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virtuagirl2.txt

October 31, 2005

With Sisterly Love


What would Otelia say?

This Thursday is Otelia Cromwell Day. For those of you who don't know, Otelia Cromwell was the first Black student to attend Smith College. According to Mentha Hynes, Associate Dean of Multicultural Affairs and Student Affairs, fewer than 2000 have attended Smith since then. The purpose of Otelia Cromwell day, according to the Smith website, is to be "an effort to provide the college community with an opportunity for further education and reflection about issues of diversity and racism."

Though it is only Monday, a recent e-mail sent out by Hynes today provides an opportunity to kick start this discussion. The e-mail, sent out only to minority students, discusses how many students have been upset that Smith has not done anything to recognize the passing of civil rights hero (or s'hero, as the e-mail puts it) Rosa Parks. Heynes goes on to explain why students should not expect Smith to do anything:


Some of you have asked why the college has not acknowledged the passing of Sis. Rosa. My question is why would you expect "the administration" to care? Of course many members of the larger Smith community will have some appreciation for her life ... but not in the ways in which I expect you to.

Nevermind that, as an Associate Dean, Heynes is a part of the administration. But the importance of this e-mail lies in the questions it brings up. Can Smith increase its number of Black students when it addresses multicultural issues in a way that does not include most of the campus? Why should it be assumed that white students cannot appreciate the importance of Rosa Parks? And won't the administration provide every Smith student with an equal voice and an equal opportunity to be part of the discourse? How are Smith students educated by these administrative strategies? As a white student, will I never receive an e-mail from a Smith administrator signed "with sisterly love"?

Posted by Mandy Smithberger at October 31, 2005 06:27 PM

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