By Kamil Mahmood Over the years, student protests and activism have been an integral part of Amherst’s history. From occupying campus buildings to organizing conferences, students have used a variety of ways to make their voices heard. Here’s a look back at some of the ways that Amherst students have risen for the causes they…
Before Amherst was Amherst: Eighteenth Century Foundations, Part II
This is the second in a series of research blogs that will explore the history of enslavement at or adjacent the site now home to Amherst College. For context, begin with Part I of the series. In the first blog of this series, we looked at the origins of the historical narrative of slavery at…
Before Amherst was Amherst: Eighteenth Century Foundations, Part I
This is the first in a series of research blogs that will explore the history of enslavement at or adjacent the site now home to Amherst College. On January 29, 1749, Reverend David Parsons (1712-1781) of Hadley 3rd precinct performed two baptisms: one for his day-old son, David Jr.; the other for a child named Goffy….
Race in Athletics: Trailblazers in Amherst College History
The “feeder-school” phenomena shaped Amherst’s student body for decades. Every year, students flocked from elite institutions in droves, exceptionally attuned to the demands of college life. Yet, one aspect of Amherst’s pipeline tradition stands apart from the typical feeder-school model of affluent, predominantly white institutions. Throughout the 20th century, Amherst admitted more students from Paul…
Meet Julia Carroll, Research Fellow
If we haven’t had a chance to meet yet, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Julia Carroll and I am the second research fellow for the Reckoning with the Racial History of Amherst College project. February marks the beginning of my fifth full month in this role. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia,…
Slavery, Amherst College, and Black lives in the Connecticut River Valley
The Racial History Steering Committee, along with the Office of the President, and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion shared current research findings and new research opportunities at a panel discussion on April 11, 2023. Speakers: Welcome by President Michael Elliott Mike Kelly, Co-chair of the Steering Committee on A Racial History of Amherst…
There Are No Good Billionaires, or the Trask-Dickinson Connection
I am now several months from graduating and completing the senior thesis that originated in a series of blog posts on this site regarding Israel Trask, his relationship to Amherst College, and his life as an enslaver. While I am proud of the work I have done, something has been nagging at me, something that…
Remembering Enslaved People and the Meaning of History
Jin Cole (c.1723-1808) Cato (c. 1737-1825, son of Jin Cole) Titus (1751) Caesar (baptized 1741) Adam (baptized 1735) Peter (baptized 1735) Unknown Name of a Girl (1757) Phillis (age 9, 1741) Humphrey (1742) Caesar (baptized 1741) Pompey (1736, husband of Rebecca) Rebecca (wife of Pompey) Ishmael (1749) Caesar (1750) Mesheck (baptized, 1747) Unknown Name of…
Israel E. Trask and Paternalism
Students who took Professor Elizabeth Herbin-Triant’s course “Slavery in US History & Culture” during the Fall 2021 semester visited the Archives & Special Collections to explore primary sources related to slavery. This blog post is by student Anna Kruesel ’22, who chose to focus on a single letter from the Israel E. Trask Papers. The…
Nicka Smith Presentation: Community Discussion on Next Steps. Monday, October 18 at 4:00
Please join us at the Center for Humanistic Inquiry (second floor, Frost Library) on Monday, October 18 at 4:00! The Steering Committee of A Racial History of Amherst College invites any and all interested members of the Amherst College community to discuss genealogist Nicka Smith’s presentation of October 4, 2021–and the important questions of whether…
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