• About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
The Wellesley News -
  • News and Features
    • The Wellesley (COVID) 100
      The Wellesley (COVID) 100
    • In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays
      In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays
    • Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint
      Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint
    • News
      • News in Brief
      • Nation & World
      • President’s Corner
      • Senate Report
    • Features
      • Alumnae Spotlight
      • Eye on Science
      • Faculty Focus
      • LGBTQIA+ Column
  • Opinions
    • The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration
      The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration
    • Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals
      Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals
    • No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech
      No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech
    • Staff Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
    • The Elephant in the Room
  • Arts
    • Be/longing Centers Connection and Care
      Be/longing Centers Connection and Care
    • No image
      Birds Falling Upwards: Wellesley College Theater’s The Moors is a Must-See
    • No image
      Sometimes you just need to read a YA “Groundhog Day” to feel something
    • Arts In The News
    • Reviews
    • Music Peek
    • Books Before Boys
  • Health and Wellness
    • February Student Athlete of the Month
      February Student Athlete of the Month
    • Athletics Update
      Athletics Update
    • Victoria Garrick Speaks on Mental Health
      Victoria Garrick Speaks on Mental Health
    • Athlete of the Week
    • Boston Sports Update
    • The Vegan Digest
    • The SHE Corner
  • The Wellesley Snooze
    • Wellesley News Leadership Changes Completely Peacefully Without Any Suspicious Disappearances At All
      Wellesley News Leadership Changes Completely Peacefully Without Any Suspicious Disappearances At All
    • Solve Your Connection Problems With Wellesley Insecure
      Solve Your Connection Problems With Wellesley Insecure
    • Mayhem strikes Wellesley as paper towels removed from campus
      Mayhem strikes Wellesley as paper towels removed from campus
  • Miscellanea
    • President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
      President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
    • Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
      Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
    • 50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
      50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
    • The Dose
    • The Olive Branch
    • Multimedia
      • Galleries
      • Infographics
      • Videos
By thewellesleynews Opinions, Staff EditorialFebruary 4, 2015

New commission promises adminstrative response to racial inequality

President Bottomly announced to the Wellesley community on Jan. 28 the creation of the Commission on Race, Ethnicity, and Equity. In the announcement, Bottomly asserted that racism is present on our campus and poses a significant threat to the integrity of Wellesley College. Bottomly’s statements acknowledge a long ignored problem of our institution that has affected many members of the community. Often, our campus prides itself on being politically correct; Bottomly’s creation of this new committee emphasizes that there is a difference between being a diverse school and one that accepts diversity unconditionally.

The announcement comes after two semesters of activism by the WAAM-SLAM II movement and campus protests in response to the racially charged murders of Mike Brown, Eric Garner and many others. The Wellesley News Editorial Staff applauds the much-needed formation of the Commission on Race, Ethnicity, and Equity and hopes that it will yield substantive changes. Among the actions proposed by President Bottomly’s announcement, we hope that the College will ensure the empowerment of student voices in the decision-making process and emphasize the discussion of issues of race and equity in the Wellesley curriculum.

Bottomly wrote that the Commission seeks to discontinue policies that promote racial disparity — a task that cannot be fulfilled without student input. Much of the racial inequality on campus is observed and felt by students themselves, and many of us have testimonies of unequal treatment. Students have strongly voiced their determination to combat the forces of social and racial discrimination on campus. In an email to the Wellesley community on December 2014, Ethos Leadership stressed their desire to incite change, “We, as students of Wellesley College, seek to reclaim our own voices,” Ethos Leadership wrote. “It is time for us to empower ourselves to become catalysts for change today, not tomorrow.”

Among the issues that the Commission seeks to tackle, Bottomly lists the incorporation of issues of race into our curriculum. As a community of students that places great value in politically relevant academics, we want to see discussions of race on our courese syllabi.  We believe that being well-rounded students involves awareness of race discrimination, and that a liberal arts education must include dialogues of inequality. Ethos Leadership stated in their letter to the college community that silence is complicity. Including race and inequality in our curriculum is one of many ways to break this silence, a measure that would reach the student community as a whole.

The creation of both the President’s Advisory Committee on Gender and Wellesley and the Commission on Race, Ethnicity, and Equity addresses urgent issues at Wellesley. The Wellesley News is eager to see what actions evolve from the creation of these groups and hopes to observe much-needed change in our community.

Bottomly stated in her address to the community that the forces of racism are “often hidden issues.” Issues of race are, in effect, hidden to some — but vividly present to others. To make Wellesley a true safe space, where we all feel included, Wellesley needs to make addressing racism a priority for everyone on campus. While racism and intolerance continue to permeate our increasingly globalized world, it is our responsibility as the upcoming generation to challenge implicit prejudice that exists to this day. The first step, of course, is to recognize it.

Share on

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Previous articleShadow grading inspires academic exploration
Next articleCollege responsible for ensuring safety and fair compensation for dining hall workers

You may also like

The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration

Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals

No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

Top Articles

Sorry. No data so far.

Recent Tweets

Tweets by @Wellesley_News

The independent student newspaper of Wellesley College since 1901.

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

  • About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
COPYRIGHT © 2022 THE WELLESLEY NEWS
Back to top