Abram鈥攁 poet, bookworm, and fervent skateboarder鈥攊s planning for a career in which he can address the justice system鈥檚 treatment of vulnerable populations.

We spoke with him about his research on mixed-race identity and racism and his dream of becoming a public interest lawyer.

You鈥檙e from Southern California and have lived in Portland, Oregon. How did you end up here?

I came to New York in 2019 on a skateboarding trip with my friends and explored the city. I was living in Portland at the time, going to Portland Community College. It鈥檚 small, so I was very taken by New York. It was everything that I鈥檇 wanted it to be.

Then I moved here with a girl I was dating. We were living in a car and didn鈥檛 know where we were gonna sleep each night. We wanted to be in New York and I wanted to continue school, so we were looking for jobs and apartments and stuff, pounding the pavement. It was just rough. That鈥檚 why I think about where I am now. I have the privilege of getting to go to school. It鈥檚 like night and day. Moving here was a change鈥攎aybe it was the change that I was looking for.

You鈥檝e focused your academic studies on disenfranchisement, racism, and injustice. What inspired that?

In the sixth grade, I gave someone a marijuana cigarette and was charged with possession and sale. You鈥檙e not supposed to be doing that at 11 years old, so I don鈥檛 fault anyone.

It had a profound effect on my life. I was out of school for three months. I had to go to court. I was on probation. I went back to the same school and experienced a change in demeanor toward me, even from my friends. They no longer wanted anything to do with me. Teachers that I had great relationships with, all of a sudden, I was not that kid anymore.聽I got accused of plagiarism for an essay that I wrote, which was never true.

But the experience inspired me to become a public interest lawyer. There are so many people in this country, and the world, who lack someone in their corner, someone who believes in them enough to advocate for them, to talk to them, and to hear them.

How would you describe your experience at 可乐视频?

When I came to 可乐视频, I was embraced by everyone. It鈥檚 helped me figure out more about what I want to do with my future by learning about how disenfranchised certain groups are, presently and throughout history. It鈥檚 stuff that we weren鈥檛 taught about in school. I鈥檝e learned that a lot of people in this country are not set up for success. I can鈥檛 imagine my life not knowing some of the things I know now.

I was immediately welcomed into the fold when I declared my major in Africana studies. People in the department are always telling me 鈥渁pply to this thing鈥� or 鈥渄o this thing鈥� or 鈥渉ere鈥檚 this option for you.鈥� I鈥檝e met great people like [Associate] Professor [Prudence] Cumberbatch, Professor [Kevin L.] Jones, and [Associate] Professor [Aleah] Ranjitsingh. The most important thing that I learned is just how deep injustices run. Last year, I worked on a research project about mixed-race identity with Professor Ranjitsingh and presented at a conference with the Mellon Mays [Undergraduate] Fellowship [Program].

Tell us more about your research.

The project was about mixed-race identity and how people function in a typically binary society. Either you鈥檙e Black or you鈥檙e White. You鈥檙e this or you鈥檙e that. We studied how people encompass both spheres, like having a Black parent who鈥檚 present in your life or having a White parent who鈥檚 present in your life. There are feelings of not being Black enough and not being White enough. As a kid, I got called an Oreo a couple of times.

We interviewed people about what it felt like to grow up as a mixed-race individual in America. I was really worried about how it was gonna be received by everyone, but it went very well. I met a lot of cool people who presented. All of the research was so impressive!

You also self-published a poetry book.

It was sold in Powell鈥檚 Books in Portland, the largest bookstore there, which was the coolest thing about it. I wrote the book when I was 19, and it was a compilation of feelings about moving from California and living on my own for the first time, not having Mom and Dad right there. It was really important for me to write that to express what I was feeling at the time.

What鈥檚 next for you?

I鈥檓 gonna go ahead and start studying for and then take the LSAT. Hopefully, I鈥檒l get into .

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Sampson listened to her stories about growing up in Guyana or folktales like Anansi, the wise trickster West African spider who represented resistance to slavery. These passed-down tales are why Sampson, a senior, is double majoring in Africana studies and Caribbean studies聽more than a decade after moving to the United States.

