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. As we continue to implore our social media and news services for information, we know that the fight for justice specifically within the Black community, is vital for true reformation. Black communities have united across states and opened the eyes of law enforcement, government and state representatives, local council assembly persons, organizations, and institutions to demand rights, resources, support, and most importantly, the end of police brutality and violence. 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.
Skidmore had been silent during the fight for justice until students received a long, eight-paragraph email from President Philip A. Glotzbach and President- Elect Marc C. Conner. Their message mentioned the recent murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, but also "many other senseless deaths stretching through history." Furthermore, Glotzbach and Conner articulated "a call for change" and reminded the community to acknowledge "the deeply personal pain that black people in our nation live with daily." They briefly mentioned the creation of the Black Studies Minor and Social Justice Space in Case Center and ended their message with a college-wide invitation to a community check-in.
Glotzbach and Conner's message to the Skidmore community intended to highlight the importance of Black Lives Matter but for many students and alumni, the message fell short due to their use of weak language, uncertain intentions, and unnecessarily profound remarks. For many current students and recent graduates, this was one of their first moments witnessing the President acknowledge the Black community. Some students responded with feelings of disappointment and vexation. Jourdain Patrick ‘20 said, "I am unsatisfied. Their response comes almost an entire week after many demonstrations and protests have already taken place. Delay in the college’s overall response makes it difficult to accept the content of their message and all I could think about after reading it was “What now?” “Where do Black lives fit into the 'creative thought’ that matters to Skidmore?”
Another student, Jamin Garcia ‘20 said, "Joshua Woodfork was the first to email about what is happening. He's usually the first one to email the student body about Black struggles, acting as a puppet of the President when it comes to these issues." Neha Amatya ‘20 said, "I feel like the message was vague. The paragraphs solely stated the injustices that have occurred, but they could have done more, such as listing donation or petition sites for alumni & students, and other educational resources. I feel like it was a performative gesture. What are the steps they are taking to eliminate racism on campus?" Incoming Senior Class President Raymi Ramirez ‘21 added, "Skidmore is focused on dealing with unprecedented times with precedented solutions, leading us to no real change. This new presidency will be tested like no other."
Students claimed that the message was insufficient and lacked the college's next steps to improve in the community and support the Black Lives Matter movement. Not only is there frustration towards how the college will support Black lives, but anger is directed towards Skidmore's general inability to live up to their claims of inclusivity. Gadria Conlan ‘21 said, "I thought the letter was well-written… but it didn't hit me emotionally because Skidmore, in my opinion, doesn't do much to make their POC population feel welcomed or important enough." Jourdain continued to say, "The college claims to foster diverse and inclusive environments but its response to racial injustice is neither innovative nor attentive."
The college had posted a part of the message on the official Skidmore College Instagram page which was met by exasperation by a community of alumni. Some responded with frustration because they had not even received the email. Emma Goldberg Liu ‘16 explained, "I was deeply disappointed with the white-washing and pedantic—often mind-numbing—response the Skidmore community received... it was unnecessary to speak of the protests being “mostly peaceful, some violent” and not saying which side was violent. They felt the need to include the “sign(s) of hope” and how law enforcement are “outraged." It was unnecessary to emphasize what Skidmore has already done, such as create the Black Studies Minor & Social Justice Space. There were no actionable plans in what the college was going to do to fundraise or support causes they "believe" in."
Another alumnus spoke to more than just the email, but to the racism that exists out of campus. Kev Berry ‘15 said, " There were several instances of racism on campus and in town while I was in Saratoga Springs. There were panels and conversations, but I don't know what they ultimately amounted to beyond thoughts and prayers. This is what this delayed, passive email felt like to me. They could've outlined tangible actions the school would be taking if they weren't going to donate to a mutual aid or a national bail fund. Saying they're open to a vague conversation is one thing, but implementing anti-racist training for students and faculty is another. There was no plan. The school touts diversity and their acceptance of students from many countries & backgrounds, but the one crucial time the college could have sided more properly with these students, they did not."
The college held their Zoom community check-in on June 4th where facilitators, Joshua Woodfork (VP for Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity) and Mariel Martin (Associate Dean for Student Affairs/Interim Director of OSDP) began the conversation and formed breakout rooms with faculty & students. Glotzbach and Conner spoke briefly and exited after the breakout rooms were initiated, which disappointed attendees of the check-in. Many students felt that they should've participated in the smaller conversations with them and at least stayed till the very end. This led some to ponder on Skidmore's "real intentions" to support students of color on campus. Glotzbach and Conner's email depicted the importance of keeping "our eyes on our highest aspirations for our students and lean into the task of helping the College achieve its fundamental educational ideals." The check-in was the first-step for them to converse with students about their experiences and feelings, so the College could fulfill the expectations they expressed in their email; however, they failed to actively participate. However, Mariel Martin later explained that she and Joshua Woodfork organized the community check-in without confirming the timing of the event with Glotzbach and Conner, which prevented them from being able to engage for the entire time with students due to their schedules.
As Skidmore prepares for fall semester reopening plans, the administration still has much work to do when it comes to creating spaces for their students of color to feel safe and important. The pressing need for the College to acknowledge further improvements in areas such as the diversity of academic courses, hiring faculty of color, students of color inclusion efforts, and addressing racism on campus is essential to start making these students feel adequate and valued on their campus. Time and time again, Skidmore has had primitive conversations about the changes that need to occur on campus, but these discussions have faded quickly. Jourdain emphasized that, "the Skidmore administration has a lot of work to do if they want to accurately live up to the accolades that they have bestowed upon the College — students and alumni will be paying close attention to how they proceed in the coming weeks."