Volume 135 No. 14 - Black History Month Special Edition

Est. 1910 February 25, 2021

scstudentmedia.com // @TheSpfldStudent

Volume 135 No. 14

Celebrating Black History Month Black History Month Alumni Series

As Black History Month draws to a close, read about some notable Black alumni in the history of Springfield College, as well as the ways in which the College continues to strive for more diversity, inclusion and representation on campus every day.

Branwen Smith-King’s fight for equity that yielded the school’s first women’s track and field team.

Dr. Roscoe Brown embodied the Humanics philosophy and spent his life educating and inspiring others.

-- Page 4 --

-- Page 8 --

February 25, 2021

Op-Ed

Beckford: I am still hopeful

Rowan Beckford remains optimistic that Black representation at Springfield College will continue to improve as time goes on.

By Rowan Beckford rbeckford@springfield.edu

S

pringfield College alum and current faculty member, Alanna Grady, wrote a piece in The Springfield Student several years ago attesting to a practiced distinction between Springfield College and “actual Springfield.”

She refutes it thus: “Springfield College is actual Springfield.” I find that I agree, but endeavor to think of the sub community that the College is to the city.

It is no secret that Springfield College and the city do not perfectly or outwardly resemble each other. Having spent most of my life here in Springfield, and all my college experience at SC, I realize that this point of conversation can go on for much longer than I have space to (or intend to) do here.

I am writing on the occasion of Black History Month and the Black Lives Matter at Springfield College programming. More

specifically, on this occasion, I am writing about the low retention rates and experience of Black students at Springfield College.

I am now in my junior year. As a Black student, I suppose I will begin with why I continue to stay, and why might my Black peers not.

What I remember of my orientation largely consists of its promise of community. I think, from then on, any impression I have had of the college— praiseful or condemnatory—has existed in relation to this promise.

So, when I say that I have chosen to stay and that I have never considered leaving, what I mean, in part, is that this promise has largely been made good on.

Yet we know, if taken for granted, that the experience of one person cannot contain that of all persons; often, far too often, the experience of one blots out the experience of others.

I hope to not participate in this blotting out through unwitting or careless lan-

guage. Unfortunately, I can only do so much as gesture to the symptoms and complexities of grievances I have not had.

Perhaps the second impression I generated from my orientation is how white it is. I find it a common enough experience to be the only Black student in a classroom at any given time.

In conversation with my Black peers, I have learned that is more the norm than the exception, as one would expect upon reading the demographics of SC (inverse to the demographics of the city).

This is a neutral observation, in and of itself. But problems can and do arise around it. Speak to enough of your Black peers or scroll through the posts of Black at Springfield College (on Instagram: @ blackatspringfieldcollege), and you become aware of the myriad scenarios where, again, problems can and do arise.

These are chiefly matters of influence, which is to say matters of power.

Unpleasant to note, but true, and far worse to expe-

PAGE 2

Rowan Beckford is a junior English major at Springfield College. (Photo Courtesy of Rowan Beckford)

rience. It should be a virtue to bring people of various backgrounds together for the sake of “leadership in service to others.”

All missions are written with some such idealism in mind, which is why the lack of fidelity to such lofty ideals is particularly troubling, if not heartbreaking or appalling.

One hopes that things do not have to get worse for more effective action to be taken. Speaking for myself, though I do not find myself alone, I find that the pretense of action—I cannot separate it from the mantra of “diversity and inclusion” (as with “multiculturalism” before it)— take precedence over efforts towards real change.

Recalling Grady’s article, one finds that, though college administration speaks tirelessly of the greater community of Springfield, it does not do enough to warrant it. Too often the language highlights the perceived distance the campus has from the city; to want better for Springfield, largely made up of the same minorities we find on campus de-

manding to be heard, is to want better for Springfield College.

But how can we do that, if we cannot do so sufficiently enough on our own campus?

I am still hopeful. I do believe that efforts are being made for better. If I am harsh, it is only because I do see much good, and more potential, in this campus. And that I love it so much.

And though initiatives based around racial justice and equity sometimes find themselves misguided, there are steps being made in the right direction, past performance.

For one, there is the recent acquisition of Nicole Coakley to our campus as Assistant Director for the Center of Service and Leadership. I am pleased to read, in this same paper, that she intends to bring the sub community of Springfield College closer to the city of Springfield.

We have the chance to do great things. I am still hopeful.

February 25, 2021

Legacy Alumni of Color

Legacy for change

PAGE 3

The Legacy Alumni of Color group remains steadfast in their commitment to improving Springfield College and diversifying the campus.

By Irene Rotondo @irenerrotondo

A

passion to solve racial injustices has long been aflame in the hearts of those who make Springfield College the institution that it is -- the students and alumni, and particularly, the alumni of color.

Unfortunately, as of late, the College has been lacking severely in what it professes to be one of its strengths. Until this year, there has been a low sense of racial responsibility in either the administration, faculty and even the students and what they care about pertaining to campus life.

This is not to say that Springfield College students do not support the equality of themselves and their peers; rather, they are missing an understanding of what made alumni of color from 50-years ago overtake multiple buildings on campus in the name of racial equality.

The Legacy Alumni of Color group aims to breathe life back into the Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students and the campus as a whole, to radicalize and to electrify the College community in their beliefs of a just and equal society for all to manifest their own success.

The Legacy group was created in July of 2020, when Dr. Donald Brown (G’69) decided he’d had enough in the way of missing the relationships

An image from the 1969 student protests over Black rights. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Digital Archives) he and other alumni of color had fostered together in their days as students at the College.

“In terms of our coming together initially, a good number of us hadn’t seen each other in about 50 years,” said Brown.

“And I thought that it was time for us to reconnect, to say that I love you, I’m concerned about you, are you a father? Are you a mother? Are you a grandparent? We just needed to see each other, and spend some time loving on each other. But then it evolved into these other things… there were concerns on campus brought to our attention.”

Brown’s initial concern with the campus was that many things have not changed in the 50-years since he was a student. A few of the concerns date back to those that sparked the ‘69-70 takeovers. These initial concerns included a lack of BIPOC head coaches for major sports at the College, the Admissions Office and all of the issues that pertain to it, and a day

set aside for the College to confront racism. The concerns have still gone largely unaddressed by the College.

In 1969, BIPOC students, many of whom are now a part of the Legacy Alumni of Color group, banded together to create a coalition in order to address the racial injustices and prejudices they felt at the hands of Springfield College.

They sent President Wilbur Locklin a memorandum detailing nine demands they had for the administration to benefit the few BIPOC students that were at Springfield College on Feb. 19, 1969.

These demands included, but were not limited to, the installment of a Black coach, the enrollment of at least 200 BIPOC students into the freshman class of ‘73 (a massive leap from the 20-25 BIPOC students that were enrolled at the College at the time), and the addition of a Black staff member in the Admissions Office.

