Identities
New La Casa Latina Director Krista L. Cortes aims to center AfroLatinx voices
Cortes' chief objectives are to implement programming that connects Penn's Latinx community with the greater Philadelphia Latinx community, and also to turn the cultural center into a Black affirming space so all students can feel welcome.
Penn First Plus office opens in College Hall, creating hub for FGLI students
The P1P office covers 2,538 square feet of space and features study spaces, meeting rooms for one-on-one advising sessions, and lounge areas.
FGLI library moves to Van Pelt with new online ordering and shipping options
After spending three years in the attic on the third floor of the Greenfield Intercultural Center, the FGLI library will now operate through a new arrangement with Penn Libraries.
Penn prof. files lawsuit alleging brutality at protest of police shooting
Professor Anne Berg, who teaches history, was serving as a legal observer when a police officer lunged at her and struck her with a baton.
Cornel West discusses MLK’s true radical legacy at annual Social Justice Lecture
Penn President Amy Gutmann introduced the event by condemning former President Donald Trump for inciting a riot at the Capitol and urging audience members to remember King's legacy as a guide.
FGLI students hope spring campus reopening will help alleviate academic inequities
FGLI students largely praised Penn's decision to open campus after operating a remote fall semester, citing guaranteed University housing and food for on-campus housing residents.
Disillusioned with Hillel, students form progressive Jewish group to promote inclusivity
Students expressed disagreement with Penn Hillel's pro-Israel stance which they said makes it an exclusionary space for some progressive students.
Erika James hosts former NFL player and talent agency president to talk racism in business
During Tuesday's panel, titled “Race and the Selling of America” the two panelists discussed how they both started new projects pushing for diversity and inclusion in their respective industries.
Students commend Penn’s ranking as one of the most LGBTQ-friendly colleges in America
LGBTQ leaders and students applauded Penn's support in building a strong LGBTQ community, a forte which proved to be the deciding factor for some students when deciding to come to Penn.
In wake of new statue, Black students call on Penn to go beyond 'performative' gestures
While Gutmann highlighted the statue’s placement in a prominent location on campus, Black students said the artwork was largely meaningless if it was not accompanied by concrete action to support the Black community at Penn.
Students celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Week with online games and Zoom concerts
While Penn's 27th annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Week took place virtually for the first time this year due to the pandemic, many students deemed the online programming a success.
Penn’s latest campus sculpture aims to celebrate Black womanhood
The sculpture, titled 'Brick House,' was created by acclaimed artist Simone Leigh, and features cowrie shells on the woman’s braids which symbolize wealth, femininity, and the African slave trade in which the shells were used as currency, according to Penn Today.
Penn students organize boycott of classes this week to promote student wellness
Students participating in the strike cited the cancellation of fall break, Penn’s failure to cancel classes on Election Day, and the police killing of Walter Wallace Jr. as causes of students' mental health struggles this semester.
Penn's official response to Wallace Jr. killing omits police involvement, outraging students
In an email signed by Penn President Amy Gutmann and other Penn officials, Gutmann referred to Wallace Jr. as a neighbor of the Penn community, and his killing as a "death" with no mention of the word "police," escalating student outrage.
Students, profs, and politicians fear disenfranchisement of voters of color this election
For Penn-affiliated politics aficionados, President Donald Trump and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbate America's sordid history of voter disenfranchisement.
Police fatally shoot Black man in West Philadelphia, prompting protests near Penn’s campus
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, a bystander-filmed video showed that Wallace Jr. was armed with a knife and appeared further than arm's length away from the officers when they opened fire.
Citing the ‘power of landmarks,’ prof. launches civil rights site preservation initiative
The Center for the Preservation of Civil Rights Sites will be led by Faculty Director Randall Mason, a professor in the graduate program in Historic Preservation at Penn.
Penn’s Lambda Alliance buddy program helps LGBTQ undergrads connect during virtual semester
Lambda Alliance has manually matched eighty students so far in the program and will notify more students of their matches by the end of October.
Penn denies congressional request to disclose stats on diverse-owned firms managing endowment
Rep. Joseph Kennedy III (D-Mass.) and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) sent a letter to 25 colleges and universities on July 10, requesting information regarding the participation of women and minority-owned asset management firms in the administration of endowment assets.