Otelia Cromwell Day is a Smith College community-wide celebration! Fall classes are usually cancelled and an annual slate of workshops, lectures, films and entertainment are convened to honor Smith’s first African American graduate.

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Past campus keynote speakers have included: Roxane Gay, writer-professor; Sonia Sanchez, poet/arts activist; and Dr. Julianne Malveaux, economist-commentator.

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This year (2017) was the second New York City Otelia Cromwell Day. We were honored to host keynote speakers Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor, Smith Professor of History and Dr. Carla Shedd, Class of 2000, Professor of Urban Education, City University of New York. Last year’s (2016) NYC keynote speakers were Smith Professors Paula Giddings and Riché Daniel Barnes.

The first 'official' Otelia Cromwell Day was held in 1989 to provide the Smith community with an opportunity for further education and reflection about racism and diversity.

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However, 1970s African American students started the ‘original’ Otelia Cromwell recognitions. Their campus activism on racism, recruitment, retention, inclusion, and privilege, are still important issues today!

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The class of 1974, the largest class of Black students, considered the question: “If we are the largest group, who was the first? Their research led to the discovery of Otelia Cromwell and other distinguished nineteenth century African American students! The 70s students formed the ‘Otelia Society’ and designed and wore T-shirts with imprints of Otelia Cromwell’s photo.

Years later Otelia Cromwell was embraced as an official Smith tradition. The aftermath of campus racial unrest led Mary Maples Dunn, president emerita of Smith College, to initiate Otelia Cromwell Day in 1989.