On May 10, 1969, the

students cited a lack of progress on their original nine demands. They resubmitted a new list, this time detailing 11 different demands. The 11 demands were rejected by President Locklin with support of his faculty on May 13, and following its dismissal, 33 Black students entered the Administration building on May 14 at 10:45 p.m. to advocate for themselves and let the administrators know they were a force to be reckoned with.

The students were led by the only Black faculty member on campus at the time, Dr. Jesse Parks. Dr. Parks headed the students voluntarily out of the Administration building on May 15 at 11:15 a.m. – after they had interacted with administration – on a march across campus that ended off-campus.

Later that same year, President Locklin attempted the contrivance of a beta version of a “cultural center” to appease the Black students and their demands. Unsatisfied with what the school

called “progress,” students again decided to take over a Springfield College building and at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, March 10, 1970, 49 Black students seized Massasoit Hall.

They ejected all of the students residing in the dorm from their rooms and occupied the building for two days, all the while meeting with Dean of Students John Costello and other administrators.

The administrators and Dean unsuccessfully tried to remove the students from the hall multiple times. The students denied the administration, saying that they would, under no circumstances, be leaving the dormitory.

The students then issued this statement: “First, the takeover was not solely a result of Monday night’s incident. Rather it was a mixture of frustration, fear and mistrust that has overshadowed the everyday lives of Black students here on the campus of Springfield College. Secondly, the takeover reaffirms our grave disappointment in the handling of Black students’ demands issued on February 19, 1969, and May 12, 1969.”

The College decided that they had two options in order to remove the students: they either were to call in a large number of police officers from the City of Springfield to arrest the students for trespassing, or they were to “employ the injunctive process by means of a Court order through the Superior See Legacy Alumni on Page 10

February 25, 2021

Black History Month

Can’t be denied

PAGE 4

Branwen Smith-King’s grit, determination and resilience played a major role in the formation of Springfield College’s first women’s track and field team.

By Jack Margaros @JackMargaros

T

he shot put is one of the greatest tests of strength in an athlete.

The field event was developed in the late 1800s in the Olympics – they wanted to identify the strongest athlete of the group.

It involves the use of all limbs. In one technique, known as the spin, athletes viciously twirl their bodies to reach maximum torque before hurling a weighted metal ball (referred to as a put) into the air.

With their back turned to the field, put in hand, the athlete presses their hand against the side of the neck to load up -- the opposite hand stays parallel to the put.

The right foot twirls around and plants, squaring the body to the field.

Momentum spins the body rapidly 360 degrees, just in time to plant the left foot before the boundary line and shoot.

It’s a motion that happens so quickly and fluidly that it’s almost impossible not to nearly fall over after the put is airborne.

This flurry of power and speed became almost second nature to Branwen Smith-King, one of Springfield College’s most accomplished and influential athletes.

Dating back to the ‘60s, women have been involved

with track and field on Springfield College’s campus.

None were better than Smith-King. *** Initially, Smith-King did not specialize in the shot put. Truth is, she hated it.

“It was my least favorite event, but I loved track and field so much,” she said.

Smith-King gravitated toward any and every sport growing up in Bermuda. In addition to track and field, she played field hockey, basketball, netball and even rode horses at one point.

“I was always included,” Smith-King said. “We had girls teams, but we would always kick the boys out of the gym to go play volleyball. There were never any gender differences to me. I didn’t feel differently because I was a girl.”

Her two brothers and cousins next door lived outdoors from sunrise to sunset. Aside from sports, the group “ran hills, climbed trees, went on the boat to fish and pick mussels” -- a storybook childhood.

At the end of a successful boat trip, they’d take turns diving off cliffs.

“That’s the childhood I knew,” Smith-King fondly recalled. “I don’t think my parents knew what I did with my brothers out in dad’s boat.”

As high school came around, Smith-King’s passion for track and field

The Springfield College women’s track and field team photo from 1978. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Digital Archives) intensified. She became a member of the Bermuda National Track and Field Team and her trajectory pointed towards becoming an Olympian.

She was the first in her country to win a gold medal at an international competition — the shot put (ironically) at the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) Games in 1973. She set national records in the shot put (still holding the indoor record), pentathlon, discus, long jump and 100-meters.

Her daughter Arantxa, an Olympian, broke her mother’s long jump record in 2012 with a jump of 6.52 m.

Smith-King also competed in the Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia,

in 1971 as a 15-year-old and attended the Olympic Youth Camp at the 1972 Munich Games.

She was a gifted jumper, but injured her knee to the point of requiring surgery.

After graduation, SmithKing was set on studying Physical Education, so she applied to Springfield College. *** Womens varsity sports were implemented at Springfield in 1964. The College was considered progressive at the time, fielding women’s basketball and field hockey teams among a small group of others.

However, one thing that had not attained varsity status when Smith-King arrived on campus in 1974

was track and field, which raised the question in her head: What do you mean there’s no track team for women?

There was the Cherokee Women’s Track Club, created in 1973 by David Harrington.

“I was actually kind of pissed off about it, because I knew what I had experienced growing up in Bermuda,” Smith-King said.

Even though Title IX, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex, was passed two years before Smith-King’s arrival to the States, there was still some disconnect among colleges and universities.

A track club was not good enough.

Especially when, on the

February 25, 2021 other side, the men were enjoying the amenities of school sponsorship. It was unfair, and Smith-King was not about to tolerate four years of it. *** Smith-King befriended her freshman roommate, Sue North-Patterson, immediately in ‘74. Another girl named Betsy created a trio in Abbey Hall -stuffed into a room meant for two.

“We couldn’t have been more different,” North-Patterson said. “Not a lot of the triples stayed together but we did for the whole year.”

North-Patterson was fascinated by Smith-King’s accomplishments back home. She viewed SmithKing as a world-class athlete.

Smith-King was uncommonly strong.

North-Patterson remembered one instance freshman year when the pair was traveling off campus and they saw a car stuck in the mud.

They were asked for help, though Smith-King initially declined in fear of ruining her shoes.

North-Patterson obliged.

As the group struggled to extract the multiple-ton car, Smith-King became impatient.

She went over and lifted the car herself.

Nonchalantly, SmithKing continued walking down the street. Shocked, North-Patterson said to herself, I’m never messing with her.

Smith-King started lifting weights when she was 15. Early on, she tried to workout in Springfield’s weight room, but was denied entry. Women were not granted access at the time.

One day, she convinced a male athlete to let her sneak in. At first, she was greeted with mean stares and disgust, but she didn’t

Black History Month

care.

As Smith-King started throwing around large amounts of weight (sometimes double what some men were doing), she was accepted. Eventually, the weight room became integrated.

“That was the end of that story...I remember that specifically – they were cheering for me.”

Smith-King and North-Patterson each joined the Cherokee Track Club freshman year with the intention of elevating the team to varsity status before they graduated. At the time, women’s sports were not sanctioned by the NCAA, rather by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW).

This made it possible for the club to compete against varsity opponents such as Harvard, UConn, Dartmouth and other big schools across the Northeast.

There was no official schedule. No matching tracksuits. Not even a school-sponsored method of transportation. Just a group of about 20 women coached by a graduate student, Earl Church.

