About

The murals in Shabazz have always maintained a special relationship with me and my Dartmouth experience.  After getting accepted to Dartmouth early decision I came to visit the campus with my parents during spring break of my senior year in high school.  My dad (pictured with me in the image of the left), who is a member of the Dartmouth class of 1982, was adamant that we go visit the “AAm” to see the murals.  This was a sentiment that he has held my entire time at Dartmouth.  Every time he comes to visit me on campus he will ask to go see the murals once again because he wants to “make sure they are still there.”  That was his way of expressing how important and integral the murals and the building were to his Dartmouth experience.  Many of his fondest memories as a student at Dartmouth took place in that building and he remembers the murals as being a symbol of home that he and his friends found inside of the building.

Once I arrived at Dartmouth I found myself spending a lot of my time with the murals in Shabazz while talking to friends, doing homework, or attending meetings. Then, my sophomore year I moved into the dorm and I was surround by them everyday. In my experience, the murals established the building and the gathering rooms as a safe space.  The walls tell a story about the determination of black people in this country and serve to reinforce the idea that this building is ours.  Here we are free to have open conversations about our experiences as black students on campus, to plan events and protests, and to be ourselves.  Working on this project during my senior year has been a way for me to give back to the space and learn about these murals that make the building so special.

Special Thanks

Black Alumni of Dartmouth Association

Leah Threatte Bojnowski '01

Nelson Armstong '71

Richard "Rick" Jones '74

Professor Derek White

Eileen Cave '76