Westlands Sit-in 1989

The following documents are intended to represent the history of protests and student actions surrounding the Westlands Sit-in of 1989 on the campus of Sarah Lawrence College.

Given the large number of documents housed in the College Archives on various student actions (approximately 5,000), the representation here is not comprehensive. To learn more about a specific student action and the SLC community’s response, please reach out to the Archives.

This online collection contains the original actions, demands, and various community responses to add historical context to the events and to make many of the documents more accessible. The documents are arranged chronologically in ascending order within each protest. The majority of the documents are from the Protest and Activism Collection, but there are others from the various collections within the College Archives. The collection from which the document came is noted in the metadata record for the item. To access finding aids for collections, such as the Protest and Activism Collection, see the Archives website. For additional information on the history of diversity at the College, see the Diversity Timeline.

NOTE: To protect the privacy of individuals, names have been redacted in the documents.

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[Harambe Curriculum Proposal to the Curriculum Committee and President Alice Ilchman, October 1987]

Harambe, Sarah Lawrence College

A proposal from Harambe to the Curriculum Committee requesting an increase in the number of courses in Black and minority issues and the number of Black and minority faculty and staff.
[Harambe Agenda, 1988-89]

Unknown

Proposal describes the mission and purpose of Harambe, the Black student group, the concerns and issues the group intends to undertake, and offers proposals for the College.
[The Report of the Walrus Committee - Racial and Ethnic Diversity, April 27, 1988]

Unknown

Excerpt (pages 49-59) from the strategic plan of the Walrus Committee outlining diversity efforts of the College in the past, initiated by both students and administration, as well as diversity statistics at the College. Describes the College's outlook on diversity, its significance for the institution, and recommendations for the future.
[Memo from Alice Ilchman to General Committee regarding Racial Diversity, January 30, 1989]

Alice Stone Ilchman

Invitation from President Alice Ilchman to students appointed to sit on the newly created Committee on Racial Diversity.
[Educating Ourselves Against Racism Flyer, March 1, 1989]

Unknown

Flyer announcing the next in a series of student run meetings entitled "Educating Ourselves Against Racism".
[Memo to Sarah Lawrence Community from President Alice Ilchman, et al, March 1, 1989]

Alice Stone Ilchman, Bob Cameron, Tamara Floyd, Barbara Kaplan, and Marilyn Katz

Memo describes an incident on campus surrounding a mural. It also outlines actions taken by College officials regarding the involved and concerned students as well as reaffirming the College's core principles.
[Black Alumnae Association Letter to Alice Ilchman, March 4, 1989]

Unknown

In a letter to College President, Alice Stone Ilchman, Black alumni affirm their support and agreement with Harambe and their proposals to administration.
[Memo from Concerned Students of Color to Alice Ilchman, March 6, 1989]

Unknown

Memo detailing reasons for not participating in individual interviews regarding the February 28, 1989 mural incident and proposal for alternate approach.
[Articles and Opinion Pieces on Garrison D Mural, The SLC Newspaper, March 7, 1989]

[Redacted]

Article and student opinion pieces on a controversial mural leading up to the Westlands Sit-in in 1989 as appearing in the student newspaper, The SLC Newspaper .
[Harambe Agenda - Revised, March 8, 1989]

Unknown

Revised proposal from the student group Harambe regarding diversity in the curriculum, staff, student body, and creation of a center for people of color, among other things.
[Educating Ourselves Against Racism Flyer, March 9, 1989]

Unknown

Flyer announcing the next in a series of student run meetings entitled "Educating Ourselves Against Racism".
[Alice Ilchman and General Committee to Students, March 10, 1989]

Unknown

President Alice Ilchman and General Committee respond to Harambe's demands as outlined in the March 8, 1989 proposal.
[Memo from Committee on Racial Diversity to the Community, March 10, 1989]

Unknown

Committee on Racial Diversity states their endorsement of the Harambe and Concerned Students of Color agenda for addressing racial issues on campus.
[Handwritten memo, March 12, 1989]

Unknown

Memo to students from a faculty member requesting a meeting with students to discuss Harambe's demands prior to an upcoming all faculty meeting on the subject.
[Memo from Gays and Lesbians Exercising Equality to Harambe, et al, March 12, 1989]

Unknown

The student group Gays and Lesbians Exercising Equality affirms their endorsement of the Harambe and the Concerned Students of Color agenda for addressing racial issues on campus.
[Memo from Bob Cameron to Students Sitting-in, March 13, 1989]

Bob Cameron

Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Bob Cameron, outlines safety recommendations for protection of students and Westlands during the sit-in.
[Memo from Environmental Group to Sarah Lawrence Administration, March 13, 1989]

Unknown

The Environmental Group affirms their endorsement of the Harambe and Concerned Students of Color agenda for addressing racial issues on campus.
[Memo from The Feminist Alliance to Harambe, et al, March 13, 1989]

Unknown

The Feminist Alliance affirms their endorsement of the Harambe and Concerned Students of Color agenda for addressing racial issues on campus.
[Letter from Students to the Community, March 14, 1989]

Unknown

Letter signed by students both supporting and challenging the method of protest by students of the Concerned Students of Color group.
[Letter from the Faculty and Administration to the Community, March 15, 1989]

Unknown

The plan proposed by the faculty and administration to address the issues raised during the sit-in.
[Memo from CSOC to the Faculty, Administration, and Community, March 15, 1989]

Concerned Students of Color, Sarah Lawrence College

Letter from CSOC, Concerned Students of Color, recognizing the administration's response to CSOC proposals. The letter also outlines where the responses answers the proposals and where the responses do not.
[Memo from General Committee to CSOC, March 16, 1989]

General Committee, Sarah Lawrence College

General Committee to the Concerned Students of Color group requesting meetings to negotiate with Black student identity groups on their proposals.
[Memo from General Committee to All Students, March 17, 1989]

General Committee, Sarah Lawrence College

A brief update from General Committee on the negotiations between the College and the students protesting.
[Letter from Charles DeCarlo to Alice Stone Ilchman, March 23, 1989]

Charles DeCarlo

Former College president, Charles DeCarlo, offers President Alice Ilchman advice and historical context to inform the current situation during the 1989 sit-in.
[Memo from Alice Ilchman to Parents, March 24, 1989]

Alice Stone Ilchman

President Alice Ilchman informs parents about the 1989 sit-in and explains the College's intentions and courses of action taken in answering the protesting students' proposals.