Recently, she participated in Ayiti in The City, a summer cultural exchange with the CUNY Haitian Studies Institute,聽where she soaked in the spirit of Brooklyn鈥檚 Little Haiti and other spots significant to the wider Black diaspora in Brooklyn, cooking Haitian stewed fish and mushroom rice and learning about the remedies in Haitian herbal teas.

We talked to Sampson about her academic and experiential learning experiences, her hobbies, and her future.

Tell us about your time in the Africana studies and Caribbean studies programs.

They both have interesting communities that are helpful and supportive. I鈥檝e been able to dive into my culture and learn about other cultures. [Associate] Professor [Prudence] Cumberbatch, the Africana Studies Department chair, is amazing. I鈥檝e been able to reach out to her any time I鈥檝e needed help. And [Associate] Professor [Dale] Byam, the Caribbean studies program director, encouraged me to apply for Ayiti in the City. They鈥檙e all very passionate about what they teach, and I find that so inspiring.

Next semester, I鈥檓 presenting research from my independent study with [Assistant] Professor [Aleah] Ranjitsingh at the Tow Mentoring and Research Conference. My research is on a traditional Afro-Guyanese pre-wedding celebration, Kwe-Kwe, which occurs the night before the wedding. The groom brings his family to the bride鈥檚 family home, where they meet and make their interests known and then advise them on marriage, uniting two communities together. There鈥檚 food and music and dancing. It goes well into the night. It鈥檚 so interesting because they still have so much energy for the actual wedding day.

What inspired you to study African and Caribbean cultures?

Some of my fondest memories are of my grandmother sharing and passing on stories and folklore. Telling stories was something we did often in my family. I realized that most of these stories and cultural practices are passed down orally, and through participating in different cultural experiences. This sparked my interest in the way history can be woven into stories that can be used to spread information and impart knowledge, lessons, and memories to someone else.

I wanted to take classes that reminded me of home and my grandma. The stories I heard in class gave me the same feeling and a sense of 鈥淥h, this is so beautifully put together. I would love to be a part of this.鈥�

This summer you were part of the Ayiti in the City program.

It was enlightening how we could access our culture and traditions, especially being away from home. I ate great food and made new friendships. It helped us build self-identity and embrace our cultural heritage. It also reinforced my belief in how interconnected history is, and how important it is to know your past so you can make informed decisions about your future. I did a about my experience.

I interned at , where I supported local businesses and helped keep the neighborhood clean and safe. I鈥檓 grateful I got to learn more about Haiti; its history, culture, and people; Little Haiti; and the Haitian diaspora. I gained a new perspective on how resilient the Caribbean community is at home and abroad. I also learned about migration, and the resilience and resourcefulness of Haitian immigrants as they navigate living and building a community in a new space.

What鈥檚 something that people wouldn鈥檛 know about you off the bat?

I learned to play the 聽in my Steel Pan and Community class with Professor [Kendall] Williams. I hadn鈥檛 played an instrument before. It鈥檚 played in the Caribbean, developed in the streets of Trinidad. I also like to read, dance, meditate, listen to music, and make beaded jewelry. Recently, I鈥檝e been learning how to crochet.

You鈥檙e going into your last semester. How do you plan to make the most of it?

Next semester my friend and I are starting a club called The Fireflies that will focus on supporting women in media. In Caribbean culture, we don鈥檛 see much representation growing up. That鈥檚 why I want to see more women represented in the media, too, including behind-the-scenes, like the producers, screenwriters, and authors. We hope to create a safe space where individuals can come to support the creative aspirations of women and gender-identifying youth and contribute to the creative diversity of our campus community.

Where do you see yourself after you graduate?

I鈥檓 thinking about going to graduate school for history or public health with a specialization in African diasporic and Caribbean studies. I鈥檓 interested in possibly working in cultural organizations or libraries someday.

