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 moreSeven Years Later, A Light Shone for Darryl Mount
On Monday evening, in High Rock Park, Saratoga Springs community members gathered in remembrance of Darryl Mount on the seven year anniversary of his ultimately fatal attack at the hands of the Saratoga Springs Police Department (SSPD).
Read moreReparations, Redistribution & Justice: Pass The Mic’s Black Mutual Aid Fund
Pass The Mic functions as a space on campus that aims to amplify the unfiltered experiences of Skidmore students whose voices are underrepresented in other spaces. To Black community members: Pass the Mic is currently accepting fund requests! Please visit the “BLACK MUTUAL AID FUND” link within https://linktr.ee/passthemicskid
"Not a Band-Aid Solution": Harlem Lacrosse and Skidmore Men’s Lacrosse Reflect on Controversial Instagram Campaign
The partnership between Harlem Lacrosse and Skidmore Men’s Lacrosse began long before Coach Joseph Martin became Head Coach in 2018. In 2014, Skidmore Lacrosse Alumni and All-American, Jacques Ward ’11, became a Program Director for Harlem Lacrosse, a non-profit organization that provides academic support, mentoring, and leadership training, and many more resources, to underprivileged youth.
Read moreBlack Residents’ Concerns about Systemic Racism Met by Disregard during Saratoga Springs Community Forum
A virtual community forum hosted on Wednesday evening by the Saratoga Springs Police Department and city Public Safety Commissioner Robin Dalton, has garnered deep frustration from the community members in attendance.
Read moreSkidmore's Complicity: "A Call For Change"?
Currently, as America fights against the COVID-19 pandemic that has taken the lives of many in our nation and across the world, another great fight is occurring: the demand for justice against several broken systems. The death of George Floyd has catalyzed a massive movement and as many communities join the fight for Black lives, students across the country continue to advocate for changes to our educational institutions in order to establish equity in our communities.
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 moreOPINION: Good Fundraiser, Bad Timing
Over the past few weeks, our social media feeds have been flooded with powerful, shocking and motivational news from the Black Lives Matter movement. I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach, however, when I read about the Skidmore College Men’s Lacrosse team fundraiser for Harlem Lacrosse, on Instagram last week.
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 Movement of the Moment: Alicia Garza’s Talk on Black Lives Matter
At 5 PM on Saturday, February 27, in Gannett Auditorium, Alicia Garza will be at Skidmore College discussing her pivotal role in the Black Lives Matter movement.
Read more