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I wanted to post this the minute Decolonize Media Collective (DMC), a student group at Hampshire College, shared it on Facebook, but this is the first time I’m getting a chance to sit down in front of a computer.

On November 13, 2015, DMC posted the following message on their Facebook page:

“It has been a long time coming.

Many of you have read the announcement today (November 13th 2015) which declared Hampshire College is including private prisons, private security, and surveillance companies in their policy on Environmental, Social and Governance investing. This announcement comes at a particularly volatile time, considering Black students all over the country are demanding colleges and universities respect their dignity and humanity. Our comrades at the University of Missouri have grabbed the nation’s attention by forcing the president of their college to resign. The Black students at the University of Missouri understand that “without struggle, there is no progress.” Without sacrifice, hard work, and collective action, the needs of Black people will not be heard by predominantly white institutions.

Decolonize Media Collective (DMC) understands this too.

For the last two years, DMC has unapologetically demanded that Hampshire College divest from private prisons. Although the email includes no mention of the students responsible for this monumental change in policy, we want everyone to know that from Mizzou to Hampshire College, student organizing will always force the hand of the institution to do the right thing. Abolishing oppressive institutions and loosening the grip of poverty, anti-Black violence, and trauma on Black communities is always the right thing to do and we will continue to push action at Hampshire and beyond towards a radical understanding of the world we live in.

Since Spring 2014, Decolonize Media Collective has tirelessly worked to ensure Hampshire College does not financially support the mass genocide, in the form of the prison system, against Black and Brown people in the United States. After countless emails, meetings, and being confidently assured that Hampshire College is not invested in the private prison industry, DMC was outraged, but not shocked, to find out Hampshire was unaware of more than 25% of their financial portfolio due to the use of hedge funds. The college also did not include private prison, private security, or surveillance companies in their list of companies to not invest in. We knew both of these facts were unacceptable and urged to the institution to recognize their method of investment is incompatible with Hampshire’s anti-racist mission.

The Prison Industrial Complex's history of facilitating the exploitation of Black and Brown people for their labor, by relying on the criminalization of Blackness in order to make a profit reinforces the understanding that the institution of slavery was never truly abolished in the United States, but was legalized in the form of punishment for a crime by the 13th Amendment.

DMC is celebrating the inclusion of private prisons, private security, and surveillance companies in the investment policy. We understand this is a tremendous step towards the anti-racist mission of our college. Hampshire College was the first college in the nation to divest from South Africa during Apartheid and we are moving towards divesting from our generation’s biggest domestic injustice: private prisons.

We want to thank Hampshire for their acceptance of our demands and changing the policy accordingly. Change is never easy but with an open-mind and compassion, anything is possible. We also want to remind Hampshire, we are still using non-transparent hedge funds to make money which makes it impossible to know whether we are invested in prisons, fossil fuels, or any other industry listed as not favorable in our policy on socially responsible investing. Our struggle against the financial investment in Black death will not be complete until the hedge funds are picked apart and analyzed. DMC looks forward to continuing our close working relationship with the administration for many years to come.

Finally, we want to thank all those who have supported us for their love and solidarity. Without your support, we would have not gained this victory.

The struggle continues.

‘It is our duty to fight for our freedom.

It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.’ Assata Shakur”

Hampshire College’s official statement was released via email on November 13th as well and reads as follows:

“To the Hampshire College community: At its meeting today the Hampshire College Board of Trustees voted to create and publish a list of specific examples of industries in which we will not invest. This list includes private prison, private security, and surveillance companies; weapons manufacturers; and fossil fuels. The Board also voted to strengthen the language of the policy to disfavor companies that "Practice oppression or discrimination based on race, gender, ethnic origin, sexual preference, or disability, or promote or profit therefrom." The Board also endorsed the Investment Committee's efforts to create the greatest possible transparency regarding Hampshire College's investments, which will include quarterly reporting on holdings and explicit review of holdings relative to the list of disfavored industries. The revised policy will be posted next week.”