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The award recognizes individuals who make significant contributions to Lagos and Nigerian studies. Okome is the founder of the acclaimed 脤r矛nk猫rind貌: A Journal of African Migration, and has been cited in more than 159 libraries worldwide that have shared her research on Africa from indigenous perspectives.

Her roles as director of the Women鈥檚 Studies Program and deputy chair for graduate studies in the Department of Political Science highlighted her commitment to inclusiveness and social justice. Under her leadership as president of the African Studies Research and Forum, the group facilitated interdisciplinary research, integrated African studies into educational curricula, and organized international conferences fostering excellence in African education.

You can read more about Okome and the award .

In other news, Okome spoke about the need for a well-functioning democratic system in Nigeria for a virtual townhall event on July 4, titled 鈥淒emocracy Is Not a Spectator Sport: An Agenda for Nigeria,鈥� organized by the African Leadership Group and hosted by Pastor Ituah Ighodalo.

While the country deals with a deepening economic crisis, rising insecurity, and other challenges, Okome urged citizens to be ready to make the necessary demands from the government, saying that they are not engaging enough and emphasized that democracy is not just a spectator sport but an avenue to be inclusive and tenacious.

鈥淪aying that democracy is not a spectator sport means that for democracy to thrive, citizens must participate actively in politics. Voting should be the beginning of civic engagement, not the end,鈥� Okome said. 鈥淲e must be well-informed, participate in political deliberations, and engage in organized, collaborative action. This includes communicating regularly with our elected representatives to demand accountable actions that serve citizens who repose trust in them. This task is especially crucial for a young democracy like ours.

鈥淲e also need well-designed, sound, and effective institutions. These cannot materialize without citizen engagement that critiques, tests, and scrutinizes such institutions, providing constant feedback to those charged with their operation,鈥� she added.

More information about this event is available .

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鈥淏y the time I realized I wanted to study African history and African-American history,鈥� says Cummings, 鈥淚 was already a senior at FIT [Fashion Institute of Technology], and I just couldn鈥檛 take school anymore.鈥� She graduated with a fashion degree but promised herself she would come back to the study of history. And so more than two decades later, when Cummings felt 鈥渂urnt out鈥� from a career in the fashion industry, she enrolled at 可乐视频.

鈥溈衫质悠� was the only CUNY school that had an department at the time. Every other school had only programs. I wanted to be embedded in a department.鈥�

鈥淪herri took my undergraduate African history survey class,鈥� recalls Professor Lynda Day, 鈥渁nd after the first day, maybe the second, I said, 鈥極h my goodness. This student is brilliant!鈥欌��

When Day challenged her students to consider becoming professional scholars, the idea immediately resonated with Cummings, for whom a future in academia started to seem possible. 鈥淪ince then,鈥� says Cummings, 鈥淟ynda Day鈥檚 guidance and mentorship have been instrumental to my growth as a scholar.鈥�

A crucial part of this guidance came in the context of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF), an upper-division honors program for which Day became Cummings鈥� thesis adviser, guiding her research on 鈥淧alm Trees and Cement Dreams: The Migration of Caribbean Women From the British West Indies to New York City, 1900鈥�1950.鈥�

“History Professor K.C. Johnson taught the honors thesis course, guided my research and accompanied me to NCUR (National Council of Undergraduate Research Conference) at the University of Kentucky where I presented my thesis,” says Cummings.

The MMUF was created to attract highly qualified minority students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in specific fields.

鈥淲hat the Mellon Mays program does is not just give students the opportunity to academically succeed, but also shows them what a career in academia can look like,鈥� says Dean Rosamond S. King, who was the director of the program while Cummings was in it. King, an early fellow herself, credits the mentoring she received through the program when she was an undergraduate at Cornell University as why she pursued a doctorate.

鈥淧rofessor King always exposed us to other scholars who were in graduate school and talked to us about the graduate school process as well as everyday life,鈥� says Cummings.

