Official Press Release for Tomorrow’s Walk-Out

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 30, 2008

RE: Hampshire College walk out protesting the administration’s failure to actively implement anti-Racist policies on-campus. The administration of Hampshire College, a private liberal arts college in western Massachusetts, known for its progressive views in education is being pressed to adopt measures that challenge institutional racism faced by students on campus.Tomorrow morning, March 31, 2008, Hampshire College’s administration led by college President Ralph J. Hexter is expected to announce its response to an ongoing campaign on behalf of the Students of Under-represented Cultures and Ethnicities (SOURCE) and other members of the student body and selectedfaculty.There will be a campus-wide Walk out beginning at 11 AM as negotiations have reached a stalemate this weekend.The campaign, “Action Awareness Week,” is the culminating point of no return of years of negotiations between students and administration on the subject of ongoing racism present at Hampshire.The Dakin Agreement of 1988, resulted from a similar crisis. Twenty years after the original document was established by both students and administration many of the resolutions agreed and signed-upon are still unmet.

Hampshire College is failing to implement active anti-racist policies at the expense of students of underrepresented cultures and ethnicities on campus.

Hampshire College has been a leading voice in progressive political and educational thought since its inception in 1970. Hampshire College was the first educational institution in the U.S. to divest from apartheid South Africa in 1976 [sic].

Today, Hampshire College’s motto “Non Satis Scrire” (To know is not enough), is being put to the test.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

GENERAL PHONE CONTACT: 305.992.2631

Matan Cohen, mc07@hampshire.edu

Romina Ruiz, rr05@hampshire.edu

Francisco Rodriguez, far06@hampshire.edu

Ellen French, elf07@hampshire.edu

Amelia Carter, amc07@hampshire.edu

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Tags: hampshire, racism, students