April is Diversity Month - Let's celebrate Diversity & Equality
February 2018: The John Hope Franklin Memorial Day Freedom Concert featured the Brooklyn College Symphonic Choir, Conservatory Singers, and the Glee Club.
February 2018: The John Hope Franklin Memorial Day celebration opened with a discussion on African American history and the public sphere.
October 2017: Rabbi Michael Lerner spoke of his strategies for combating racism and anti-Semitism, and the psychopathology that creates this climate in US politics.
April 2017: A panel discussed the struggle for immigrant rights, resistance, how to join the cause, and why it's so important.
April 2017: Students questioned panelists Danny Greenberg '66, Judge Sharon Bourne-Clarke '89, Wendy Amengual Wark, and Norman Siegel '65 on today's civil rights movement.
March 2017: How can we participate in today's civil rights movement? Judge Sharon Bourne-Clarke '89 answered that question.
March 2017: Professor Louis Fishman, Hussein Ibish, and David Meyers in a lively back-and-forth on Zionism and Palestinian Nationalism.
March 2017: Cornell University's Maria Cristina Garcia and Professor Anna Law assess the historical and constitutional context of President Trump's immigration executive orders.
March 2017: In conjunction with the SEEK program, Pardeep Kaleka and Arno Michaelis of Serve 2 Unite shared their transformative experiences.
February 2017: Filmmaker and director Sam Pollard (Slavery By Another Name) in conversation with Film Studies professor Paula Massood.
February 2017: A series of films, lectures, and artwork celebrating the life and work of John Hope Franklin.
February 2017: Professor Moustafa Bayoumi addresses issues surrounding surveillance and the First Amendment, in light of undercover operations on campuses.
February 2017: Immigration lawyer Arda Beskardes answered student questions on President’s Trump’s controversial Travel Ban.
"We Stand Against Hate" has been a campus fixture since spring 2017. Throughout the year, the initiative features lectures, workshops, concerts, programs, and events that reflect our ongoing commitment to elevating dialogue, enhancing understanding and compassion, and celebrating the voices that make up our diverse campus community.
Zoom bombing incident during Holocaust Remembrance Day
Dear Event Organizers,
Ms. Tunji Fussell in my office previously reached out to express our disdain for the horrific and reprehensible Zoom bombing incident that took place in an event you hosted on Holocaust Remembrance Day. The disruption is particularly disturbing given the historical and present contributions that members of the Jewish community have made to Brooklyn College.
The increased use of technology for programs of late has, unfortunately, resulted in a significant increase in the number of Zoom bombings related to religion, race, gender, sexual identity, and other diverse experiences that we value here at Brooklyn College. The College has previously provided information to prevent Zoom bombings and I have included some recommendations below. The College’s ITS department can provide training to prevent Zoom bombing. My office can also arrange for training to prevent Zoom bombing and to handle Anti-Semitism or racism that may happen in them.
Improve your Zoom security
Two important things to protect Zoom meetings is setting a password and creating a “waiting room.” Before participants join the call, they are placed in holding for the host to view and approve. This requires the host to periodically check the waiting room to ensure they are approving attendees that may be late. This is an excellent way to make sure only invited participants are on the call.
Mute and block Zoom bombers
Hosts can mute/unmute individual participants or all of them at once. Hosts can also block unwanted, distracting, or inappropriate noise from other participants.
Disable video
Hosts can turn someone’s video off. This will allow hosts to block unwanted, distracting, or inappropriate gestures on video.
While we may not be able to prevent these egregious acts, we will certainly do our very best to prevent those who assault the values of Brooklyn College from having a platform.
In solidarity,
Anthony Brown, Esq.
Chief Diversity Officer
and Special Assistant to the President
Office of Diversity and Equity Programs
Brooklyn College
718.951.4128 Anthony.Brown@brooklyn.cuny.edu
Statement by CUNY Chancellor Matos Rodríguez on the Deadly Shootings in Atlanta
“The unconscionable violence that erupted last night in Atlanta has absolutely no place in our society. On behalf of the CUNY community, I offer condolences to the families of the eight people, six of them Asian women, whose lives were taken in yet another senseless shooting spree. Although the shootings have not yet been classified as hate crimes, they come at a time when the nation is struggling to repudiate a sustained uptick in bias-fueled attacks against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. These latest murders also reflect the deep-seated misogyny that continues to degrade our culture.
