Through my experiences as a history major at Skidmore, it has become clear to me that the college places an importance on exploring history “from the bottom up.” Within the Skidmore History and American Studies Departments, the voices so often ignored and overlooked throughout history are thrust into the limelight. 

On December 4, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed outside an entrance to the New York Hilton Midtown Hotel on West 54th Street in New York City. The suspect, now believed by authorities to be Luigi Nicholas Mangione, age 26, shot him multiple times in the back and legs and fled on an e-bike.

As of late June, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Un and Russian President Vladimir V. Putin have revived a peace of history dating back to the Cold War. Putin and Kim Jung Un signed a mutual defense treaty during a summit in Pyongyang in June, with Putin mentioning that this would be a “breakthrough” in solidifying bilateral relations.

Black Super Hero Magic Mama, written by Inda Craig-Galván and based on a true story, is coming to Skidmore on November 22. This is the first play by a Black playwright to be presented as a seminar production by the college. During this past month, I sat down with the cast members and asked their thoughts and experiences working on this production and why its story is important to them.