On January 20th, 2020 at 11:45am Replying to an email sent out by Campus Pastor Scott Lisea about MLK weekend, a staff member sent out this email to all faculty, staff and students. However, due to all campus email moderation it was only sent to all faculty and staff. Read below: Scott,
Thank you for your message. How inspiring that you had a one-man protest in honor of Martin Luther King on his birthday when you were a student. As you may know, our office coordinates the Golden Warrior (50th) reunion each year. A few years ago, we hosted Westmont's first African-American female graduate, Audrey Davis '68. The late 60's were a tumultuous time, even at Westmont. When Audrey applied to Westmont in 1964, the admission decision even went to the Board of Trustees, a fact that several students and faculty pointed out to her during her time as a student. We learned at her 50th reunion that when Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968, there was no mention of it in Westmont's chapel. When Audrey and several of her classmates had their own vigil or protest in front of the DC, they were disciplined. At the 50th reunion, several of Audrey's classmates apologized to Audrey for not saying anything during those years. Audrey was very graceful. The 50th reunion was a healing time for Audrey and her classmates. We have our own corporate history of racism at Westmont and we have come a long way since then, although there is always more to do. Attached is an article from the Horizon in 1968 about being Black at Westmont.
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