Black-led resistance to state and white vigilante violence is not new. Professor Winston Grady-Willis, chair of Black Studies at Skidmore, recounts stories of Black-led resistance from another period of widespread rebellion in U.S. history, the 1960s, in his book “Challenging US Apartheid: Atlanta and Black Struggles for Human Rights, 1960-1977.”
Read moreAmplifying BIPOC Voices
Skidmore is an overwhelmingly white college, and most of us have never experienced racism and never will. We are the ones that have taken part and benefitted from the deeply rooted racism in our country. The resources are already out there, and have been for a while. White folks need to take responsibility, listen and learn, and do the research to become anti-racist individuals. It is hard. it is uncomfortable. We must do it anyway.
Read more#WhyDidDarrylDie: The Police Brutality Case that Strikes Close to Home
I first heard about the death of Darryl Mount Jr. in April of 2018. I remember the day clearly because I had come to the Saratoga Springs City Hall to interview Mayor Meg Kelly for a statement on the recent sightings of KKK flyers downtown. During our conversation, Mayor Kelly mentioned that she had been working closely with the local police department--particularly with the then-Police Chief Greg Veitch-- on preserving the town’s safety and ensuring that this would not happen again. It struck me during our interview that I needed to learn more about the city’s police department as our local authority of protection. After, I googled the Saratoga Springs Police Department and fell into the story of Darryl Mount Jr.
Read moreThe Black Studies Program Through the Eyes of Its Director
After decades of students and staff members pushing for the development of a new program that would recognize the importance of global Black experiences both historically and contemporarily, it has finally come into fruition.
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