activism

Housemates Charissa Lee Yi Zhen ’23 and Robyn Wong Min Xuan ’23 met during International Student Orientation and became close friends living in the Womanist House together Spring 2021. Now they have one more thing in common – they are the student recipients of the social justice award named for Peter Morgenstern-Clarren ’03, a social justice activist. However, their journeys to activism took different paths—one developed their passion long before they came to Wesleyan and the other discovered it while on campus. Wong explained that while she learned leadership in high school, “Coming to the U.S. and specifically Wesleyan awakened…

On March 30, more than 150 students gathered outside Usdan University Center for a community vigil to mourn the victims of the March 16 Atlanta spa shootings and to create a safe space for Asian and Asian-American students to discuss the rise of anti-Asian violence and be heard by the community. The vigil was organized by Emily Chen ’23, Kevin Le ’22, and graduate student Emily Moon, in conjunction with members of the Asian American Student Collective. Students read poems, played music, and shared their reflections during the event. Towards the end, the organizers gave anyone moved to speak the…

On July 6, when the U.S. government made a federal ruling that international students would be deported should their studies be held exclusively online, Bryan Chong '21 took immediate action to fight back. The Hong Kong native and visa holder had already spent six years in Connecticut, attending high school in Kent before enrolling at Wesleyan. If the COVID-19 pandemic moved Wesleyan to return to an all-online format again, the policy would have forced Chong to return to China for his senior year of college. But he wasn't worried about himself as much as his international peers. "I couldn't imagine…

After George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was killed during his arrest on May 25 in Minneapolis, sparking nationwide demonstrations, members of Wesleyan’s administration and alumni are speaking out against racial injustice and offering resources for community members. On May 30, Wesleyan President Michael Roth '78 shared a Roth on Wesleyan post titled "Build an Anti-Racist Community in Which Hatred and Intolerance Have No Place." Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd. We speak their names with sorrow and with anger. In recent weeks, we confront once again the fact that in America some people so radically devalue African Americans that…

The first cohort of students participating in the Wesleyan Engage 2020 (E2020) initiative dedicated their winter breaks to working for voter registration and issues advocacy groups, as well as for a range of candidates for presidential, congressional, and local offices. The 16 students participating over winter break were stationed in states as far-flung as Georgia and Alaska, New York and Arizona. Wesleyan awarded over $20,000 to assist with participants’ living and travel expenses while they conducted this work. Many students chose to work with organizations advocating for particular issues, including criminal justice reform, housing justice, reproductive rights, and immigration. Others…

On Sept. 20, members of the Wesleyan community—including students, faculty, staff, and Middletown community leaders—joined millions of young people around the world by participating in the Global Climate Strike. Taking place in more than 150 countries, the Global Climate Strike (held Sept. 20-27) amplifies a chorus of concern about the catastrophic dangers of climate change. The on-campus strike included speeches by students, faculty, and a community member, and concluded with a march around campus. Boldly displaying handcrafted signs, students paraded around campus chanting, "No coal, no oil, keep the carbon in the soil," and "Hey, hey, ho, ho, fossil fuels…

Numerous Wesleyan faculty and students in the sciences attended the March for Science in different parts of the state and country on Earth Day, April 22. Laura Grabel, the Lauren B. Dachs Professor of Science and Society, professor of biology, professor of environmental studies, professor of feminist, gender and sexuality studies, spoke at the New Haven march. "I decided to march because science is being seriously threatened by the Trump administration," she explained. "Trump has not filled almost all of the science positions, has no science advisor, and is using little evidence-based thinking in his decision making. Some of his appointments are puzzling and…

The Allbritton Center, Wesleyan's hub of civic engagement, is maintaining a calendar of campus and community events related to the recent presidential election and its aftermath. "In the wake of the historic 2016 presidential election, we believe that civic engagement — in its many forms — is more important than ever," said Civic Engagement Fellow Rebecca Jacobsen '16. The event listing is housed on the Allbritton Center's Engage blog. Inclusion of an event does not equal endorsement. To submit an event, email engage@wesleyan.edu. "We are committed to transparency, open discourse, and the safety and well-being of all our community members," Jacobsen…

As a sign of our solidarity and commitment to address bias and inequity on campus and in the community, Wesleyan students, faculty and staff gathered at Usdan's Huss Courtyard Sept. 27 for a moment of silence. "As we continue to witness acts of violence around our country – especially toward black and brown and other marginalized persons – we are filled with many strong emotions based upon our own identities and experiences," said Dean Mike Whaley, vice president for student affairs. After a moment of silence and reflection, staff from Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and the Office of Religious…

On April 9, more than 200 students gathered at Olin Library for a vigil to remember the 147 people—most of them students—killed in the massacre at Garissa University College in Kenya earlier this month. Speakers at the vigil included Arnelle Williams '17, Giselle Torres '16, Claudia Kahindi '18, Geofrey Yatich '17, Ismael Coleman '15, Nyanen Deng '17, Alexandria Williams '15, and Irvine Peck’s-Agaya ’18. (more…)

On Dec. 8, approximately 1,000 students, faculty and staff participated in a Black Lives Matter March. The participants marched as a show of solidarity with national protests against discriminatory treatment of blacks in the criminal justice system and incidents of police brutality. The group started at Exley Science Center, marched across campus and proceeded down Washington Street to the intersection at Main Street in Middletown. They chanted "black lives matter," "hands up, don't shoot," and "we can't breathe." In The Hartford Courant, Abhi Janamanchi '17 said he he hoped the event would serve as a "dose of reality" about the racial issues…

Students Awarded Peter Morgenstern-Clarren ’03 Social Justice Award

Students Gather to Honor Atlanta Victims, Combat Anti-Asian Violence

Wesleyan Illuminates 2 Campus Buildings in Support of Restart Day of Action

Chong ‘21 Rallies against ICE Policy, Speaks at Capitol Press Conference

Wesleyan Community Reacts to George Floyd’s Death

Students Volunteer with Civic Organizations Over Winter Break

Wesleyan Community Participates in Global Climate Strikes (with Photo Gallery)

Wesleyan Faculty, Students March for Science

Allbritton Center Maintains Post-Election Calendar of Events

Campus Community Gathers for Moment of Silence

Students Gather to Mourn Kenyan Victims

Students Lead Black Lives Matter March through Campus, Middletown