Cummings primarily studies the Atlantic World鈥攖he term scholars use to describe the complex system of cultural contacts and economic connections linking Europe, Africa, and the Americas between the 15th and 19th centuries鈥攁nd the intertwined concept of the Black Atlantic, 鈥渨hich means I centralize Africa and then go outwards,鈥� she says. When she earned her history Ph.D. from Brown University in 2022, with a dissertation titled 鈥淚n Search of Equiano鈥檚 Sister: Girlhood and Slavery in the Early Modern British Atlantic,鈥� Cummings was co-recipient of the department鈥檚 Distinguished Dissertation Prize.

After completing her Ph.D., Cummings accepted a joint position as professor of history and Africana studies at Rhode Island College, in Providence, and historian and director of community engagement for the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society. In this dual capacity, Cummings spends part of her time teaching and part working with the society鈥檚 archive, which she says has been under wraps for more than 20 years.

Cummings is excited to be working with the society鈥檚 trove of archival documents, always with the idea that the story they tell belongs to the people. 鈥淚 love when I am challenged with bringing students or the broader, the wider community in to see what we have and to tell them, 鈥楬ey, this is your history. We should not keep it behind closed doors.鈥欌��

Applications for qualified students for the fellowship are being accepted on a rolling basis, with interviews conducted in March and April. Contact Professor Lynda Day, coordinator of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program, or the MMUF for more information.

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Smith鈥檚 lecture, 鈥淲hat I Believe,鈥� will be an intimate exploration into her life as a trailblazer who broke new ground as a Black feminist, lesbian, activist, author, publisher, and independent scholar who inspired generations. She was among the first to define an African American women鈥檚 literary tradition and to build Black women鈥檚 studies and Black feminism in the United States. She has been politically active in many movements for social justice since the 1960s.

鈥淚 am so honored to serve as the Hess Scholar-in-Residence during the 2022鈥�23 academic year,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淎t a time when some in our nation wish to limit the information and ideas that students can access, I look forward to expansive dialogues with members of 可乐视频鈥檚 wonderfully diverse community.鈥�

鈥淎s a writer, publisher, teacher, and organizer, Barbara Smith is a transformative force for justice. Her work has reshaped the American academy and society. We are honored to host her for a week of events culminating in the Hess Memorial Lecture,鈥� said Gaston Alonso, interim director for the Ethyle R. Wolfe Institute for the Humanities and associate professor of political science at 可乐视频.

This lecture event is free and open to the public and serves as the main highlight of the college鈥檚聽聽for 2022鈥�23.

The event will also feature President Michelle J. Anderson as well as聽, distinguished professor of political science, and Professor of English聽, interim dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

On November 29, Smith was part of a conversation on campus with Theoharis when they discussed selected clips from the documentary聽, which features Smith and is based on Theoharis鈥� research and聽聽of the same name.

A prolific writer and publisher, Smith has edited three major collections about Black women:聽Conditions: Five, The Black Women鈥檚 Issue聽(with Lorraine Bethel, 1979);聽All the Women Are White, All the Blacks Are Men, But Some of Us Are Brave: Black Women鈥檚 Studies聽(with Gloria T. Hull and Patricia Bell-Scott, 1982); and聽Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology聽(1983). She is also the co-author, with Elly Bulkin and Minnie Bruce Pratt,聽of Yours in Struggle: Three Feminist Perspectives on Anti-Semitism and Racism聽(1984). Smith is the general editor of The Reader鈥檚 Companion to U.S. Women鈥檚 History聽(with Wilma Mankiller, Gwendolyn Mink, Marysa Navarro, and Gloria Steinem, 1998). A collection of her essays,聽The Truth That Never Hurts: Writings on Race, Gender, and Freedom, was published by Rutgers University Press in 1998.聽Ain鈥檛 Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around: Forty Years of Movement Building with Barbara Smith, edited by Alethia Jones and Virginia Eubanks with Barbara Smith, was published by SUNY Press in 2014.

The evening will also include mezzo-soprano Lucia Bradford and the Conservatory Singers, 可乐视频’s select chamber ensemble, who will perform 鈥淎in’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around.鈥� The group will be conducted by Associate Professor/Director of Choral Studies聽, director of the New York Philharmonic Chorus.