“In this distressing moment, we must again come together in unity, as individuals and as a university, and acknowledge our interconnectedness. We must reaffirm our commitment to building a society that fully champions diversity and equality, tolerance and inclusion.”
with Prof. Moshe Rosman, Winner, The Rothschild Prize in Jewish Studies, 2020
Professor Emeritus, Koschitsky Department of Jewish History and Contemporary Jewry, Bar-Ilan University
Three Early Modern Jewish Women Who Bent the Gender Boundary
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
12:30-2 p.m.
Yisrael Ba'al Shem Tov and the Beginnings of Hasidism
I understand their meaning,
It could and did derive
From living on the edge of death
They kept my race alive
By wearing the mask!
— Maya Angelou
People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.
with Prof. Moshe Rosman, Winner, The Rothschild Prize in Jewish Studies, 2020
Professor Emeritus, Koschitsky Department of Jewish History and Contemporary Jewry, Bar-Ilan University
Three Early Modern Jewish Women Who Bent the Gender Boundary
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
12:30-2 p.m.
Yisrael Ba'al Shem Tov and the Beginnings of Hasidism
Calling all Brooklyn College poets, undergrads and grad students, physicists, accountants, sociologists, biologists, and English majors! Bring your original three-minute poems College-wide Poetry Reading in celebration of our differences and diversity.
Let us know that you’d like to read by sending your name, your EMPLID, and a short bio (e.g., “I’m a junior majoring in math education”) to the Office of Diversity and Equity, attention: Administrative Assistant Briana Strong.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
In response to the devastating events that occurred in Georgia on March 16, the extended Brooklyn College community is invited to a special conversation, "In Solidarity with the Asian-American Community."
The panel will consist of:
Sau-fong-Au, Direct of the Brooklyn College Women's Center
Professor Diana Pan, Department of Sociology
Professor Pei-Han Cheng, Department of School Psychology, Counseling, and Leadership
Professor Celina Su, Department of Political Science
with opening remakes by President Michelle Anderson.
CUNY Women’s Council Presents: Embodied Poetics, Featuring Aimee Cox
Tuesday, March 23, 4–5:15 p.m.
Embodied Poetics (for self-identified women) will use the poetry of a different woman of color as the embodied inspiration for accessible yoga and guided free-form movement, with time to write and reflect on responses to the poetry and the movement, writing their own embodied poetics.
Safer Sex Workshop With Babeland
March 18, 2021
Babeland is back (virtually!) for our annual Safer Sex Workshop for CUNY students. Babeland representatives will lead an inclusive workshop on sex-related topics. Guests will have the opportunity to ask questions anonymously. The event will also feature a raffle for some Babeland merchandise.
Meditation With Bilqis @ the Women’s Center
March 15, 2021
Practice calming the mind during these uncertain times. Learn breathing skills and techniques to achieve fuller inner peace and solace.
What’s in the Cards: Tarot Session With Spiritualist, Intuitive Tarot Reader, Yogi, and Holistic Health Practitioner Briana Strong
March 10, 2021
Briana Strong will introduce the tarot and lead both a general reading for the collective, invite one-card pulls from individuals, and do a spirit-guide pull from three different tarot decks. A divine feminine meditation on feminine energy and empowerment and Q&A will follow.
Yoga @ Women’s Center
March 4, 2021
Alumna Bilqis Benu will lead a Hatha yoga session and talk about mind/body connection and well-being while leading a series of asanas. All levels welcome.
A Conversation With Transgender Prisoners' Rights Activist and Litigator Dee Farmer
March 5, 2021
Dee Farmer is a legal expert and consultant for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. She was the first transgender plaintiff to bring a case before the United States Supreme Court. In 1994, her landmark case, the unanimous Farmer v. Brennan decision, established that prisoners have a right to be protected from harm and that prisons are responsible for their safety.
