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Writer/Author Nikole Hannah-Jones attends the 34th Brooklyn Tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. held at BAM Howard Gilman Opera House on January 20, 2020 in the Brooklyn section of New York City.
Photo: mpi43/MediaPunch /IPX (AP)
We, the undersigned, believe this country stands at a crucial moment that will define the democratic expression and exchange of ideas for our own and future generations. State institutions across the country are attempting to ban frank and rigorous conversation about our history in the classroom. Few single works have been threatened with more restrictions than the 1619 Project, a landmark exploration of America’s deep roots in enslavement. And now, the 1619 Project’s founder, Nikole Hannah-Jones, has had her appointment as the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill with tenure blocked by its Board of Trustees.
UMass adds a new chapter to racial justice history with Black Presence Initiative
Updated Feb 08, 2021;
Posted Feb 08, 2021
The Black Presence Initiative will create new platforms for exploring the Black experience and history at the University of Massachusetts, according to Nefertiti Walker, UMass vice chancellor for Equity and Inclusion.
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AMHERST In the past year, a growing number of colleges have devoted attention and resources to issues of racial and social justice, but the University of Massachusetts has been committed for decades.
“We have deep roots of activism and social and racial justice, especially racial justice. Our office has only four people, but we serve as a center to amplify the work being done by many others on campus,” said Nefertiti Walker, vice chancellor for the Office of Equity and Inclusion.
February 4, 2021
AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Amherst has launched a new Black Presence Initiative. The Initiative, spearheaded by the Office of Equity and Inclusion, is coordinating a series of actions designed to document and honor the contributions of Black students, faculty and staff to the campus.
One of the more visible actions of the Initiative will be the renaming of the Fine Arts Center for former Chancellor Randolph Bromery. The renaming received Board of Trustees approval in April 2020 thanks to the efforts of a Black Presence Steering Committee, which played a lead role in shaping the Black Presence Initiative. A formal ribbon cutting and celebration will take place once social distancing restrictions are lifted.