Amherst College, the third oldest institution of higher learning in Massachusetts, is a private liberal arts college originally founded to train impoverished young men for the ministry. When the College went coed in the mid-1970s, the first Black female students encountered a campus that was not designed, built or ready for them. Inspired by the book Black Women of Amherst College by the late Mavis C. Campbell, professor emerita of history, this podcast tells a multidimensional story of the Black women of Amherst College — including alumnae, students, faculty and staff — from the first days of the Amherst community through today. We illuminate the accomplishments and wisdom of the Black women of Amherst College and we invite you to listen, share, learn and laugh. This series is a project of Amherst College, in collaboration with WC1 Studios and Zeldavision Media.
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Amherst College, the third oldest institution of higher learning in Massachusetts, is a private liberal arts college originally founded to train impoverished young men for the ministry. When the College went coed in the mid-1970s, the first Black female students encountered a campus that was not designed, built or ready for them. Inspired by the book Black Women of Amherst College by the late Mavis C. Campbell, professor emerita of history, this podcast tells a multidimensional story of the Black women of Amherst College — including alumnae, students, faculty and staff — from the first days of the Amherst community through today. We illuminate the accomplishments and wisdom of the Black women of Amherst College and we invite you to listen, share, learn and laugh. This series is a project of Amherst College, in collaboration with WC1 Studios and Zeldavision Media.
This episode deconstructs stories of vulnerability, challenge, growth and joy from Black women who dared to be their authentic selves at Amherst. Host: Nichelle S. Carr ’98 Guest Co-host: Tene Adero Howard ’01
Discussion topics:
Personal reflections on:
Culture shock and seeking space for self-expression and joy
Amherst College’s beloved but controversial Black freshmen orientation
The high cost of authenticity
Colorism, classism and rejection from one’s own
Code-switching and coping
The importance of “sistahood”
Learning to thrive in a predominantly white institution
Featured interviews (in order of appearance):
Dr. Yulanda Faison-Oyebanji ’92
Billye Smith Toussaint ’01
Sarah Bass ’06
Laura Jarrett ’07
Black Women of Amherst College
Amherst College, the third oldest institution of higher learning in Massachusetts, is a private liberal arts college originally founded to train impoverished young men for the ministry. When the College went coed in the mid-1970s, the first Black female students encountered a campus that was not designed, built or ready for them. Inspired by the book Black Women of Amherst College by the late Mavis C. Campbell, professor emerita of history, this podcast tells a multidimensional story of the Black women of Amherst College — including alumnae, students, faculty and staff — from the first days of the Amherst community through today. We illuminate the accomplishments and wisdom of the Black women of Amherst College and we invite you to listen, share, learn and laugh. This series is a project of Amherst College, in collaboration with WC1 Studios and Zeldavision Media.