Yet, the Track Club couldn’t lose.

“We crushed everyone,” North-Patterson said.

Smith-King added, “We had some national caliber athletes in all disciplines.

These women were just as dedicated as I was coming out of high school and that was really my sisterhood.”

In the 1975-76 season, five members of the team qualified for collegiate nationals, indoor and outdoor, according to an article published by The Springfield Student in May of 1976.

For a club that was 100 percent fundraiser driven, they could not afford to go.

North-Patterson was understandably disheartened when The Student

PAGE 5

Smith-King (right) with Sue North-Patterson (middle) and Head Coach Earl Church.

(Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Digital Archives) quoted her in ‘76.

“What use is it? If I qualify, I can’t go.”

The Track Club raised funds through bake sales in the cafeteria and t-shirt sales. One shirt in particular, that sold out instantly, read “Runners are better lovers.”

They went to compete at Dartmouth in ‘78 with the men’s team. They were told to travel seperate - the men in buses, the women dispersing into minivans.

Smith-King and North-Patterson ended up qualifying for the finals the next day. They attempted to stay overnight with the men, but were told it was “improper,” so they went back to campus with the women’s team.

Needing to travel 125 miles back to Dartmouth within the next ten hours, Smith-King and North-Patterson decided to take the city bus.

Although that could only take them so far. They would have to hitchhike the rest of the way.

Around 8 a.m., they

hitched a ride from campus to the bus station in downtown Springfield. From then, the bus took them to white river junction. With five miles left, they caught one more ride to Dartmouth.

All of this occurred while the infamous Blizzard of ‘78 (a snow storm that produced nearly four feet of snow and 85 mph winds in the Northeast) was just getting started.

“We didn’t think anything of it,” Smith-King said, going on to say that today, it would have been nearly impossible to pull off something like that.

Smith-King laughs as she recalls these memories.

It was a testament to the women’s dedication and perseverance.

Men’s and women’s sports had separate athletic directors until later in that fall semester of 1975. They were brought together by Dr. Ed Steitz, who served as the all-encompassing athletic director.

Once that occurred, administrators determined

that the Cherokee Track Club could no longer be a club, according to an article published in February of 1976 by The Student.

The Student also reported that the group was met with tension when Smith-King returned to campus at the beginning of the semester. Now that the club label was shed, administrators demanded they change their name.

The term “club” insinuated that they were school sponsored. For liability purposes, the club could not have any affiliation with the College.

So for the 1975-76 school year, the women were known as the Maroon Striders.

That same year a petition surfaced, pushing to make the group an official varsity team. It received over 150 signatures.

Eventually, it got to the point where the Striders were prepared to file a Title IX lawsuit against See Smith-King on Page 16

February 25, 2021

Randolph Bromery

PAGE 6

Springfield’s only Black President

Dr. Randolph Bromery was a number of things: A Tuskegee Airman, Chancellor of UMass-Amherst and the 11th President of Springfield College.

By Cait Kemp @caitlinkemp09

A

s found through a simple Google search of his name, Randolph William Bromery was “an American educator and geologist, and a former Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Amherst.”

It goes on to state that he established the W.E.B. DuBois archives at UMass Amherst, and was involved with starting the Five College Consortium. What is not stated in the initial search is the rest of the outstanding resume Dr. Bromery acquired, along with being the first and only Black president of Springfield College.

Bromery was born in Cumberland, Md. on Jan. 18, 1926. After high school, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps to become a pilot. He went on to fight in World War II in Italy as part of the 332nd Fighter group, more famously known as the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African American flying unit in the U.S. military.

It’s impressive to note that the Tuskegee Airmen were among the most successful and decorated groups of those during WWII in the European theater. Being grouped by

Dr. Randolph Bromery. (Photo Courtesy of UMass Amherst) race due to the segregation that ensued throughout the country, they proved their ability and skill nonetheless.

After the war ended in 1945, Bromery enrolled at Howard University in Washington D.C. but dropped out to pursue a career as an airborne exploration geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey, becoming one of the first African American geophysicists in the country.

It was at Howard University that Bromery met his wife and lifelong partner, Cecile. The couple married in 1947 and had five children together. Mrs. Bromery unfortunately just recently passed away on

Jan. 21 of this year at the age of 95, due to complications of COVID-19.

After returning to school and getting his degree, he arrived at the University of Massachusetts Amherst as a professor in 1969 but quickly worked his way up the ranks.

He became Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, then Chancellor of the university. At UMass, he was able to make a lot of improvements, as he did at every school he was involved with.

One of the largest accomplishments he made during his time there was securing the W.E.B. DuBois papers for the UMass archives. They were highly

desired, most challenged

by Harvard where DuBois received his second bachelor’s degree.

When Bromery was Chancellor at UMass, Donald Brown was fresh out of college working as the director of the Upward Bound program at the university. He recalls Bromery offering him compassion and encouragement after running into some issues with civil rights demonstrations that were taking place.

“Got myself into some situations at UMass Amherst, I was a young activist as I was at Springfield College in 1969 taking over the administration building, continued

doing that even though I was an administrator at UMass Amherst,” said Brown. “Okay, [I] made some mistakes but I think Dr. Bromery recognized, as John Lewis talked about, that I got myself into ‘Good trouble’, I was doing it for the right reasons.

Somebody else may have fired me, but Dr. Bromery did not.”

Bromery went on to become president at then Westfield State College in 1988, where he similarly worked to build up the institution.

It was at Westfield State that Dr. Carlton Pickron first met Bromery. Pickron was most recently the Vice President of Student Affairs at Westfield State, retiring in 2019, but remembers his early days as part of the staff when Bromery was president.

“It was an absolutely phenomenal experience to work with such a leader, compassionate, intelligent person with a wide array of life experiences that I couldn’t even imagine,” he said. “So, having him as not only a supervisor but to become a mentor to me, which was absolutely fantastic. The only disappointing part was it was too short.”

When Bromery was president at Westfield, See Randolph Bromery on Page 15

February 25, 2021

Black History Month

Change in S Action

By Carley Crain @carley_crain12

After a busy fall semester, Springfield College continues to push for a more welcoming and inclusive campus.

Senior Suraji Omoru is the leader of the Black Student Union on campus and has been a vocal advocate for diversity and inclusion. (Photo Courtesy of Joe Arruda/The Student)

pringfield College prides itself on being an inclusive, welcoming and supportive community.

With the recent Black Lives Matter movement protests this past summer, the inclusiveness and supportiveness of Springfield as an institution was questioned.

Many students spoke up and voiced their concerns over the College’s decisions and policies regarding race. This sparked a student-led protest over the fall semester, the March for Action on Alden Street, as well as a list of demands created by Black student groups that was sent to President Cooper and the board of trustees.

While many of these demands have been met or are in the process of being met, one area of concern is still inclusive hiring and what the College is actively doing to create a more diverse atmosphere on campus.

One of the demands by students was for Springfield to hire a Black counselor who is trained in race based trauma. Jennifer Dashiell-Schoffner was recently hired and is now available for students to schedule appointments with.

