By: Steven Turner-Parker
Ubuntu means “I am because we are.” As black history month comes to a close, Black student organizations had many events on this campus that embodied Ubuntu community elements and showcased what black excellence looks like. With that said, I decided to find some of these fantastic people on this campus to ask them an important question: What does black excellence mean to you?
By: Brie Bristol & Elienishka Ramos Torres
On Feb. 19, rap fans worldwide were left in shock upon hearing the unexpected death of 20-year-old NYC rapper Pop Smoke.
According to TMZ, an early morning emergency call was placed to Smoke’s Los Angeles rental home. Two gunmen broke into the house around 4:30 A.M PST firing multiple shots.
Continue reading “New York City Rapper Pop Smoke Murdered During Home Invasion. How Will Rap Lovers React?”
By Brie Bristol
AMHERST, MA – It was apparent to the public that an overcast day at the University of Massachusetts Amherst would not stop organizers and allies of the Center for Education Policy & Advocacy from marching to the Whitmore administration building, who were advocating against student debt.
The Center for Education Policy & Advocacy, also known as CEPA, has been an agency on campus since 2007, “building grassroots power movements to expand the political consciousness of the campus.”
On Friday, April 12, CEPA as well as their student allies, marched to Whitmore from Goodell lawn. The organizers discussed with the 50 person crowd that they were there to address the UMass Amherst student debt crisis. “The university can’t drown out our voices any longer,” CEPA education & training coordinator Emma Kinney said, stirring up the audience.
by Isha Mahajan
The Office of Equity and Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Amherst presented a teach-in on Islamophobia that aimed to address the religion, its fear and the consequences of dehumanization on Wednesday, Apr. 3, 2019.
The panelists consisted of professors from UMass alongside those from Boston and Hartford, Conn, who provided their opinions and experiences with instances related to Islamophobia from around the country as well as from an international perspective.
“In the wake of the New Zealand massacre, it is vital that we address Islamophobia and how we overcome fear and misconceptions about a faith practiced by 1.6 billion people on earth, which is one in four human beings,” said Reza Mansoor, president of the Islamic Association of Greater Hartford.
Continue reading “Islamophobia Teach-In : Religion, Fear and the Consequences of Dehumanization”
by Cynthia Ntinunu
On Tuesday Mar. 20, the Stonewall Center of the University of Massachusetts Amherst hosted a LGBTQIA+ Art Showcase and Open Mic night. Held in Bartlett Hall, the event was broken up into two parts.
The night started off with snacks and a gallery walk. The gallery featured over 15 artists with art pieces ranging from paintings, embroidery, photography, knitting, and more. People were able to walk through and admire the work that artists created as a rotation of chill music, like Solange’s latest album When I Get Home, played in the background.