This signature event will be held on Thursday, March 16, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Claire Tow Theater at 可乐视频. It will also be livestreamed on the聽.

Highlights From the Hess Week Calendar, March 13鈥�20

Full calendar and speakers

Barbara Smith鈥擧ess Scholar-in-Residence Library Exhibit: An exhibit located in the main entrance of the 可乐视频 Library that will highlight the works and legacy of Barbara Smith. Archival material from the Robert L. Hess Collection will also be presented. Curated by Professor and Librarian Helen Georgas.

March 13, 11 a.m.鈥�12:15 p.m.: President Anderson Welcomes 2022鈥�23 Hess Scholar-in-Residence Barbara Smith聽Woody Tanger Auditorium, 可乐视频 Library, and on聽Zoom

March 13, 2:15鈥�3:30 p.m.: 鈥淚f Black women were free鈥︹��: The State of Black Feminism 2023聽Woody Tanger Auditorium, 可乐视频 Library, and on聽Zoom

March 14, 2:15鈥�3:45 p.m.: 鈥淭ransforming the U.S. Academy鈥�聽Woody Tanger Auditorium, 可乐视频 Library, and livestreamed on the聽.

March 15, 11 a.m.鈥�12:30 p.m.: 鈥淛ustice or Just Us?: Defining a Queer Agenda鈥�聽Woody Tanger Auditorium, 可乐视频 Library, and livestreamed on the聽.

March 15, 3:40鈥�4:55 p.m.: 鈥淭eaching as a Liberating Practice鈥�聽Woody Tanger Auditorium, 可乐视频 Library, and livestreamed on the聽.

March 16, 11 a.m.鈥�12:30 p.m.: 鈥淲orking for Liberation and Having a Damn Good Time鈥�聽Woody Tanger Auditorium, 可乐视频 Library, and livestreamed on the聽.

March 20, 6鈥�7:15 p.m.: 鈥淧utting Class Back Into Intersectionality鈥�聽Online via聽Zoom

About the Robert L. Hess Scholar-in-Residence Program

The Robert L. Hess Scholar-in-Residence Program, established by 可乐视频, is supported by the Robert L. Hess Fund. The program serves as a permanent tribute to the scholarly commitment of Robert L. Hess, exemplified during his tenure as president of 可乐视频. It represents the ideal of the educated individual鈥攌nowledgeable, thoughtful, inquiring, alive to the shared purposes and concerns linking all intellectual pursuits. More particularly, it evokes the scholarly and academic virtues embodied in the curriculum at 可乐视频.

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Currently, Willis is the University Professor and Chair of the Department of Digital Photography at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She is also the director of the NYU Institute for African American Affairs and the Center for Black Visual Culture. Much of Willis鈥� work focuses on the history of African American photography as it relates to gender, the female body, and beauty.

Willis鈥� most recent books,聽听补苍诲听聽explore the impact of African Americans during the Civil War and the essence of the African American beauty with pictures of famous public figures.

Willis is widely recognized in the photography world and has been a catalyst in changing聽 聽African American representation through imagery. She has received critical acclaim and received prestigious awards such as the 2022 Don Tyson Prize for the Advancement of American Art, the College Art Association for Writing Art History in 2021, and the Outstanding Service Award from the Royal Photogenic Society from England.

Willis is the recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship and the Guggenheim Fellowship and is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

This series honors the legacy of the late聽, a renowned historian and civil rights leader. In 1956, Franklin was appointed full professor and chair of the History Department at 可乐视频鈥攖he first African American to be named chairman of an academic department at a municipal college. This discussion is part of President Michelle J. Anderson鈥檚聽, which features programs, lectures, workshops, and events that provide an open forum for inclusive voices and thoughts to promote diversity in the college campus community.

The post Deborah Willis to Serve as 可乐视频鈥檚 Franklin Day Speaker appeared first on 可乐视频.