Senior Raj Omoru, president of the Black Student Union, spoke about how this was a huge step in the right direction.

“We now have somebody on campus who can make students feel included and make them feel like they belong,” he said.

Recent hirings such as

PAGE 7 Nicole Coakley (Assistant Director of Service and Leadership) and Adaeze Alaeze-Dinma (Coordinator of Student-Athlete Leadership Development and Sports Communications Assistant) are a good starting point - but there is much more work to be done.

Students of color often feel like they do not belong on campus because of the lack of representation amongst staff members and students. Feelings of disconnect are apparent as well with their teachers because they do not share or understand the same lived experiences.

“I did not always feel like I belonged or that I was smart enough. At times, you can feel like an outcast if there are no POC (persons of color) represented within your major,” said Omoru.

“I know that our faculty and staff does not reflect the same percentage and it is very different for Black students and people of color on campus,” said Paris Lizana, co-vice president of the Women of Power club. “It is very evident, especially when professors are teaching courses of race and multiculturalism, where it requires a broader perspective in order to be taught effectively.”

The process of inclusive hiring right now is a tactical process for Springfield. As an institution, it is trying to differentiate itself from other universities so they can get more Black, Indigenous and People of Color to apply for open positions. Finding See Inclusive Hiring on Page 14

February 25, 2021

Roscoe Brown

Hero, Educator, Role Model

PAGE 8

Dr. Roscoe Brown’s war efforts and commitment to education helped him have a lasting impact on the lives of many, local and abroad.

By Danny Priest @dpriest3

R

oscoe Brown’s qualifications were remarkable.

A member of the 100th Fighter Squadron in the 332nd Fighter Group, Brown shot down an advanced German Me 262 jet fighter, as well as a FW190 fighter during battle in WWII. He is credited as the first pilot to shoot down a jet during his 68 total combat missions in the war.

His efforts would see him be promoted to squadron commander of the 100th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group, or as they are more commonly known, the Tuskegee Airmen.

The group led escort missions during bombing raids in Berlin, Germany.

The P-51 planes they flew had distinct red markings on the tails which affectionately garnered them the nickname of “Red Tails.

The Red Tails often protected bombers during the war and they represented a sign of strength and security. Little did the white bombers know

that the men flying in the Red Tails were all African Americans.

In total, the group is credited with downing 111 enemy aircrafts in flight and another 150 on the ground. By the time Brown left the military in 1945, he had been awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal for his efforts.

Even prior to his war declarations, Brown was a standout. Before he was training at Keesler Field in Biloxi, Mississippi or the Tuskegee Institute and Army Air Base in Tuskegee, Alabama he was shining his skills at 263 Alden Street in Springfield, Mass.

Brown was Valedictorian of the 1943 class at Springfield College, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree after majoring in pre-medical, chemistry and health physical education.

By the time 1945 rolled around, Brown had numerous awards and high educational distinction to his name.

He decided to continue to pursue his passion for flying and submitted a pilot’s application to Eastern Airlines in New York City.

As mentioned - his qualifications and resume should have been more than enough to garner that

Brown is well regarded for his efforts in WWII as one of the Tuskegee Airmen. (Photo Courtesy of CUNY University) job.

After Brown had given his application to the receptionist, he began to leave the area and move on with his day. Before he got far, Brown came to the realization that he had left his newspaper behind and he proceeded back towards the reception desk to grab it and continue on.

Brown, a military legend just two years removed from college and a man who was not deterred by

racism that existed in full force at the time, returned to the desk to see his application balled up and thrown into the trash.

The receptionist told him plain and simple: “Sorry, we don’t accept Negro applications for pilots here.”

A lifetime of education Despite a resume and accomplishments better than anyone else who could apply for the position,

Brown was denied because of the color of his skin.

The moment did not deter Brown and he would carry on living one of the most successful and impactful lives of any graduate in the history of Springfield College.

Richard Griffin first met Roscoe Brown in 1969.

It was the same year the takeover of the Administration building occurred on the Springfield campus.

February 25, 2021 Griffin, a first-year student at the time, was born and raised in East Harlem, N.Y. - an area where the impact of Roscoe Brown was plentiful, yet Griffin had not known who he was.

At the urging of a staff member in the Alumni Office, Griffin helped organize to invite Brown to campus as a guest speaker for a dinner Black students wanted to turn into an annual event.

Upon reading up on Brown and meeting him in person, it did not take long for Griffin to see what type of man he was.

“He spoke clearly, he looked you in the eyes when he spoke to you, and he was ongoing offering words of encouragement and also trying to find out more about you, the person,” Griffin said.

“He was encouraging to us as students, he spoke about our rich history as African American students in America, and he stated that we should always set high goals for ourselves and work hard towards our goals and continue to be disciplined.”

By that time when Brown was returning to the Springfield College campus, he had earned two more degrees and embarked on a career that focused on benefiting others.

Brown earned a Master’s Degree from New York University in 1949 and a Doctorate in 1951.

From 1950 to 1977, Brown served as a Professor of Education at New York University and the Director of the Institute of Afro-American affairs.

Following that role, Brown would move on to become the President of Bronx Community College as part of the City University of New York (CUNY) and remained in that position until 1993.

In addition to those roles, Brown served the

Boys and Girls Clubs of America for over 30 years, he was active within the Jackie Robinson Foundation and Libraries for the Future, he hosted a television program entitled “African American Legends” and he was a contributor to numerous books.

Throughout his life and all of his jobs, Brown was committed to two things: helping people, especially young folks, recognize the importance of education, and battling racism.

Don Brown attended Springfield College from 1965 to 1969 and is a native of the Bronx, N.Y. He first met Dr. Roscoe Brown in 1990 when he was working for Boston College and creating an initiative called “Concerned Black Men.” That program was similar to the “One Hundred Black Men” organization that Roscoe Brown had a hand in back in New York.

Both groups aimed to improve the quality of life for African American males.

Don Brown reached out to Roscoe Brown and asked him if he would be willing to come to Boston and talk a bit about his program and what made it successful.

“This gentleman didn’t think twice about it. I’ve been trying to remember if we paid for him to come to Boston, I don’t think that we did, but he didn’t blink an eye and said ‘Yes, I want to come to share what it is we’re doing in New York for African American males, beginning as early as elementary school,’” Don Brown recalled.

That was just the type of person Roscoe Brown was. A man who never hesitated to help others and embodied everything about the philosophy of Springfield College.

“More than anybody that I can think of, Dr. Brown, this Alum of Springfield College that proceeded me by 40-years

Roscoe Brown

PAGE 9

Roscoe Brown (left) as a member of the Springfield College lacrosse team in 1942. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Digital Archives) or so, epitomized service and leadership,” Don Brown said.

Prior to becoming Valedictorian at Springfield College, Brown had attended Dunbar High School in Washington D.C. with a predominantly Black student population.

He seamlessly transitioned to a nearly all white student population at Springfield and not only settled in, but stood out as the top student in his class.