Common Reader/The 1619 Project, A Conversation with Cornel West: Culture, Race, and Democracy
Common Reader/The 1619 Project, A Conversation with Cornel West: Culture, Race, and Democracy
Philosopher, Political Activist, Social Critic, Author, and Public Intellectual
March 9, 2021
Introduced by Martha Nadell, Associate Professor, English Department
"I Am Not Your Negro," by James Baldwin
February 25, 2021
Film screening and discussion
Black Culture: The Underappreciated Pioneer
February 26, 2021
Join the ladies of Women of Color and Assistant Professor of Sociology DonnaLee Granville to discuss the impact that black culture has had on popular culture throughout history and how it influences today's cultural climate.
The Black Entrepreneurial Spirit (B.E.S.T.) of Black History Month
February 23, 2021
A panel discussion highlighting alumni who have become successful entrepreneurs since graduating. Presented by SAIL Center, I Am BC Diversity Committee.
Common Reader/The 1619 Project, With Author Robert Jones Jr. '06, M.F.A '08
Common Reader/The 1619 Project, With Author Robert Jones Jr. '06, M.F.A '08
February 18, 2021
As part of the Common Reader/The 1619 Project. organized by the Department of English, Robert Jones Jr. reads from his critically acclaimed debut novel, The Prophets. He will be introduced by Wadzanai Mhute, an M.F.A. student in creative writing at Brooklyn College. This is co-sponsored by the college’s We Stand Against Hate initiative, departments of English and History, Wolfe Institute, and Office of Diversity and Equity Programs.
Racism, Mental Health, and Strategies for Supporting Our Students
February 18, 2021
Co-founders of the BARE Mental Health & Wellness Center, Professor Jessica LoPresti, Suffolk University Boston, and Professor Tahirah Swain, University of Massachusetts Boston, will discuss the impact of racism and discrimination on the mental health of our students of color and the strategies and resources faculty can use to support their success.
Restorative Yoga
February 9, 2021
Battle of the Sexes
February 5, 2021
Join the ladies of Women of Color and the brothers of Phi Sigma Chi Multicultural Fraternity Inc. for a friendly debate regarding our views on relationships, stereotypes, political stances, gender roles, and much more. Presented by the Beta Chapter of Phi Sigma Chi Multicultural Fraternity Inc. & Women of Color.
Black and Jewish Multicultural Identities, and Anti-Semitism
February 4, 2021
“Black and Jewish Multicultural Identities, and Anti-Semitism” will explore the possibilities and meanings that arise when black and Jewish identities merge. This event will feature a lecture by Professor Katya Gibel Mevorach from Anthropology and American Studies at Grinnell College. Gibel Mevorach holds a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from Duke University. She received her B.A. and M.A. in African studies from Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel. Gibel Mevorach is author of the books Black, Jewish and Interracial: It's Not the Color of Your Skin but the Race of Your Kin and Other Myths of Identity, and she has also been published in several notable journals. She moved to Israel in 1970 after graduating from The Brearley School in New York and returned to the United States in 1991 to pursue doctoral studies. She was invited to join Grinnell College as a Scholar-in-Residence in January 1996.
Film Screening and Discussion: White Supremacy in Blackface
February 2, 2021
A film screening of White Supremacy in Blackface, directed by Domini Quinn SupaStar (2020) and discussion on the social construct called "white supremacy" as seen by its number-one target: black people. Screening and discussion led by Professor of Sociology Jean Eddy Saint Paul. Courtesy of I Am BC Diversity Committee, SAIL Center, and Black Faculty and Staff at BC.
SHIN-DC III Annual Congressional Holocaust Commemoration
January 28, 2021
Brooklyn College and its Judaic Studies program are proud to be a sponsor of SHIN DC III Annual Congressional Holocaust Commemoration Day. This event highlights underrepresented Jewish Holocaust communities, including Sephardic and Romaniote experiences, under this year's theme, "Refugees of the Holocaust." It will include examining the experiences of Sephardic and Ashkenazi refugees in Sephardic lands or communities of North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, the Balkans, the Middle East, and other parts of Asia.
Special guest Albert Bourla, the CEO of Pfizer, will tell his Sephardic family’s story of survival, and the keynote speaker is Devin Naar, the Isaac Alhadeff Professor in Sephardic Studies at the University of Washington.
