The discovery of anti-Black vandalism in a Mount Holyoke College residence hall at the beginning of the November Break period has prompted an investigation by the College. Around midnight on Nov. 22, residents on the third floor of Pearsons Hall found a racist message scrawled across a community bulletin board. The hate message reading “no [N-word]s” expressed that Black students are not welcome at Mount Holyoke.
“The Movement for Black Lives calls for us to … actively invest in systems that promote the wellbeing rather than the harm of Black people,” Adam Reid said at South Hadley’s annual Town Meeting on June 9, as he proposed a police budget decrease. The proposal, which would reallocate some money from the police budget to public schools, was shot down by voting members during the meeting.
BY KATIE GOSS ’23
STAFF WRITER
On Tuesday, April 20, Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer who has been on trial for the murder of George Floyd, was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The murder of George Floyd last summer sparked protests nationwide against police brutality, and this trial was considered “one of the most consequential trials of the Black Lives Matter era,” according to CNN.
After the verdict was read, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to the Floyd family and released public statements.
“Nothing is going to make it all better. … Nothing can ever bring their brother or their father back. But this can be a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America,” Biden said, according to CNN.
Philonise Floyd, George Floyd’s brother, also commented on the verdict. “Justice for George, it means freedom for all. … The world has sparked, and lit up with a blaze tonight. And it’s a celebration. Business can be taken care of tomorrow, but it’s a celebration today,” Philonise Floyd said.
Judge Peter Cahill said that sentencing for Chauvin is expected to be delivered about eight weeks from now. According to Minnesota state guidelines, it is recommended that there should be 12.5 years for each murder charge, and another four years for a manslaughter charge. State prosecutors will request a stricter sentence.
“Mount Holyoke must be persistent and uncompromising in addressing the challenges that members of our community who identify as BIPOC — Black, Indigenous and people of color — have brought to our attention. We must identify and address all forms of implicit and explicit racism, bias and discrimination on our campus,” wrote President of the College Sonya Stephens in an Aug. 27 letter to Mount Holyoke community members.
