Black Student Union Accuses Pomona Administration of Enabling Racist Environment

[Anonymous]

Pomona College’s Black Student Union (BSU) held a town hall attended by hundreds of students last Wednesday night, alleging that black students had been “subjected to hateful experiences on this campus, experiences that range from microaggressions to explicit hate speech to moments that feel like racial violence” and “persecuted in and out of the classroom for simply existing.” The BSU accused Pomona’s administration of complicity in the creation of a hostile environment, and laid out demands for campus reform. Students focused their criticism on black Pomona administrators, including the President and Dean of Students. Many of the recent incidents fall under the protection of California’s Leonard Law, meaning the College cannot legally pursue disciplinary action.

The College’s Black Student Union published an Instagram video on March 13, a few days after Pomona Dean of Students Avis Hinkson sent a school-wide email with the subject line “Addressing Recent Anti-Black Bias Incidents in our Community,” listing a handful of recent incidents of anti-black racism at the college. The BSU post has received over 21,000 likes and 1,000 comments.

https://www.claremontindependent.com/post/black-student-union-accuses-pomona-administration-of-enabling-racist-environment

[Anonymous]

Why did the 5Cs basher make 2 consecutive posts acting like this should be national news?

[Anonymous]

SLAC students making mountains out of molehills. News at 11.

[Anonymous]

this is unfortunate

[Anonymous]

Okay, now I think there’s just someone who was either rejected from Pomona or is trying to get off the waitlist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:this is unfortunate

+1

[Anonymous]

I feel like all these sudden Pomona posts can be consolidated.

[Anonymous]

Some of the incidents sound awful; others farcical.

“alleged vandalism in the First-Generation and Low-Income (FLI) student lounge by a group of students. Pomona administrators communicated to the Independent and Pomona’s student government that the FLI lounge incident was a misunderstanding; students left trash behind in the room, which was interpreted by FLI leadership as a targeted incident.”

[Anonymous]

so some kids left a bunch of trash in a room that black kids use

the black kids took it to mean it was done intentionally so they had to clean it up I guess like slaves

school gets put on blast nationwide

[Anonymous]

Move on with your life already, OP.

[Anonymous]

sounds challenging.

seems like the school papers for 5C seem to always have social tensions brewing: cmc's racism/sexism allegations with swim/diving team getting banned, pomona in this article and issues with hillel group, mudd student pres getting recalled. seems like there's an undercurrent always of charged social tension.

I guess the only one that stay out of the news is scripps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:so some kids left a bunch of trash in a room that black kids use

the black kids took it to mean it was done intentionally so they had to clean it up I guess like slaves

school gets put on blast nationwide

Um…no. The FLI lounge is a space for first gen low income people, not just black students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of the incidents sound awful; others farcical.

“alleged vandalism in the First-Generation and Low-Income (FLI) student lounge by a group of students. Pomona administrators communicated to the Independent and Pomona’s student government that the FLI lounge incident was a misunderstanding; students left trash behind in the room, which was interpreted by FLI leadership as a targeted incident.”

What this suggests is that FGLI students at Pomona feel "on alert" an it was conceivable to them that they were being targeted and their safe space was being vandalized and/or disrespected. These kinds of feelings build up.

Pomona has now admitted the highest per cent of FGLI to their class this year - roughly 30%. They're going to have to work harder on inclusion to make sure the 1 in 3 FGLI are able to merge and be fully included in Pomona's culture which is majority affluent white and Wasian or Asian students.

It's going to be a challenge. I hope they put real resources behind this effort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Okay, now I think there’s just someone who was either rejected from Pomona or is trying to get off the waitlist.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so some kids left a bunch of trash in a room that black kids use

the black kids took it to mean it was done intentionally so they had to clean it up I guess like slaves

school gets put on blast nationwide

Um…no. The FLI lounge is a space for first gen low income people, not just black students.

Why is there even a special lounge for first generation low income students? Pomona has about 1700 students. Are there special lounges for everyone? How many lounges does this tiny school have? Are there signs above every couch? And someone left some trash in this special lounge and that is the scandal consuming the school? It must be exhausting going to Pomona. Every breathe is a potential micro-aggression.