Claims of Hidden Racism in Mainstream Economics: A Critical Response
December 3, 2020
Many critics have suggested that mainstream economics provides a rationale for the racial exploitation they believe is endemic to capitalism, most recently in an essay by John Kolmos. Professor Emeritus Robert Cherry will respond to these claims and Professor Marc Fox will be the discussant.
Professor Cherry will identify circumstances in which the profit motive can undermine discriminatory barriers and many cases where it is not. While discriminatory hiring practices should not be ignored, to the extent productivity inadequacies explain racial disparities in the developmental affirmative action policies may be necessary to increase the pipeline from underrepresented groups. Third, the talk will discuss the employment problems faced by a large share of black men. What are the particular personal and structural barriers they face and why Obama-like incremental polices can ameliorate their situation.
Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil
November 20, 2020
In honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, we'll be holding our annual vigil to read the names of those who have passed away due to transphobic violence.
Common Reader Project and The 1619 Project - 1619, Racism, and Science
November 18, 2020
Transgender Awareness Week
November 13-19, 2020
Each year, between November 13 and 19, people and organizations around the country participate in Transgender Awareness Week to help raise the visibility about transgender people and address issues members of the community face.
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month - The Lenape of Brooklyn: Origins, Acknowledgements, and Activism
¡Basta Ya! (Enough Already!) - What A Few Puerto Rican Students Did That Irreversibly Changed The Ivory Tower
October 6, 2020
An Event of the 15th Annual Possible Dream: Latinx Arts, Communities and Leadership Encuentro, In honor of Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month
Discussants
Dr. María Pérez y González, PRLS Deputy Chairperson/Former PRLS Chairperson
Dr. Virginia Sánchez Korrol, Professor Emerita/Former PRLS Chairperson/Winner of the 2020 Herbert H. Lehman Prize for Distinguished Service in NY History by the New York Academy of History
In cooperation with Puerto Rican Alliance (PRA), BC Comité Noviembre, APREE (Alliance for Puerto Rican Education and Empowerment), Sponsored by the Office of Equity and Diversity Programs, ‘We Stand Against Hate’ Initiative.
Taking White Supremacy to Court: The Charlottesville Case
September 30, 2020
We invite you to join a conversation about racism and Integrity First for America’s current efforts to fight back against white supremacy using the justice system.
The Dept. of Africana Studies presents VOICES FOR CHANGE
September 30, 2020
Prof. Eto Otitigbe of The Dept. of Art will lead us on a Journey Into the Exploration of Monuments, History, and Memory Through Art.
Where Does Culture Belong? Indigenous Artifacts in Museums and Universities
September 25, 2020
Conversation with LaDuke and cultural anthropologist and member of the Delaware Nation of Oklahoma Nekole Parton Alligood about decolonization as it relates to NAI artifacts, bones, burial sites, and how these are used by universities, museums, and researchers.
Robert L. Hess Memorial Lecture by 2020 Hess Scholar-in-Residence Winona LaDuke
September 24, 2020
Winona LaDuke is a rural development economist working on issues of economic, food, and energy sovereignty. She lives and works on the White Earth reservation in northern Minnesota, and leads several organizations including Honor the Earth, Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute, Akiing, and Winona's Hemp. These organizations develop and model cultural-based sustainable development strategies utilizing renewable energy and sustainable food systems.
Sustainability in the 21st Century
September 24, 2020
Panel with Sustainability faculty at BC and beyond
Countering Colonialism in the Classroom
September 23, 2020
Panel discussion with Victoria Stone-Cadena, Lawrence Johnson, Naomi Schiller, and Hess Scholar in Residence Winona LaDuke.
The Citizen Artist: Performing Resistance
September 23, 2020
On this panel, BC faculty and alumnae discuss how theatre artists address environmental and social issues in their work.
Food Sovereignty & Public Health
September 23, 2020
Roundtable discussion with Sarah K. Khan, alumna Tiana Rainford, and Hess Scholar in Residence Winona LaDuke.
Civil Rights and Resistance: Uprisings for Planetary Justice
September 22, 2020
A panel featuring BC faculty with LaDuke, discussing activism for environmental justice, including issues of climate, water, and pollution.
