The six-part series, hosted by Amherst alumna Nichelle S. Carr, tells the complex stories of Black alumnae, faculty, staff from the 1970s to the present
(New York, NY/Amherst, Mass.) – Today, Amherst College launched the “Black Women of Amherst College” podcast on Apple, Spotify and across all podcast platforms. The six-part series illuminates the experiences and contributions of Black alumnae to the College, in their own voices and across multiple generations, including the present day. The project was inspired by the 1999 book of the same name by the late Mavis C. Campbell, a professor of history who taught at Amherst from 1977 to 2006. Featured on the podcast are Sonia Sanchez, the legendary poet and professor, and CNN anchor Laura Jarrett. Listen to the trailer.
Hosted by Amherst alumna Nichelle S. Carr, the podcast tells the multidimensional and sometimes difficult stories of Black women at Amherst—students, alumnae, faculty, administrators, and staff—through their first-hand accounts. The episodes highlight their distinctive and influential contributions to the College, including the arrival of women and Black women at Amherst, the development of the Black Studies discipline and intellectual thought, and campus activism. The material will form a digital, living archive to be preserved in the Amherst College Archives and Special Collections.
"I want to thank Nichelle and the many contributors to this project for elevating and making visible the contributions of Black women to Amherst College,” said Michael A. Elliott, president of the College. “The stories in this podcast offer compelling testimony of the many ways in which Black women have been essential to Amherst's pursuit of its mission to educate students in service to the greater good, and they remind us of the urgency of our work to create a truly inclusive campus community."
“This podcast is part of a larger storytelling project that will create a space for Black women to engage with the College that did not exist before,” said Carr, who also executive produced the series. “Amherst’s motto is Terras Irradient—‘Let Them Enlighten the Lands.’ In that same spirit, we add Terras Levamus—‘We lift up the Earth.’ We believe that when Black women rise, we all rise.”
Carr is the founder and lead producer at WC1 Studios and Chief Content Officer at AudPop. Through WC1 Studios, she raises awareness of evocative and entertaining untold stories from diverse perspectives for global audiences. Carr serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award USA and is an executive officer of the Board of Directors of the ACLU Foundation of Southern California. She graduated from Stanford Law School and holds a B.A. in Black studies and law, jurisprudence & social thought from Amherst College.
Amherst College prepares students to use ideas to make a difference in the world. Since its founding, in 1821, in Western Massachusetts, Amherst has demonstrated steadfast confidence in the value of the liberal arts and the importance of critical thinking. Today, its financial aid program is among the most substantial in the nation, and its student body is among the most diverse. Small classes, an open curriculum and a singular focus on undergraduate education ensure that leading scholars engage daily with talented, curious students, equipping them for leadership in an increasingly global and complex world. For more information on Amherst College, visit amherst.edu and follow @AmherstCollege.
For more information on Black Women of Amherst, visit the website and follow Black Women of Amherst on Instagram and Twitter.
Related Content:
- Website: Black Women of Amherst
- Story: The Black Women of Amherst: The Podcast