Pomona College Black Student Union members raise alarm on campus racism
Pomona College in Claremont has long projected the ideals of a liberal arts education: elite academics, small classes and deep student-faculty ties against a backdrop of lush courtyards at one of the nation’s most selective campuses. That image is now under strain. A series of anti-Black incidents has unsettled the campus, raising questions about race and belonging. This year, multiple students have shouted or sung the N-word at athletic events and in residential halls, and held a party where attendees were invited to dress as Black stereotypes. Criticism is growing over a professor’s use of the slur in class. Vandals damaged a campus lounge popular with Black community members. Students have also pointed to Fizz, an anonymous app used by Pomona students and those across the other neighboring undergraduate Claremont Colleges — Pitzer, Harvey Mudd, Claremont McKenna and Scripps — as a place where racist posts regularly circulate. The college has confirmed several of the cases took place and said it is aware of reports of others while investigations are underway. “Pomona College does not …