The I in BIPOC: Racial Justice and Indigenous Peopl
September 22, 2020
A conversation with undergraduate students and Hess Scholar in Residence Winona LaDuke.
Native/Indigenous Studies, Here & Now: Conversation with Jaskiron Dhillon and Winona LaDuke
September 21, 2020
Preceded by a Land Acknowledgement and Blessing by elder George Stonefish Useful as an introduction to Native American/Indigenous (NAI) Studies.
Black & LGBTQ+ Activism: Not Separate, Not Equal
June 30, 2020
The We Stand Against Hate Initiative, the Wolfe Institute, the Black, Latino Male Initiative, the Office of Diversity and Equity Programs, the Women's and Gender Studies Program, the LGBTQ Resource Committee, the Women's Center and the LGBTQ Resource Center are sponsoring a symposium entitled "Black & LGBTQ+ Activism: Not Separate, Not Equal.”
Andrea Ritchie, writer, lawyer, and activist for women of color, and Tamika Spellman, pioneering activist and advocate, will serve as the primary speakers for the symposium. The symposium will be interactive and offer insight into Black Queer activism during this period of social unrest.
We Should Be Able To Breathe: Virtual Town Hall
June 3, 2020
With Anthony Brown, the Chief Diversity Officer at Brooklyn College, and David Wells, the Director of the Black, Latino Male Initiative.
A Boy from Bustina: A Son. A Survivor. A Witness.
November 25, 2019
Lawrence Burian spoke about the monumental autobiography written by his father, Andrew Burian, A Boy from Bustina: A Son. A Survivor. A Witness. (Yad Vashem Publications, 2016) a first-person narrative of his remarkable survival of the Birkenau and Mauthausen concentration camps during the Holocaust.
Lawrence Burian has been a member of the board of directors of the American Society for Yad Vashem for more than 20 years. Inspired by his father's life story, he too, has been committed to Holocaust education and remembrance. "I feel a great sense of responsibility towards helping ensure that future generations are aware of what occurred but also learn important lessons for the future," he says.
This event was accompanied by the exhibit, BESA: A Code of Honor. Muslim Albanians Who Rescued Jews During the Holocaust. The exhibit, which was on display in the Brooklyn College Library through December 1, was developed by Yad Vashem and on loan from the American Society for Yad Vashem.
Annual Symposium on Haitian Creole Language and Culture
October 25 and 26, 2019
Co-sponsored by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures and the CUNY Haitian Studies Institute at Brooklyn College.
Panel Discussion: 400 Years Later—The Legacies of 1619
October 24, 2019
The Department of History, in collaboration with the Wolfe Institute for the Humanities, the Conservatory of Music, and the H. Wiley Hitchcock Institute for Studies in American Music, presents "400 Years Later—The Legacies of 1619." The panel discussion will feature John W. Franklin, cultural historian at the National Museum of African American History, and Steven Hahn, the Pulitzer and Bancroft Prize-winning author of A Nation Under Our Feet: Black Political Struggles in the Rural South From Slavery to the Great Migration, moderated by Brooklyn-based historian and curator Prithi Kanakamedala. Funding is made possible by a generous grant from Kimberley Phillips Boehm.
John Hope Franklin Freedom Concert
October 24, 2019
Curated by Assistant Professor Laquita Mitchell with Assistant Professor Malcolm J. Merriweather of the Conservatory of Music, the concert will expand on the model by Coretta Scott King, presenting a tapestry of choral music, poetry, and prose that illustrates the struggle of people around the world and promotes religious, social, and political harmony.
Lecture: The Significance of the Border Wall in American History
October 17, 2019
The Wolfe Institute for the Humanities presents a lecture by New York University Professor of History Greg Grandin.
Lecture: Lives Still in Limbo: UnDACAmented and Navigating Uncertain Futures
October 7, 2019
The Department of Sociology presents the 2019 Charles R. Lawrence II Memorial Lecture by Professor Roberto Gonzales, Harvard University Graduate School of Education and director of Immigration Initiative at Harvard.
