Racism and Change on the Hill, 1874-2017

This document, sponsored by The Collective for Change on the Hill, provides an overview of racism and anti-racist efforts at St. Olaf since its founding in 1874.

Recent History

In April of 2017, student meetings and protests took place in response to racist notes that targeted Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students. Out of these actions and threats formed the Collective for Change on the Hill, a group of St. Olaf students that came together to end institutional racism at the college.

The Collective organized a sit-in on May 1, 2017 to demand that the administration acknowledge and sign the terms of negotiations of the Collective’s list of demands. St Olaf College President David Anderson signed the terms of negotiation on May 1 ending the sit-in.