black experience at amherst

MARCH 7th, 2016

Plans to interview Raphael Tshibangu have been put on hold until I have met with Carol in the Alumni Office. I reached out to her and to Jesse Barba to see what information they could provide for me, and Carol responded saying that she would have a short list of past African students for me this Friday after which I will meet with her to go over interviewing strategies. I’m not sure if I said this in my last reflection but I do plan on interviewing at least 4 alums from each decade. Tshibangu will be my alum from ’74. Looking through the biographical records of people from the class of ’85 (to be my next decade), I found out that Uhuru Kenyatta (the current president of Kenya) attended Amherst. How awesome would it be if I could interview him about his experience here?! Though I’m really not sure about Amherst’s political stance about that – but I will speak to Carol on Tuesday about whether or not this is a possibility. I also looked into the Clubs and Societies box for the folders of the Afro-American society and the International Clubs (both clubs which Tshibangu was a part of). I found a list of International Club members in 1970 which had a few Africans listed by their home countries. Kenyatta’s cousin was on that list. I thought the Afro-American club was interesting because of a document I found about a symposium regarding Black Studies that was held and the symposium included events catered toward African studies/ students/ interests (see other image attached). I think it’s great that such a symposium and club existed to serve the needs and backgrounds of all of its members. I will ask the other alums who I interview just what groups, clubs or spaces they found support and comfort in while they attended Amherst.