On Allegheny College's Response to the Death of George Floyd

Class of 2014

Allegheny needs to pay more attention to this, as well as (STILL) title IX.

‘15

As I have had conversations with neighbors over the past week or so I have been taken back to the years of the early 1970s and many of the same experiences that I encountered at Allegheny. After reading your letter I found it scary that those words were no different that the ones that were uttered to us 50+ years ago. But you put yourself out there being known for the Allegheny College Civility Award . This award was supposed to have been born out of the college's deeply troubled rise of incivility in U.S., politics, and its negative impacts o political participation, particularly among young people, according to your website, allegheny.com. You go on to say that this prize seeks to honor public figures who have demonstrated steadfast civility, authentic, courageous civility at an important moment in time. This is your moment to step to the plate with your Black students and other students of color and show what it really means to have character, once again to be the example. Need you be reminded that recent award winners were Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y) & Doug Collins (R.GA) (2019) for their work toward criminal justice reform which lead to the passage of the bipartisan First Step Act. Beta O'Rourke & Will Hurd (2018), Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (2017), VP Joe Biden and the late Sen John McCain (2016), John Lewis (D-GA) 2015, You must ask yourself could you stand there with these people you have honored and measure up today with the wanna be commitment that you have presented to your students? Or maybe you should ask Hakeem Jefferies or John Lewis? Now is not the time to dip your toe in the pool. If Mitt Romney (R-UT) can go to a Black Lives Matter protest and can proclaim such on national television, Allegheny College can make a STRONG commitment to its students that has passion, is more substantive, trustworthy, and actionable.

Classof 2015

Class of 2015

Class of 2015

I am a 2012 alumna, and I urge leaders of the school to provide a concrete, actionable list. Check with the WGSS department—they have some really great ideas on how to do this.

Class of 2011

Class of 2004

Class of 2015

Class of 2018

Allegheny ‘22

Allegheny Alumni 2008

After a long list of racial profiling incidents with both the Allegheny Administration and Allegheny Security you owe it to black students, professors, and staff to reissue your statement on the police murder of black lives. This is a small step that the College can take in making campus a more inclusive environment for everyone. Once you reissue your statement please make a stronger commitment to inclusivity and equity through direct action. Thank you.

I would also like to learn about the follow-up policies to emerge (if any) from the 2019 incident in which an Allegheny student was arrested publicly for assault, only to have charges dropped at a later point. It was clear in that case that the student was racially profiled by the Meadville Police, and I would appreciate clarity on how the college protects students from police brutality and how it chooses to engage with local police.

2014

Stand behind your statement of community and do the work to be inclusive.

2020

1969 to 1971