Jeanne Theoharis

On November 29, from 2:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Smith will be part of a conversation on campus with 可乐视频鈥檚 Distinguished Professor of Political Science聽Jeanne Theoharis. The pair will discuss selected clips from the documentary, 鈥�,鈥� which features Smith and is also based on Theoharis鈥� research and book of the same name. Smith and Theoharis will explore Rosa Parks’ life of freedom fighting, how the many myths of Parks and the movement cloud our understandings of social change, the roles and experiences of women in the movement, and the lessons this history provides for the work of organizing and social justice today. After their conversation, there will be a Q&A period for students, staff, and faculty.

The event will be held in the library鈥檚 Woody Tanger Auditorium and will also be livestreamed on the Wolfe Institute鈥檚 YouTube channel. At the speaker鈥檚 request, masks are required for the in-person event. Room 441 in the library will also be open for guests to watch the lecture online.

You can watch the livestream of the event

To stream the documentary for free before the event, 可乐视频 students, faculty, and staff can email:聽wolfeinstitute@brooklyn.cuny.edu

More Hess Scholar-in-Residence lectures will be held in March 2023, and a complete schedule of events will be made available soon.

About the Robert L. Hess Scholar-in-Residence Program

The Robert L. Hess Scholar-in-Residence Program, established by 可乐视频, is supported by the Robert L. Hess Fund. The program serves as a permanent tribute to the scholarly commitment of Robert L. Hess, exemplified during his tenure as president of 可乐视频. It represents the ideal of the educated individual鈥攌nowledgeable, thoughtful, inquiring, alive to the shared purposes and concerns linking all intellectual pursuits. More particularly, it evokes the scholarly and academic virtues embodied in the curriculum at 可乐视频.

Sponsors

Africana Studies Department; American Studies Program; Anthropology Department; Caribbean Studies Program; Classics Department; the Shirley Chisholm Project; Communications Arts, Sciences, and Disorders Department; English Department; Film Department; History Department; the Honors Academy; Judaic Studies Department; the LGBTQ Resource Center; Modern Languages and Literatures Department; Philosophy Department; Political Science Department; Puerto Rican and Latino Studies Department; Sociology Department; Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies Program; and the Women鈥檚 Center at 可乐视频.

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鈥淲e are delighted that 17 Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies projects, developed by our faculty, staff, and administrators, have received BRESI program support,鈥� said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Anne Lopes. 鈥淭hese projects range in scope from curriculum development and faculty research to initiatives focused on campus climate. These efforts will impact student learning and faculty scholarship for many years to come.鈥�

可乐视频 Awardees

Faculty Support for Black, Race and Ethnic Studies Publications

• Rosamond King, Proposal Title: Black Light: Digital Literature from Africa and Its Diaspora
• Malcolm Merriweather, Proposal Title: Hear Black Women鈥檚 Voices: 鈥淚, Too, Sing America.鈥�
• Aleah Ranjitsingh, Proposal Title: Becoming Black: Afro-Caribbean and/in 鈥楤lack America.鈥� An Oral History Project.
• Gunja SenGupta, Proposal Title: Indexing book, Sojourners, Sultans and 鈥淪laves鈥�: America and the Indian Ocean in the Age of Abolition and Empire (forthcoming, University of California Press, 2023)

Departments, Programs and Black, Race and Ethnic Studies-Related Initiatives

• Mona Hadler, Proposal Title: The ALQKAA Symposium: A Cross-Ethno-Gender Korean/Asian Studies Initiative.

Existing Race and CUNY Black, Ethnic Studies Centers and Institutes

• Alan Aja, Proposal Title: Research Assistance/Programming Support for the Maria E. S谩nchez Center for Latino Studies at 可乐视频 (CUNY).
• Marie Cerat, Proposal Title: Ayiti in the City.
• Prudence Cumberbatch, Proposal Title: Institutionalizing Activism at CUNY: The Emergence of Africana Studies at 可乐视频, A Case Study.
• Zinga A. Fraser, Proposal Title: Redefining the Shirley Chisholm Trail in 2022 and Beyond.

