From the 1930s-1950s, there was a small but growing consciousness of differing racial experiences. Several groups sponsored events and dialogue aimed at bringing together those of different backgrounds. This included the Fellowship of Faiths, the Social Problems Club, YWCA, and the Cosmopolitan Club. During this period, a number of well-known Black speakers came to Mount Holyoke, among them Roland Hayes who appeared at a concert given by the racial minorities scholarship committee, Sterling Brown, a renowned Black poet, and head of NAACP Walter White.
Another program aimed at increasing the exchange between Black and white students was the Bennett College exchange program, started in 1957 by President Gettell. Bennett College is a residential college for Black women in Greensboro, NC. For two weeks in February from 1958 through 1963, between 4-6 students from Bennett and MHC would swap places. Students attended classes, lived in dorm rooms with host school roommates, ate in the dining halls, and took part in student clubs and social activities. The exchange program offered each community the opportunity to observe, engage, and interrogate differences perceived and experienced between the campuses.