“All of these things came together and when I think about spirit, I think about an indomitable spirt - nothing could stop Dr. Roscoe Brown. Nothing could stop him. He was a man on a mission to affect, change and improve the quality of life in the African American community with a particular focus on young people,” said Don Brown.

“In the case of Dr. Roscoe Brown, he made an imprint by what he said and by the example he had been setting which was all

throughout his adult life as I know him. Humility is something... in other words, he wasn’t a braggart person, humility is the word I would use. Along with goal setter,” added Griffin.

In 1992, Springfield College honored Roscoe Brown with an honorary degree of Humanics due to the way in which he demonstrated a commitment towards the Humanics philosophy in his professional life.

Up until his death on July 2, 2016, Roscoe Brown continued to pave the way for a brighter future for Black people in America.

“He was a hero. In all that he accomplished in terms of education, this was no ordinary man,” Don Brown said.

He pointed to recent developments such as Lloyd Austin being the first Black man to serve as Pentagon chief as a credit to the purpose Roscoe Brown saved in his life.

“That didn’t happen by

accident, that happened as the result of efforts

by Roscoe Brown. They opened up, they came back and they fought in their various ways [against] segregation. They became active in the movement, along with Dr. Martin Luther King and others in opening doors - that’s what they did.”

Dr. Roscoe Brown was a lot of things in his life.

A hero.

An educator.

A role model.

Above all else, he wanted the best for others and he left the world a better place than when he came into it.

“Up to the time of his death, he never gave up. I think that if you interview people in Harlem, what they would say is that Dr. Roscoe Brown was a mentor to many that he served,” said Don Brown.

Locally or nationally, Roscoe Brown touched the lives of many and created a brighter future for generations to come.

February 25, 2021 Legacy Alumni continued from Page 3 Court of Springfield.”

Choosing the latter, faculty was brought in to Massasoit Hall to assist police in identifying all 49 students, who were then served with their citations and taken into custody onto a charter bus straight to the courthouse by police officers.

The 49 students and their families were then informed of their suspension from the College following their court dates and citations; each of the students faced a fine from the court, and all were jailed upon removal.

Dismissed from campus, the students were ordered to stay away “for their own safety” and were given options for other disciplinary factors that would qualify them for individual re-acceptance to Springfield.

Most students chose to not return to campus.

Finally, in April of 1970, the Administration building was overthrown for the last time in recent history. This time, white student protestors who supported the mission of the Black students involved in previous protests were also present; the students felt that the Black students who had taken over Massasoit Hall were punished in a “double jeopardy” style in way of the ramifications they faced from both the Superior Court and the College.

They released a nine-demand statement, similar to the original nine statements brought forth in ‘69, but with special demands pertaining to the consequences students faced during the Massasoit Hall takeover.

The protestors that overtook the Administration building were arrested by police, charged with trespassing and expelled by the school. The students later sued the College in Probate Court because the collegiate judicial process offered no due process to

students; the court accepted, and stopped the college from taking part in any judicial proceedings before a new judicial system was established and approved by the court.

---Since that time, the only large-scale protest that has taken place at Springfield College was the March for Action in the fall of 2020.

Though a great start, The Legacy Alumni of Color group seeks to bring the same energy and hunger for advancement back to the campus to create tangible change for BIPOC students.

Keith McDermott (G’84) stated that he remembers a similar spirit as to the one the College has today during his time as a student.

“I graduated in 1984, and when I got to Springfield I heard rumors about some Black students taking over the Administration building over certain demands, but it was almost like part of a movie,” remembered McDermott. “It didn’t seem real, you know, and it wasn’t really passed down. So, when I became a part of this group, I wondered, ‘How can we make sure that the Legacy and understanding is kind of passed on to the next generation?’ to make sure that they… hold people to their word.

“So, now it’s 50-years later, and we’re still dealing with the same issue, so it was kind of disappointing to me that… how do I get back involved, and make sure that those legacy or traditions or commitments are passed on so we can have some positive progress going forward? And I repeat the same, so we’re not dealing with this 50 years from now.”

The group attributed the durable, loving relationships that they built with each other to the strength their group possesses. Dr. Brown stated that he holds every member of the Legacy in high regard for all of their lived experiences and manifested

News

PAGE 10

A shot from the 1969 Administration building takeover. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Digital Archives) triumphs.

“When I was in college, it was mentioned that these relationships that you form will last a lifetime. The folk that are around you, they’re going to be in your life for a lifetime. Well, life has gone by, very quickly, and it is true -- that the relationships I established there, have become extremely important to me, particularly since July of 2020,” said Brown.

“These folks mean so much to me, and it’s exciting to learn about the journeys that they’ve been on-- we’ve had a chance to talk to each other, and to learn what our experiences have been. That has really been a source of joy for me.”

Members of the Legacy say that their time as students was both beneficial to their careers and difficult to stomach. Teresa Burr (G’70, M’73) remembered good and bad times as a student.

“I can say the good experience for me was meeting like-minded students. There weren’t many of us on campus, my freshman class there were 15 students of color, and that presented a challenge to the campus, and just working through all its issues,” said Burr.

“My friends... that was great for me. The dorm

life was challenging, the activity of the flag-burning -- that just, that did it for me, I became very angry at that point, but again I had the students who were here now, the alumni, we worked for it, so that’s the good and the bad that I remember,” she added.

John Curtis (G’71) had similar feelings to Burr.

“I can say, without a doubt, it was one of the worst times of my life that became an incredibly wonderful period in time,” stated Curtis. “As Terry said, when we first got to campus, we had 20-25 people that you could really speak with, and then frustrations boiled to the point where we led through the Administration takeover. For me, I didn’t go in, I had to make some hard choices, but as a student, as a person, my growth was accelerated, and I was very fortunate as an athlete to well-surpass any of my goals.

“So, when I left Springfield, it was an absolutely wonderful experience, it gave me contacts in my world that still, to this day, are at the top of their field.

Like I said, it was four of the best years of my life, and in those four years, a couple of the years there I did not want to be there, but all in all, I love the place.”

McDermott, a graduate

10-years after the building takeovers, remembered his time fondly. He wishes that the current climate could return to what he experienced as a student.

“I was an athlete myself, and (on) the track team, in general, I don’t ever recall any kind of racial incident being there. And I also know, if you’re an athlete, you’re kind of insulated, somewhat, especially if you’re a good one. And all of the other stuff other people are subjected to, you’re kind of like brushed over,” said McDermott.

“In retrospect, you might have been oblivious to certain things (...) but I talked a lot to my old teammates, white and Black, [and they were like] ‘Were you aware of any of this stuff going on?’ I’m like, ‘No, we just got along!’

So if someone could pull a page from how we got along, and transfer that to how people got along today, it would just make such a big difference.”

Now, the Legacy Alumni of Color group feels that the climate for BIPOC students on campus is not comfortable, nor livable.

They presented a new kind of list of demands this past fall called “A Blueprint For Change,” a detailed plan to ensure success and stability in the college lives (and beyond) of BIPOC Spring-

February 25, 2021

Equality

Springfield College students marching in front of the Administration building on May 14, 1969. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Digital Archives) field College students.

