school-wide forum began to take form. According to a letter to faculty appealing for support for the project, the need for Awareness Day was due to a "marked increase in intolerance and insensitivity at Trinity, manifesting itself in vandalism, noise, thinly disguised racist and sexist attitudes, and a host of other forms." The day featured an offering of 26 panels dealing with wide-ranging social and political topics. All students, faculty, and administrators were alphabetically assigned to a discussion group centering on the “rights and valid expectations of the Trinity community and their attendant duties.” Community organizations like Amnesty International and Big Brothers/Sisters had tables set up where students could sign up for volunteer work, and the day was concluded with a picnic on the Quad accompanied by musical entertainment.+During the 1980-81 school year the TCB, in conjunction with the Student Coalition and the [[student_government_association|Student Government Association (SGA)]], helped to organize and sponsor the College’s first Student Awareness Day, during which all classes were cancelled and a school-wide forum centering on discrimination against minorities was to take place. The idea for an Awareness Day was born of recurring instances of intolerance to minorities on campus as reported by many individuals and student groups. After a meeting between minority student groups, the SGA, and the [[board_of_fellows|Board of Fellows]], the concept of a school-wide forum began to take form. According to a letter to faculty appealing for support for the project, the need for Awareness Day was due to a "marked increase in intolerance and insensitivity at Trinity, manifesting itself in vandalism, noise, thinly disguised racist and sexist attitudes, and a host of other forms." The day featured an offering of 26 panels dealing with wide-ranging social and political topics. All students, faculty, and administrators were alphabetically assigned to a discussion group centering on the “rights and valid expectations of the Trinity community and their attendant duties.” Community organizations like Amnesty International and Big Brothers/Sisters had tables set up where students could sign up for volunteer work, and the day concluded with a picnic on the Quad accompanied by musical entertainment.
    
 Throughout the second half of the decade, TCB continued to advocate for more diversity at Trinity, participating in a protest march and sit-in in the spring of 1986, during which they read their demands to the Vice President of the College, which were aimed at increasing minority enrollment. Throughout the second half of the decade, TCB continued to advocate for more diversity at Trinity, participating in a protest march and sit-in in the spring of 1986, during which they read their demands to the Vice President of the College, which were aimed at increasing minority enrollment.
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 The group also contributed to organizing Trinity’s first Black Alumni Gathering in September 1990. Around 60 former students returned for a weekend where they attended classes, a faculty discussion, musical performances, a panel discussion on the future of Trinity, and sporting events. Later in the semester, the PAA invited Beverly Anderson-Manley to deliver a lecture about women’s issues in Jamaica. This lecture brought to the forefront many issues which were pertinent to black women on campus at the time. For example, in 1992, repeated incidents of racial and sexual discrimination against black women by white men on campus were reported during, leading the PAA to collaborate with the Trinity Coalition of Black Women Organization (TCBWO) on a letter to the administration urging them to take these issues more seriously. Following the letter, the groups met in person with President [[gerety_tom|Thomas Gerety]] to present their demands upon the administration in the form of a comprehensive plan of action to remedy sexual harassment on campus. Meetings with administration such as these were frequent for the PAA, who made it their responsibility to advocate for black students who had experienced discrimination that they felt was not being properly addressed. The group also contributed to organizing Trinity’s first Black Alumni Gathering in September 1990. Around 60 former students returned for a weekend where they attended classes, a faculty discussion, musical performances, a panel discussion on the future of Trinity, and sporting events. Later in the semester, the PAA invited Beverly Anderson-Manley to deliver a lecture about women’s issues in Jamaica. This lecture brought to the forefront many issues which were pertinent to black women on campus at the time. For example, in 1992, repeated incidents of racial and sexual discrimination against black women by white men on campus were reported during, leading the PAA to collaborate with the Trinity Coalition of Black Women Organization (TCBWO) on a letter to the administration urging them to take these issues more seriously. Following the letter, the groups met in person with President [[gerety_tom|Thomas Gerety]] to present their demands upon the administration in the form of a comprehensive plan of action to remedy sexual harassment on campus. Meetings with administration such as these were frequent for the PAA, who made it their responsibility to advocate for black students who had experienced discrimination that they felt was not being properly addressed.
  
-In 1994, the PAA, as part of the Minority Coalition of Trinity College, petitioned the [[student_government_association|Student Government Association (SGA)]] to add six new voting seats to the existing 48 seats on SGA. The new seats, they proposed, were to be dedicated to a member of each of the minority groups on campus: PAA, the [[asian-american_student_association_aasa_house|Asian Student Association]], La Voz Latina, [[zachs_hillel_house|Hillel]], the Indian Cultural Society, and the Trinity Coalition of Black Women Organization. The PAA had already held a seat on SGA since 1968, and their involvement in this movement was out of solidarity with the other groups making up the Minority Coalition as they pushed for more active representation in Student Government affairs. +In 1994, the PAA, as part of the Minority Coalition of Trinity College, petitioned the SGA to add six new voting seats to the existing 48 seats on SGA. The new seats, they proposed, were to be dedicated to a member of each of the minority groups on campus: PAA, the [[asian-american_student_association_aasa_house|Asian Student Association]], La Voz Latina, [[zachs_hillel_house|Hillel]], the Indian Cultural Society, and the Trinity Coalition of Black Women Organization. The PAA had already held a seat on SGA since 1968, and their involvement in this movement was out of solidarity with the other groups making up the Minority Coalition as they pushed for more active representation in Student Government affairs. 
  