Black, Race and Ethnic Studies-focused Projects to Improve Campus Climate

• Yung-Yi Diana Pan, Proposal Title: Another Curriculum is Possible: Decolonization, Multi-Generational Voices, and the Creation of Cross-Campus Native/Indigenous (N/I) Studies Initiatives at CUNY.
• Naomi Schiller, Proposal Title: Claiming Our Campus: A Participatory Action Research Project on Student Experiences and Analysis of 可乐视频鈥檚 Campus Climate.
• Crystal Schloss-Allen, Proposal Title: BFS Ambassador Program.

Creating Black, Race and Ethnic Studies-Focused Student Internships

• Emily Molina, Proposal Title: Flatbush African Burial Ground Student Internship Program.

Black, Race and Ethnic Studies-Focused Mentored Student Research

• Lawrence Johnson, Proposal Title: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Decolonizing Sociology.
• Sophia Suarez, Proposal Title: Promoting URM Participation and Development in STEM Research of Electrospun Nanofibers.
• Alex Vitale, Proposal Title: Policing and Social Justice Project.

Course and Curriculum Design and Curriculum and Syllabus Decolonization

• April Bedford, Proposal Title: Creating Culturally Relevant-Sustaining Teacher Preparation Programs.

The post Seventeen 可乐视频 Projects to be Funded as Part of CUNY鈥檚 BRESI Initiative to Further Transform Ethnic Studies on Campus and Beyond appeared first on 可乐视频.

Through its diverse and interconnected award-winning departments, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) and its students are well-equipped to become leaders and influencers in an ever-changing and interdependent world.

Now, the important research these students are doing in the educational laboratory that is HSS will be showcased in the Second Annual 可乐视频 HSS Expo scheduled for two full days on April 25 and 26. The Expo will bring together all of 可乐视频鈥檚 longstanding HSS end-of-year student events in a single forum.

HSS Dean Ken Gould first conceived of the Expo for Spring 2020. When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the campus, the first annual event was held online. The Expo is returning in a hybrid form in 2022 to give the public a chance to see again the high level of intellectual output of 可乐视频 students while providing them the opportunity to test out new ways to display their scholarly work and research.

For Gould, highlighting and supporting the humanities has never been more important.

鈥淗SS is the core of our liberal arts education and the center for cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and teaching rooted in strong disciplines,鈥� Gould says. 鈥淭his two-day event will help us continue to build our academic community, both on and off-campus, and let our brilliant students shine and get acclimated to presenting and engaging with the public.鈥�

The HSS offerings at 可乐视频 are extremely robust and include departments focused on Africana Studies, Classics, Communication Arts, Sciences, and Disorders, English, History, Judaic Studies, , Modern Languages and Literatures, Philosophy, Political Science, Puerto Rican and Latino Studies, and Sociology.

One of the Expo highlights includes several HSS students from 可乐视频鈥檚 Department of History and other disciplines presenting their research on April 25 at 7 p.m. This event will be live-streamed and available to view at .

In all, the two-day Expo will showcase approximately 50 students. Some of the presentations include:

• A student panel discussion on the history and current state of activism, including the Occupy Movement and Covid-19. Undertaking research into the events that shaped the 可乐视频 experience, student panelists will interview alumni about what drew them to activism on campus, if and how 可乐视频 transformed their lives, and what lessons current students might draw from their experiences. (April 25, 2:15 鈥� 3:30 p.m.)
• Research from the ongoing Asian American Pacific Islander Project. Students will present a documentary they created and a partial clip of an interview from a current podcasting project. (April 25, 2:15 鈥� 3:30 p.m.)
• History and Religion majors鈥攁ll upper-level seminar students鈥攚ill talk through theoretical and historical issues on the question of religious experience. Do religious objects have agency or are their worth and meaning inscribed by the users of these objects? Does religious experience “really” happen, or is it simply a product of psychological issues? Those and many other questions will be explored. (April 26, 10 鈥� 10:45 a.m.).