So far, the group feels that the College is appropriately responding to their demands, especially in juxtaposition to their reaction to the original 1969 demands. Brown is optimistic that all of their demands recorded in the Blueprint will be met.

“I’ll just say unequivocally, that I think that we’re being listened to, I think that a tremendous amount of progress has been made,” said Brown.

“As I think about the five committees that were put together, progress has been made in each one of those committees… Campus police is one of the initiatives, distinguished persons recognition is another one, a day to confront racism and white privilege is going to manifest itself on March 25. That day is going to happen.

“We’re feeling good that the last initiative, and probably the most important initiative, is going to come to fruition, and that a pipeline is going to be put in place to identify, recruit and hire graduate assistants that will then become assistant coaches and ultimately head coaches at Springfield College – if not Springfield College then elsewhere. We’re confident that’s going to come to fruition; in fact, it has to. It

absolutely has to, as there’s never been a person of color overseeing a major sport at Springfield College, and we know that the moneymakers are what? We know that they’re basketball and football, we know there’s never been a Black head coach, a Latino head coach,” finished Brown.

Teresa Burr has also been working with the Alumni office to get more BIPOC mentors into their system, and John Curtis will be using his connections in Florida to recruit more BIPOC students into the Springfield College athletic and academic programs. Roger and Linda Moffat are working to create a fellowship program that will provide funding for minority graduate assistant coaches; the program is currently being funded by the College and the athletics department, but will become self-sustaining in time.

The Legacy is feeling confident that their efforts will finally pay off in making Springfield College the environment they have always envisioned it should be.

Brown said that he feels the trustees of the College will be some of the most influential pieces in making sure the Legacy’s demands are fulfilled because of their apparent emotional

reactions to the demands.

“That was very, very clear in our meetings initially, when the trustees joined the President and the other members of the Leadership Team,” he said “There was an emotion that came forward, they were supportive of the things that we were doing, that we were asking. We hadn’t spoken to them a lot, but that’s our sense, that there is some support there.”

The Legacy also made sure to mention that they are working on some other initiatives that had been added to the Blueprint as “added recommendations.”

These recommendations, though they do not require a full committee to be completed, are still very important to the Legacy’s mission.

The recommendations include multiple installments of BIPOC individuals to different areas of the College’s administration.

The Legacy is advocating for at least one BIPOC person to be on the President’s Leadership Team, in the Counseling Center, and in the Office of Spiritual Life.

The College has already made good on one of those recommendations with the hiring of Tiffany Bedford as a counselor and the group is excited about the impact she will have on BIPOC students. Students

will finally be able to discuss their personal issues with someone who can truly understand their daily struggles.

Another added recommendation is to increase the number of BIPOC staff in the Admissions Office; how exactly this should be carried out is still undecided, but the Legacy has a list of ideas on how to complete it.

Brown stated, “Either there is an increase in the numbers that are on that staff who focus on recruiting BIPOC students – either there is a team of folk put in place – or it becomes everyone’s responsibility in that office. But we’ve got to go to places that the College used to go to, but they don’t go there now, because they don’t have the staff to do so.”

In addition, the group recommends that the Office of Multicultural Affairs’ staff be expanded, and adequate funding be provided to the office. They also want students to expand their knowledge and connections to their surrounding City of Springfield community by having the College host events and activities.

Directly affecting students, the Legacy is pushing for increased funding of many multicultural clubs on campus.

They want adequate funds provided for Men of Excellence and Student Society for Bridging Diversity, along with “seed money” given to the newly formed Women of Power and Black Student Union clubs.

Beginning in the fall of 2021, the group is hoping for a required course installed into the College’s curriculum for all incoming students. This course would detail ethnic studies pertinent to a student’s understanding of BIPOC cultures, along with an explicit section on Anti-Black racism.

The Legacy wants Springfield College to provide them with a biannual scorecard “on the progress being made in

PAGE 11 responding to our recommendations.” They want the College to provide a sense of the progress that has been made, and though it was initially stated that they want the scorecard provided twice a year, they are not afraid of asking for more reports if they feel it is needed.

In tandem with a biannual scorecard, the Alumni of Color are pushing for an annual “Climate of Life Survey” to be given to all BIPOC members of the College’s community. This will be done to not only make sure students are well, but to ensure that the members of the community that are not always in the spotlight are having good experiences.

“Those that get lost in the equation far too often are folk that work at the College. How are they doing? We want to know that, because we’re not only advocating for students, we’re advocating for folk who matriculate and work at the institution as well. We have an obligation to do that, particularly old-timers like me,” said Brown.

“I’m not paid by Springfield College, or anyone, for that matter, so I can say what I want. And I got to say, that for people of color working on predominantly white campuses, it can be an alienating and isolating experience not knowing where to turn for support.

We have an obligation to advocate for them as well.”

The Legacy Alumni of Color group is forward-thinking and assertive in their demands. From their lived experiences, they know that Springfield College has the potential to be the institution of their dreams for every single student, regardless of skin color, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to have their voices heard.

February 25, 2021

Student Trustees

Trusty Trustees

PAGE 12

Student Trustee Kris Rhim and Student Trustee-elect Sabrina Williams are deeply committed in their efforts to make Springfield College a better place for BIPOC students.

By Collin Atwood @collinatwood17

M

ost people are afraid of change. The slightest difference in someone’s life can get them flustered. Whether it’s a new haircut, packing everything up and moving or just taking a step out of their comfort zone, change can be threatening. Why fix something that isn’t broken, right?

That’s the problem – things are broken.

The lack of racial justice in America has been an issue forever and change in this regard can’t be ignored.

Thanks to Springfield College’s current Student Trustee, Kris Rhim and Student Trustee-Elect, Sabrina Williams, the fight for racial justice is in full effect within the Springfield College community.

In April 2019, Rhim was elected as the Student Trustee-Elect and is currently serving as the Student Trustee for the 2020-21 academic year. Rhim is the president of the Men of Excellence club, a member of the track and field team and is on the Alumni of Color sub-committee.

Rhim knew that the only way to be heard on campus was to run for Student Trustee.

“I felt like a position where I could be on the highest governing body of the college and talk to those people would be the best position for me to make a change,” Rhim said.

The following year, Williams was elected as the Student Trustee-Elect and will take the role of Student Trustee during her senior year. Williams is the President of the Women of Power club at Springfield College and has also worked with the Office of Multicultural Affairs on campus.

Much like Rhim, Williams knew what she needed to do to influence change.

“I knew I wanted to address racial issues on campus, but I was never sure how to ensure I was heard. I figured this position would be a great opportunity to make some changes for BIPOC students currently and in the future,” Williams said.

With these two in the Student Trustee position for the current and upcoming year, change is inevitable.

When the 2020 spring semester ended, Rhim and Williams got right to work. Over the summer they both helped organize the “Conversations on Race” series. During these meetings, Rhim and Williams talked about

Rhim (left) dancing at the President’s gala in October of 2019. (Photo Courtesy of Kris Rhim)

racial issues and how to overcome them.

