Originally published November 23rd, Dartmouth Faculty and Staff have voiced their support of and allegiance to Dartmouth students fighting against institutional racism and inequality. They state:
We write in support of and in solidarity with Dartmouth’s students, especially students of color, who are at the forefront of college discussions about racism and inequality. For several years, Dartmouth’s students have fostered conversation and action about structural racism in higher education – interventions that have captured media attention and inspired America. Since 1968, the College has generated at least six major reports outlining structural inequality on campus and making concrete suggestions for improvement. And yet, substantive change has not resulted in a campus where all students can thrive. It is clear that these issues have been central to the experience of many of our students, faculty, and staff for decades.
We have arrived at a moment of great opportunity thanks to the work of activist movements like #blacklivesmatter and students, faculty, administrators, and alumni from Dartmouth and peer institutions. We note with cautious optimism the steps the administration has taken in response to student activism in 2013, which culminated in the student occupation of Parkhurst and the introduction of the Freedom Budget in 2014. But we join the students in calling on Dartmouth’s administration and Board of Trustees to lead peer institutions like Brown, Columbia, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale, which have made substantial new financial commitments of as much as $100 million, especially toward recruitment and retention of tenure-track faculty and students of color.
Follow the source for the complete letter of support as well as the many faculty and staff members who have signed their support.