The Untold History—130 Years of Women's Political and Economic Advancement
October 3, 2019
The Archives and Special Collections division of the Brooklyn College Library, in collaboration with the YWCA of Brooklyn, unveils an archival historic collection following more than a century of women's political and economic empowerment in Brooklyn. The exhibit, pulled from 350 boxes of historical documents, including more than 6,000 photos dating back to the 1880s, has been organized and prepared for public access and research.
Film Screenings: Period. End of Sentence.
September 26, 2019
Two screenings of the 2019 Oscar-winning documentary film, with Associate Professor Patricia Antoniello facilitating discussion. Co-sponsored by the Women's and Gender Studies Program, the Women's Center, and the Department of Television and Radio.
Film Screening: Chèche Lavi
September 21, 2019
Documentary film that focuses on the experiences of Haitian immigrants who are stranded at the Mexico-U.S. border in 2016, following a mass migration from Brazil. The film explores the relationship between two Haitian men whose friendship and futures were altered by incomprehensible geopolitical forces.
We Are Brooklyn: Immigrant Voices
September 12, 2019
Art exhibit opening, based on oral histories with immigrants and children of immigrants conducted by Brooklyn College students as part of the Brooklyn College Listening Project.
Frances Haidt Annual Lecture, With Film Screening of Who Will Write Our History?
April 8, 2019
Professor Samuel Kassow, Trinity College, spoke on "History and Catastrophe: The Secret Archive of the Warsaw Ghetto." Kassow is the author of the award-winning, best-selling book Who Will Write Our History?, which was also produced as a highly praised documentary. The film documents the secret Warsaw ghetto archive that was found buried in several tin boxes and metal milk canisters. It includes reenactments of key figures and events to preserve the memory of Jewish life under extreme persecution in Nazi-German occupied Poland during World War II. Discussion and questions were conducted by Professor Robert Shapiro, Department of Judaic Studies, and translator-editor of The Warsaw Ghetto Oyneg Shabes-Ringelblum.
Kassow is the Charles H. Northam Professor of History at Trinity College and holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University. He has been a Lady Davis Visiting Professor at the Hebrew University, the Leon I. Mirell Visiting Professor at Harvard University, and the Shier Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Toronto. From 2006 to 2013 he was the lead historian for two galleries of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, and he has been elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Jewish Research. A child of Holocaust survivors, Kassow was born in a Displaced Persons camp in Germany.
American Torture
April 23, 2018
What happens to American society when the practice of torture is no longer reviled but instead put up for debate? A conversation between CUNY School of Law’s Professor Ramzi Kassem and Brooklyn College Professor Moustafa Bayoumi as they discuss the legal, political, and cultural implications of torture today.
An interfaith dialogue featuring Turkish writer and The New York Times International journalist Mustafa Akyol, author of Islam Without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty.
OneVoice presented a workshop on conflict resolution, using a five-step model designed to depolarize conflict across communities, and foster viewpoint diversity and constructive disagreement, and using the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a case study.
Discovery Faith
March 23, 2018
Reflections on the major monotheistic religions in dialog with one another, with Professors David Brodsky (Judaic Studies), Bilal Ibrahim (History), Lauren Mancia (History), and Sara Reguer (chair, Program for Studies in Religion).
RespondBC! Opening Reception
March 11, 2018
RespondBC! recognizes the diverse voices of the Brooklyn College community by showcasing their art, in any media, that conveys their personal, social, cultural, or political positions.
Discussing Faith: What the Pre-Modern History of Jewish-Christian-Muslim Interactions Teaches Us
March 6, 2018
What is the history of Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations? History and Judaic Studies faculty engaged in discussion about what we can learn from the pre-modern history of these religions.
Immigration Rights and Resources in CUNY
February 27, 2018
An informative panel discussion on the legal rights of immigrants, and the resources available to them at CUNY.
OneMind: Peace in the Middle East
February 27, 2018
OneVoice presented a workshop on conflict resolution, using a five-step model designed to depolarize conflict across communities, and foster viewpoint diversity and constructive disagreement, and using the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a case study.