可乐视频鈥檚 offerings in the humanities and liberal arts are recognized nationwide. Last year, the college was ranked as the top public liberal arts college in New York City and among the top 50 liberal arts colleges in the nation, according to . The college was one of only two New York State colleges or universities that made the site鈥檚 list of renowned liberal arts institutions.

The rankings highlight that businesses everywhere are beginning to acknowledge that the desirable employee today masters writing, psychology, logic, math, graphic design, economics, computer programming, and more.

The HSS Expo has enjoyed extraordinary support from a $50,000 grant from the , which will award 10 students $1,000 awards at a post-event research contest.

More information and to register for the events.

More information about last year鈥檚 HSS Expo.

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The 可乐视频 family was gifted an intimate look into the life journey of one of the greatest human rights activists of our time when 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Leymah Roberta Gbowee joined President Michelle J. Anderson for a special lecture in front of students, staff, and faculty in the Woody Tanger Auditorium on Apr. 8.

In a powerful, intimate, and honest discussion led by Anderson, Gbowee鈥攚ho helped lead the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace that worked to end the 14-year civil war in Liberia鈥攕hared memories from various stages of her life that propelled her to become a global force who has worked for peace, human rights, and gender equality throughout her life.

Starting with her childhood, she emphasized the loving hometown she grew up in.

She provided an example of the strong community bond and dedication to learning by telling a story about how she walked from house to house with other children, forced to show their report cards to each neighbor. This dedication to learning was also instilled by her grandmother, a teacher, who Gbowee called her earliest feminist role model.

鈥淚 consider myself a daughter of the community, a daughter of the generosity of many people, and a daughter of many tribes,鈥� Gbowee said. 鈥淏ut there was also a lot of love.鈥�

As an older student, Gbowee said it was receiving an F on a paper written for a class in which she never spoke up that helped light a fire in her. After confronting the teacher, who had not read her paper due to her non-participation, the teacher took it home, read it, and gave her an A.

That life lesson taught Gbowee that no one would ever judge her on the basis of her silence.

鈥淭hat was the beginning of finding my voice,鈥� Gbowee explained.

When the discussion turned to the Liberian Civil War, Gbowee said the powerful forces that pulled apart the fabric of her once harmonious homeland, coupled with the violence against her fellow Liberians at the hands of the warlord Charles Taylor, spurred her to become an outspoken advocate for peace and human rights. This dedication to bringing harmony and security to troubled areas of the world has never been better illustrated than by her work in her home country, where she led a movement of Liberian women, both Muslim and Christian. Starting with seven and ending with thousands, and marching mostly dressed in white, they eventually ended a war.

Gbowee said the movement started with a dream for peace and was grounded by many philosophical principles she carries to this day, the most important of which was: 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 be a peace activist if you don鈥檛 know peace.鈥�

Gbowee is also the founding head of the Liberian Reconciliation Initiative, a forum for the victims and perpetrators of human rights violations to bring about healing and produce a more accurate accounting of the country鈥檚 devastating civil war. Today, she is the executive director of Women Peace and Security Network Africa, established in Ghana in 2006 as a nongovernmental organization to advance women鈥檚 leadership in the governance of the continent鈥檚 peace and security.

During a Q&A session, acting student Nathaelle Denis asked Gbowee how she persevered through so many obstacles to find her own voice. Gbowee鈥檚 response was simple but strong: 鈥淚 was down, down, down,鈥� she said about earlier points in her life. 鈥淏ut you need to celebrate small victories. You need to appreciate the process, the journey, and yourself.鈥�

When asked about being a leader, her response was equally thoughtful: 鈥淵ou need to be the first to arrive and the last to leave. You need to serve first and be the last to be served.鈥�

When the questions turned to the current war raging in Ukraine, Gbowee shared one of her most poignant observations. Stating that peace is not solely about ending war, she added: 鈥淧eace is the presence of conditions that dignify all of us鈥ou can have no war, but you can also not have peace鈥� Work for peace in your own way.鈥�

This event was co-sponsored by the Women鈥檚 Center, the Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies Program, the Department of Africana Studies, and the Department of History.

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