To the Trinity College Community,
We want to inform you that the rapper Action Bronson has been removed as the headliner for Spring Weekend 2016. Kehlani will still be performing.
We took the petition, “Remove Action Bronson from Trinity College’s Spring Weekend Concert,” which was published on Change.org, and the views expressed in the comment section very seriously. They were some of the most important factors in our decision to remove Action Bronson from our campus.
Action Bronson was originally voted to come to our campus as our headlining artist for Spring Weekend back in November. A legally binding contract went out to his team in January. He was suggested by our booking company, and then voted on only by EAC Barnyard’s executive board. No general members were involved in this process. Despite having done research on all of the musical artists we were looking into, we clearly did not do a thorough enough check into the content of Action Bronson’s lyrics and music videos. As a committee, we take responsibility for that mistake. We’ve taken the steps to improve EAC Barnyard’s process in choosing artists for future events.
In the beginning of March we were made aware of the severity and depth of some of Action Bronson’s lyrics. We began to create a strategy to keep members of our community safe and began drafting our response to the backlash that we anticipated. Following news that Action Bronson was being removed as the headlining artist for Spring Weekend at The George Washington University, our executive-board committee voted on March 31st to remove Action Bronson from our Spring Weekend concert because of his lyrics, music, videos, and the misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia that they promote. As a result, there was an overpowering majority to support the removal of Action Bronson. We would also like to state that we do not think that his lyrics are representative of all of Hip-Hop music and Hip-Hop culture. The result of this vote was taken to our administrative advisor from the S.A.I.L. office. Our concerns about bringing Action Bronson to campus were brought to other administrators and our contract was looked over by the College’s legal counsel who could not find a way out of our binding contract without losing the full amount of money that was promised in the contract. Through communication with the administration, it was decided that bringing Action Bronson to campus was the best option at the time, with the addition of a legal addendum, which would forbid Action Bronson from performing any songs that went against the College’s mission.
However, following the overwhelming concerns that were voiced through the petition and on campus, the executive board of EAC Barnyard voted again to remove Action Bronson from our Spring Weekend. 90% of our Executive Board expressed strong opposition to Action Bronson coming to campus. Neither the votes of EAC Barnyard’s general members nor the votes of our members abroad officially counted, though their views reflected the majority consensus of the executive board.
As both students and student leaders, we fully agree that it is not only certain songs by Action Bronson that go against the school’s mission. The very act of bringing him to this campus runs counter to the College’s obligation to protect the emotional and physical safety of its students. As the Executive Board of EAC Barnyard, we believe that protecting the safety of our students is our top priority. The Executive Board of EAC Barnyard would like to apologize for considering bringing Action Bronson, an explicitly unconscious rapper, to campus. We would like to apologize for any emotional harm that the decision has caused our community.
In addition, we are incredibly proud of the petition prompting the decision to remove Action Bronson from Spring Weekend. Members of our own executive and general committees have signed it and have encouraged others to sign as well. Not in recent memory have we seen such a diverse range of students, faculty, administration, alumni, friends of the college, and members of our larger Hartford community unite to promote positive change on this campus. We want to thank those who signed the petition for being brave enough to not only change the culture and climate at Trinity College, but to also construct a model that aims to affect positive social change.
We are extremely proud of the Trinity College students and community for taking a stance, and it is our hope that this model which you have laid forth can be followed by other institutions across the country.
With peace, love, and our full support,
Rose Carroll, President
Benjamin Chait, Vice President
The EAC Barnyard Executive Board
