In late October, 86 Swarthmore alumni submitted postcards with messages of support for student organizers targeted by the college administration for their Palestine solidarity organizing. These postcards were displayed at the Garnet Weekend vigil for Gaza attended by students, faculty, and alumni. Afterwards, they were sent to the Swarthmore administration. As members of the Swarthmore Alumni for Palestine collective, we are appalled at Swarthmore’s ongoing repression of student activism, choosing again and again to further align itself with the Trump administration’s attacks on Palestine solidarity activists in particular and free speech more broadly. Generations of students have taken their Swarthmore education to heart, fighting for change both on and off campus — from Vietnam War protests to the Black Student Movement to divestment from South Africa to the Spring of Our Discontent to fossil fuel divestment to Organizing for Survivors to the No Longer Minding the Light student strike to the Gaza Solidarity Encampment and beyond. We are moved to stand with the brave students who follow this proud Swarthmore tradition of urging the College to live up to its own professed values.
Note: Some alumni asked for their responses to be shared anonymously given the rising attacks against pro-Palestine speech and protest both at Swarthmore and across the United States.
From: Lucretia Ellen (Churchill_) Murray, class of 1967:
Here is a letter I sent the Swarthmore Administration about the harassment of students protesting the genocide in Palestine: From Lucretia Ellen (Churchill) Murray class of 1967,
I am writing you, the Swarthmore Administration, to express my anger and disagreement with your actions towards students who are protesting against Swarthmore College’s support and against US Imperialism’s support for genocide and the destruction of Palestinian working class’s housing, ability to work, live, and develop family\community.
As an Alumna, I demand that you reverse suspensions and drop any\all charges against the students. You must negotiate in response to the demands they have presented.
As you can see from my vocabulary, I am a product of student activism at Swarthmore in the 1960’s: civil rights, supporting the fight against racism in Chester, anti-war, and the worker student alliance in SDS.(Students for A Democratic Society) These struggles shaped my life and brought me to where I am today, a proud member of the international working class & Progressive Labor Party: fighting for equity and working-class unity.
You published an article in the Swarthmore Bulletin about my life as a SF MUNI bus driver. Winter 2019 / Issue II / Volume CXVI .
Swarthmore proudly has the papers of Lucretia Mott, my relative. She would be turning over in her grave at your Administration’s reposes to students’ current political activity.
My hope is that this and other letters\calls of support will help you to change your policies and actions towards these, internationalist, anti-racist, activist students.
Congratulations to Swat Alumni for Palestine for organizing us to challenge the Swarthmore Administration’s policies supporting ethnic cleansing in Palestine.
(see: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575050488596)
Lucretia Ellen Murray, 415 286 1712, ejredtrans@sbcglobal.net