“The Conversations on Race series was a good start to addressing that there is a problem and acknowledging that the problem is also on our campus,” Williams said.

That wasn’t the only step taken by these student leaders. The list of demands that were made in September by four Black student groups on campus have all been met or are in the process of being completed.

“We’re happy with what administration has been able to do in terms of responding to things that we’ve asked for. They’ve met every demand on that list, or it’s in progress, and I am confident that it will get accomplished,” Rhim said.

One of the demands that has been met is the addition of an anti-racism course. This semester Calvin Hill, Vice President for Inclusion and Community Engagement, is teaching

a course called Deconstructing Racism and it is worth one credit.

“We’re proud of and happy that Dr. Potvin put that course together as quickly as she did and that Calvin is teaching it. The one thing that we want moving forward is that anti-racism classes become a part of the core curriculum,” Rhim said.

Rhim and Williams have also worked on defining what hate speech means on the Springfield College Campus which

February 25, 2021 was also on the list of demands. The request for a Black Counselor in the Counseling Center, funds for the Office of Multicultural Affairs and a high profile speaker for SEAT at the Table were all met as well.

It has been less than five months since the demands were released and with help from others, Rhim and Williams have shown the campus what it takes to make serious changes on campus.

“I want faculty, staff and students to know that there is room for improvement and we need to act on it,” Williams said.

Williams co-hosted a SEAT at the table event called “Colorism in Popular Media.” This event helped show how different forms of media can be prejudiced based on one’s skin color. “It opened many people’s eyes to some of the many forms of racism that exists in the world today,” Williams said.

In addition to the list of demands being met, a new light has been shed on the Board of Trustees. They are doing inclusive training which includes learning about pronouns and reading “How to Be an Antiracist” by Ibram Kendi.

“Many of the things that I’ve said at board meetings [have] made the board uncomfortable and surprised because they’ve never had a student who is as outspoken as me. Also, [I’m] a student of color speaking up about the Black experience and I think they’re alarmed by that,” Rhim said.

Having someone to relate to the Black experience with is something that is very important to Rhim. He feels that

Black History Month

Williams (left) during her performance at last years installment of the Vagina Monologues.

(Photo Courtesy of Sabrina Williams)

Support Men of Excellence and Women of Power by following the clubs on Instagram Men of Excellence - @scmenofexcellence Women of Power - @womenofpoweratsc

PAGE 13 students should be able to connect with past students of color so they don’t feel alone. “I always feel like we didn’t have those people to reach out to,” Rhim said.

Moving from Student Trustee-Elect to Student Trustee has made it possible for Rhim to get the conversation going about diversity and inclusion. He now feels more comfortable to speak up at meetings and spread his message across campus.

Rhim doesn’t want his message and goals to die when he leaves though. Getting things set up before he graduates is vital for Springfield College. Luckily, Rhim knows that Williams won’t let their message go silent which is why he is happy that she will be taking over when he leaves.

“She has the same fire in her gut for change as I do,” Rhim said.

The hustle and dedication from Rhim and Williams is unmatchable. They work nonstop to make sure that the Springfield College community is aware of the racial justice problem in our country and on our campus. They are a true dynamic duo.

“I don’t want to be the person who took the Student Trustee position just to put ‘Student Trustee’ on my resume,” Rhim said.

These two natural leaders know the fight for change is far from over. Their presence on Alden Street makes Springfield College that much closer to being where it needs to be.

Progress has been made, but there is still more work to be done.

February 25, 2021

Black History Month

PAGE 14

Inclusive Hiring continued from Page 3 qualified candidates can be challenging, since many other institutions have the same goal in mind.

Administration is taking action -- posting job offerings in different nationwide websites, diversity focused media pages, spreading the word through community contacts and within professional network groups.

The key to inclusive hiring is actively creating a diverse and inclusive campus environment where BIPOC individuals want to work and feel like they can succeed, which has been the main goal for Springfield.

Most hiring committees include students, where their voices can be heard and their opinions can be appreciated. Hiring committees are also implementing non-bias training so personal opinions or beliefs won’t be a factor in the hiring process.

Some areas of the college have higher rates of diverse staff members than others, specifically food workers and facilities faculty.

Why do these areas of staff members have more BIPOC individuals than other areas? This is a common trend on college campuses across the country, as BIPOC folks are disproportionately holding jobs in the service sector with less pay.

According to Insidehighered.com, “Black workers have been indispensable to advancing worker rights struggles in the United States, in part because of just their status in the labor economy and the economy more generally. Often they have been relegated to the

“

Being able to keep people that are different on campus and making them feel comfortable with the spaces they are living in and the people they are interacting with on campus is something that the school needs to work on.”

- Paris Lizana

lowest-paying positions and low-wage labor.”

Part of the solution for inclusive hiring is having BIPOC individuals represented in all aspects of the college, not just in one small sector.

“It is about retention for me. Being able to see people from different backgrounds, belief systems, and races, how can we keep them at Springfield College? I think that is something that the school struggles with,” said Lizana. “Being able to keep people that are different on campus and making them feel comfortable with the spaces they are living in and the people they are in-

teracting with on campus is something that the school needs to work on.”

With progress taking time, it has been frustrating for students of color on campus but they are hopeful for the College’s future “They have tried to be more inclusive with faculty, staff and athletic coaching as of recent, but I think they can be more inclusive. I think that there can be more people of color in the sciences, especially professors, more women on campus, and particularly I think trans-visibility on campus could be a lot better than what it currently is,” said Omoru.

Springfield as a community is the third largest city in the state of Massachusetts, as well as being the seventh most diverse city in the state according to homesnacks.com.

Many feel like the college campus is not reflective of what Springfield is truly like and it acts sort of like a “bubble.”

“The Springfield community and Springfield College, I really see no collaboration between them and Springfield College has been there for so long and in this position, I really want to bridge that gap that is in between our community and Springfield College. Springfield

College does have a lot to offer that the community can benefit from. So, trying to connect the dots is really my passion,” said Coakley While there is much more work to be done on campus, there has been steady progress the past few months, which has members of the Springfield College community hopeful for the future.

While the process may be slow, Springfield is making diversifying staff and the campus a top priority.

“It is absolutely amazing the resiliency of people of color here on campus when they are underrepresented,” said Omoru.

February 25, 2021

Randolph Bromery Randolph Bromery continued from Page 6

Bromery (right) with former Elms College trustee Edward Brenna. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Digital Archives)

Bromery at the 1993 Commencement ceremony. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Digital Archives)

Pickron was trying to get the job of Director of the Career Center. He said that he had applied for this position, but was then asked to go in for a meeting with Bromery. ”[Bromery] said, ‘Well, why I called you here was because I wanted to give you an option’.... I still had no clue what was up or what was going on. He said, ‘I would like for you to be my Assistant to the President,’” said Pickron.

This is just one example of Bromery’s generosity and kindness towards others. He offered a unique position to Pickron because he saw his potential and skill early on in his career.