John Hope Franklin Lecture and Freedom Concert
February 26, 2018
The John Hope Franklin Memorial Day celebration opened with a discussion on African American history and the public sphere, featuring panelists David Blight, public historian (Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom), the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s John W. Franklin (My Life and an Era: the Autobiography of Buck Colbert Franklin), and Kimberley Phillips-Boehm, award-winning historian and writer (War! What is it Good For? Black Freedom Struggles and the U.S. Military from World War II to Iraq). The evening’s Freedom Concert featured the Brooklyn College Symphonic Choir, Conservatory Singers, and Glee Club.
Celebrating Love Across Cultures Through Gospel Music
February 15, 2018
Loving Immigrants in America
November 16, 2017
An enriching conversation about diverse immigrant experiences and their ethical implications in the current political context. Professor Daniel Campos will be in conversation with philosophy student Nimra Asif.
Debating the Future of Policing
November 14, 2017
Professor Alex Vitale, author of The End of Policing, debated the future of law enforcement with Heather McDonald, author of The War on Cops.
Watched (Katie Mitchell, 2017), is an intimate and moving exploration of the experience of coming of age - under the gaze of state surveillance. The screening was followed by a discussion with guest speakers, Prof. Jeanne Theoharis and filmmaker, Katie Mitchell.
Strategies to Combat Racism and Anti-Semitism: The Psychodynamics of American Politics
October 19, 2017
Rabbi Michael Lerner discusses the psychopathology in American life that creates the climate in which racism against African Americans and anti-Semitism grow, and strategies to take the country in a different direction.
Immigration Now: DACA & Citizenship Resources in CUNY
October 3, 2017
Jasinta De La Cruz is an immigration lawyer with CUNY’s Citizenship Now! Project, which provides free, confidential immigration legal services to help students, their families, and other immigrants in the city on the path to U.S. citizenship.
Watched
May 16, 2017
Watched (Katie Mitchell, 2017), is an intimate and moving exploration of the experience of coming of age - under the gaze of state surveillance. The screening was followed by a discussion with guest speakers, Prof. Jeanne Theoharis and filmmaker, Katie Mitchell.
Laughter without Borders
May 3, 2017
Andrew Horton's documentary, aughter Without Borders, followed four Swedish clowns in Northern Greece in 2016 as they bring laughter to Syrian refugee children. The screening was followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker and some Swedish clowns.
The Sounds of Post-Inauguration Protests
May 2, 2017
The election of Donald Trump inspired thousands of residents across the country, many of them new to activism, to join in active protests. Music and sound are an important means to engage these protesters, build solidarity among them, and keep them going. This was a preliminary account of the sounds of these protests, outlining the paths of historic reference, innovation, and global circulation.
RespondBC!
April 28, 2017
People have used art to respond to shifts in culture, politics, and society for generations. RespondBC! was no different, gathering a series of artworks across all mediums in a response to the current pressures of society and growing political tension in the United States.
NO BAN, NO WALL: The Struggle for Immigrant Rights Under Trump
April 27, 2017
How does one resist the Trump administration's xenophobic policies? Why is it important to engage in this struggle today? In a panel discussion, journalist Sami Disu, Make the Road’s Luiza Tanuri, and Bay Ridge for Social Justice’s Yasmine Kamel, shared how and why everyday people can join the cause.
Ronit and Jamil: A Reading by author Pamela Laskin
April 24, 2017
A beautiful, lyrical novel retelling the story of Romeo and Juliet but through the lens of modern-day lovers during the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict, read by author Pamela Laskin.
People have used art to respond to shifts in culture, politics, and society for generations. RespondBC! was no different, gathering a series of artworks across all mediums in a response to the current pressures of society and growing political tension in the United States.
Founders of Serve 2 Unite Stand Up Against Hate
April 17, 2017
Organized by Brooklyn College’s SEEK program, Pardeep Kaleka and Arno Michaelis, Serve 2 Unite co-founders, elaborated on how their experience of hate and violence was transformed into understanding, acceptance, and compassion.
Today's Civil Rights Movement
April 6, 2017
How can we participate in today’s civil rights movement? We asked: Danny Greenberg '66 (Legal Aid Society New York), Judge Sharon Bourne-Clarke '89, Wendy Amengual Wark, and Norman Siegel '65 (NY ACLU) replied.