 ===== Imani: Trinity College Black Student Union =====  ===== Imani: Trinity College Black Student Union ===== 
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 In February 2001, Imani helped to sponsor Black History Month events throughout the month, which kicked off with a performance by the Trinity Gospel Choir and a series of speeches and original presentations about black history, leaders, and culture. An open mic event featured student poetry and music. Imani organized several screenings of films showcasing Black culture, including Malcolm X, The Nutty Professor, and Shaft. Today, Imani continues to help organize Black History Month. In February 2001, Imani helped to sponsor Black History Month events throughout the month, which kicked off with a performance by the Trinity Gospel Choir and a series of speeches and original presentations about black history, leaders, and culture. An open mic event featured student poetry and music. Imani organized several screenings of films showcasing Black culture, including Malcolm X, The Nutty Professor, and Shaft. Today, Imani continues to help organize Black History Month.
  
-Throughout the 2002-03 school year, Imani leaders continued to work with the Multicultural Affairs Council, which they had joined in 2000, to promote the expansion of multicultural education at Trinity. In a statement made to the //Tripod// in its September 24, 2002 issue, Vice President of Imani, Haron Atkinson explained the group’s desire for more student interest in multicultural affairs, saying that “One of the greatest obstacles is that our work seems inherently one-sided.... No matter how explicit the ‘All are welcome’ sign is on our fliers, after seeing the multicultural group sponsor, they immediately assume ‘That’s not for us.’” One of the great challenges to Imani’s prosperity as a student group was this lack of interest expressed by Atkinson, and they spent much of their energy trying to garner support from the broader Trinity community throughout the early 2000s. As part of these efforts, Imani participated in a Unity Party in 2005 which was cosponsored by other cultural clubs and [[fraternities|fraternities and sororities]], and aimed at helping students feel more comfortable intermingling with social groups they may not have been familiar with. This event came after a formal discussion forum held by the Diversity Quad on discrimination, during which minority students expressed feeling alienated from Trinity’s Greek culture. Imani has continued to organize such events that aim to foster a sense of unity among all students, while voicing the specific concerns and needs of Black students.+Throughout the 2002-03 school year, Imani leaders continued to work with the Multicultural Affairs Council, which they had joined in 2000, to promote the expansion of multicultural education at Trinity. In a statement made to the //Tripod// in its September 24, 2002 issue, Vice President of Imani, Haron Atkinson explained the group’s desire for more student interest in multicultural affairs, saying that “One of the greatest obstacles is that our work seems inherently one-sided.... No matter how explicit the ‘All are welcome’ sign is on our fliers, after seeing the multicultural group sponsor, they immediately assume ‘That’s not for us.’” One of the great challenges to Imani’s prosperity as a student group was this lack of interest expressed by Atkinson, and they spent much of their energy trying to garner support from the broader Trinity community throughout the early 2000s. As part of these efforts, Imani participated in a Unity Party in 2005 which was cosponsored by other cultural clubs and [[fraternities|fraternities]] and [[sororities|sororities]], and aimed at helping students feel more comfortable intermingling with social groups they may not have been familiar with. This event came after a formal discussion forum held by the Diversity Quad on discrimination, during which minority students expressed feeling alienated from Trinity’s Greek culture. Imani has continued to organize such events that aim to foster a sense of unity among all students, while voicing the specific concerns and needs of Black students.
  
 The group has historically embraced an intersectional presence on campus, forming bonds with other minority and social justice groups on campus to co-sponsor events and protest movements. In December of 2012, alongside a wide-ranging list of other student organizations, Imani participated in Voices Raised in Power, an annual event to raise awareness about sexual violence. Imani also continued to be a part of the Multicultural Affairs Council, which represents a diverse array of student cultural groups and has organized events to bring these groups together. Even as they have partnered with other groups to organize events, Imani has had distinct events of its own creation. One event that was a staple at Imani’s Umoja House was the Love Jones Poetry Slam and Talent Showcase, hosted annually near Valentine's Day from 2011 to 2014. The event featured an array of student performers sharing their work following the theme of love. Blackout, Imani’s gala, is another social event that the group continues to organize annually. The most recent Blackout gala, held in March 2024, received a glowing review from Cornelia Ehlebracht in the //Trinity Tripod//, who wrote that “The night was nothing short of magical,” praising the space Imani cultivates for students as deeply unifying. The group has historically embraced an intersectional presence on campus, forming bonds with other minority and social justice groups on campus to co-sponsor events and protest movements. In December of 2012, alongside a wide-ranging list of other student organizations, Imani participated in Voices Raised in Power, an annual event to raise awareness about sexual violence. Imani also continued to be a part of the Multicultural Affairs Council, which represents a diverse array of student cultural groups and has organized events to bring these groups together. Even as they have partnered with other groups to organize events, Imani has had distinct events of its own creation. One event that was a staple at Imani’s Umoja House was the Love Jones Poetry Slam and Talent Showcase, hosted annually near Valentine's Day from 2011 to 2014. The event featured an array of student performers sharing their work following the theme of love. Blackout, Imani’s gala, is another social event that the group continues to organize annually. The most recent Blackout gala, held in March 2024, received a glowing review from Cornelia Ehlebracht in the //Trinity Tripod//, who wrote that “The night was nothing short of magical,” praising the space Imani cultivates for students as deeply unifying.
trinity_coalition_of_blacks.1723559651.txt.gz · Last modified: 2024/08/13 14:34 by bant05