Pickron noted, “We still continued our relationship with him mentoring me as I went on professionally.”

Bromery wasn’t expecting to become the permanent president of Springfield College; in fact that wasn’t even part of the plan still a year after he had been at the college.

He was asked in 1991

by Walter C. Wilson, chair of the Board of Trustees at SC, to be the interim president while a national search was carried out to find the permanent replacement for former president, Frank Falcone.

It was a period of transition for the school, and they needed a leader that would help to make valuable improvements for the campus and community.

As stated in Springfield College: In Spirit, Mind, and Body, Notes and Scenes from Our First 125 Years

by Richard C. Garvey and Ronald S. Ziemba, “The task now confronting Bromery was simply stated, but difficult to accomplish: Heal Springfield College.”

In his convocation speech, Bromery said, “I accept the challenge with

humility and also with determination… I don’t want you to lose confidence in where you are now, where you have been, and where you are going to go.”

This sense of dedication prevailed, as Bromery did not hesitate to begin the tasks on the to-do list.

One of his main goals was to improve communication and relationships within the Springfield College community, as well as with others outside of it.

Early on, Bromery developed a very strong relationship between Springfield College and William N. DeBerry School, which was an elementary school located nearby. It was through this relationship that the Partners Program that is still flourishing today was created, helping many young children to bond and make connections while having the chance to learn.

A big change that Bromery was a part of at SC was the transition to Division III athletics in all men and women sports.

His idea was to begin to play against other small, private institutions that shared their ideals of higher academics, while maintaining impressive athletics as well.

He said, “The College has a niche, and athletics is one of the strengths. With the move to Division III, we can begin to schedule schools we should be associated with, academically and athletically.”

Throughout his time at Springfield College, Bromery had to take a medical leave due to radiation he needed for prostate cancer. Away from campus more than intended, he still continued to help the college to make positive improvements to the environment.

Some of these improvements included more stations in the campus computer room, a decrease

PAGE 15 in the cost of food at Cheney, new turf for Benedum Field, and renovations on Blake track.

However, after a productive six years of leadership with Springfield College, Bromery made the decision to retire in 1997.

He said, “Serving as president has been, [and] will continue to be, a most satisfying chapter in my professional and personal life which I shall always cherish.”

Although his third college administration job, Springfield College was not the end of the line for him.

Bromery served as interim president for Roxbury Community College from 2002-2003, helping to build up the programs as he did at the other schools he previously worked at.

Dr. Bromery was a man of many achievements, an “outstanding American,” as said by Pickron. He never seemed to be done working, and he was able to make a distinct contribution to every organization that he was involved in.

“My respect for him is just huge. This man, an American hero who happened to be an African American that has... clearly done great things for our country, for every college and university he has been a part of,” Pickron said.

Bromery passed away in 2013 at age 87 after a lifetime of accomplishment. This year, UMass announced they will be naming the Fine Arts Center after Bromery because of his love of music and efforts that brought famous jazz musicians to the UMass faculty.

Bromery’s contributions will continue to be celebrated at the colleges, universities, and organizations he was a part of, and his name should be remembered within the Springfield College community.

February 25, 2020

Smith-King continued from Page 5 Springfield if they weren’t school-sponsored by the 1978 season (Smith-King’s senior year).

“There was always an excuse (not to give us a team),” Smith-King said. “I wouldn’t say (Steitz) didn’t have empathy for us, but he was very traditional.”

She continued, “We were striving for equal opportunity...I give the administrators a lot of credit for taking a lot of the crap they took from us.”

The threat of a lawsuit rightfully shifted the administration’s stance. By the end of the school year, The Student reported the women were told that there was “a very good chance of getting a school sponsored team starting next year.” *** Finally, the Springfield College women’s track team began its inaugural season in the spring of ‘77 – a year earlier than anticipated.

“Sue and I – the things we did for the love of our sport,” Smith-King began.

She paused, slowly

scstudentmedia.com // @TheSpfldStudent

shook her head and reflected for a moment. Looking back, she didn’t realize the legacy she was about to leave.

“I really admire my teammates for sticking by their gumption and pursuing what we all thought was the right thing to do.”

Church stayed on as the head coach for the 1977 season, then Springfield recruited Harry Marra, the legendary coach of decathlon world record holder Ashton Eaton but largely unknown at the time, in ‘78.

Smith-King was puzzled when she couldn’t find any information about her new coach. She subscribed to just about any track and field news that was available. Marra, however, knew everything about Sue and Branwen’s national rankings in the mile and shot put, coming all the way from UC Santa Barbara.

Smith-King and North-Patterson were initially not sold on Marra as a coach. When they’d heard he arrived on campus, they immediately marched to his office to interrogate, feisty as ever. The poor man hadn’t even had time

to settle into his new office before he was greeted: What do you know about track and field? Who are you to be able to tell us what to do?

“Well, after about 30 seconds, we’re like ‘Okay we’re fine, we’re good,’” Smith-King said.

Marra, on his flight from California to Springfield, meticulously studied film and became familiar with his new team fairly quickly. He captivated the women with his knowledge, immediately pointing out errors in North-Patterson’s running and SmithKing’s throwing.

“Their jaws just about dropped,” Marra said.

“Right there, trust was established.”

From the spring of ‘77 through ‘78, the Springfield College women’s track and field team continued its dominance, led in large part by Smith-King and North-Patterson.

In its first official meet as a varsity squad, Springfield defeated Rhode Island, 84-34, with a handful of women already punching their ticket to the regional competition.

Smith-King became the first two-time shot put champion at the Eastern Track and Field Indoor championships in 1978.

One shot flew 48 feet, 3.5 inches, which was the third best throw in the country at the time and set a record at Springfield College that remains the longest standing women’s track and field record to date.

Smith-King also clinched All-American status her senior year in both indoor and outdoor shot put. She won the event twice at the Penn Relays and New England Indoor and Outdoor championships.

Needless to say, the transition from jumping to throwing was seamless.

“She would go to warm up and she’d throw some 40 feet in her warm up and the rest of the girls would shake their head and walk away,” North-Patterson recalls.

After graduation in 1978 (a ceremony that Smith-King and North-Patterson almost missed because of a track meet), the lessons learned at Springfield College built the foundation for her

Volume 135 No. 14

career in sports.

Smith-King went on to coach at Tufts University, and eventually became the Assistant Athletic Director.

All told, she spent 36 years at the University, coached 13 national champions and more than 50 All-Americans, and remained steadfast in her commitment to elevating women into positions of power.

Originating in 2017, when Smith-King retired, Tufts dedicated a yearly track meet in her name -the Branwen Smith-King Invitational. Springfield College is a proud competitor.

Currently, Smith-King is back home in Bermuda, where she plans on staying, serving as the Secretary General of the Bermuda Olympic Association.

Her goal is to create more funding for youth sports to develop their athletes.

Reflecting on her time in the States, a lot stands out.

Nothing, though, compares to her years at Springfield: a long and determined fight for equity that yielded the school’s first women’s track and field team.