Listen-In/Listen Up! Students Teach the Teachers About Struggle
April 4-5, 2017
Panels of students will share their stories of struggle, what makes them feel vulnerable or unwelcome on campus, and how we can create a more inclusive and nurturing environment at Brooklyn College. Following the panel discussion, the student moderator will lead a wider discussion with student members of the audience.
In a lively back-and-forth hosted in the Woody Tanger Auditorium, Hussein Ibish (Senior Resident Scholar, Arab Gulf States Institute) and David Meyers (Judaic Studies, UCLA) provided a thoughtful look at the history and interpretation of two opposing movements: Zionism and Palestinian Nationalism.
A Historical and Constitutional Assessment of Trump's Immigration EOs
March 28, 2017
Tasked with the difficult job of assessing the historical context of President Trump’s immigration-based executive orders, Cornell University’s Maria Cristina Garcia and the Center of Constitutional Rights’ Shane Kadidal, in two events, provided insight into how Trump’s actions will affect immigrants, refugees, and exiles in the United States.
Ronit and Jamil: A Reading by author Pamela Laskin
March 22, 2017
A beautiful, lyrical novel retelling the story of Romeo and Juliet but through the lens of modern-day lovers during the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict, read by author Pamela Laskin.
A celebration of Coretta Scott King’s vital role in the civil rights movement through choral music, poetry, and prose, led by professors Malcolm J. Merriweather and Ira Spaulding.
Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me: A Fake News Event
March 21, 2017
A fun, informative game show, hosted by professors Beth Evans, MJ Robinson, and Katherine Fry, that served to teach students how to identify and deal with the problem of fake news in modern journalism.
A celebration of Coretta Scott King’s vital role in the civil rights movement through choral music, poetry, and prose, led by professors Malcolm J. Merriweather and Ira Spaulding.
Otherness & Togetherness: A Storytelling Workshop
March 24, 2017
Culminating in mini-performances based on collected stories, Otherness & Togetherness: A Storytelling Workshop brought together storytelling, conversion, and improvisation skills in a series of helpful workshops.
Otherness & Togetherness: A Storytelling Workshop
March 10, 2017
Culminating in mini-performances based on collected stories, Otherness & Togetherness: A Storytelling Workshop brought together storytelling, conversion, and improvisation skills in a series of helpful workshops.
Disturbing the Peace: A Documentary about Israeli and Palestinian Activism
March 6, 2017
Disturbing the Peace highlights former Israeli and Palestinian combatants who transform into nonviolent peace activists, culminating in forming Combatants for Peace. The screening was followed by a Q&A session with the filmmakers and participating members of Combatants for Peace.
Founders of Serve 2 Unite Stand Up Against Hate
March 2, 2017
Organized by Brooklyn College’s SEEK program, Pardeep Kaleka and Arno Michaelis, Serve 2 Unite co-founders, elaborated on how their experience of hate and violence was transformed into understanding, acceptance, and compassion.
John Hope Franklin Celebration
February 28, 2017
A collection of films, lectures, political dialogues, and an exhibition of African-American art and history, that celebrated the life and work of John Hope Franklin, the first African-American chair of an academic department.
In this conversation, professors Moustafa Bayoumi (English), Benjamin Carp (History), Sandra Kingan (Mathematics), and Alex Vitale (Sociology) tackled the problem of state-sponsored, undercover operations on university campuses in the context of the First Amendment.
How to Engage Others and Accept and Understand Difference: A Skills-Building Workshop
February 21, 2017
In this panel, Professors Penny Repetti (Philosophy) and Katie Rose Hejtmanek (Anthropology) explored the meaning of human culture and how to accept and understand the variety differences among them.
Executive Order Q & A
A Q&A on President’s Trump’s Travel Ban, an executive order banning immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries, that featured immigration lawyer Arda Beskardes, and hosted by the Office of International Student and Scholar Services.
February 16, 2017
Children's Books on Compassion
February 14, 2017
First of a series of monthly dialogs on high-quality children's books, occasionally with the author, designed to develop empathy in readers of all. Hosted by Dean April Bedford, the Children's Books on Compassion Series promoted the best of children’s literature and their authors.
