From Protest to Progress: Higher Education, Cities, and Racial Justice
2020
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and myriad acts of racial violence in America, protests (of all types) have re-emerged as a common response to our social injustices and tensions.
Race and racism have also been highlighted as common threads that have defined how we understand and try to address broader issues of health equity and citizenship in America. While much of the recent discourse about health equity and racism has taken place on the national stage, many of the opportunities for change exist locally: elections for local officials, city budgets, and place-based advocacy from Community-Based Organizations.
During this virtual convening, participants explored the role higher education can play in supporting and facilitating transformative change in the cities and towns in which they exist. Speakers included representatives from philanthropic organizations, community organizers, and academics who have studied various forms of protests throughout history. Our hope is that this convening served as the beginning of a series of conversations at Vassar and beyond about how to transform our institutions in a way that allows for racial justice.
Panels and Lectures
Videos in this playlist
- Setting the Stage
- Racial Justice & Economic Development in the Hudson Valley
- Intergroup Dynamics: Leadership & Representational Groups
- Welcome and Introduction
- Vassar Faculty Panel: The History of Social Movements and the Fight for Racial Justice
- Fireside Chat—Meeting the Moment: Philanthropy, Higher Education, and Racial Equity
- Anchor Institutions and a Racial Justice Framework
- Closing Remarks
Presenters
Dr. Abebe Bekele
Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE)
David N. Berg
Clinical Professor in Psychiatry and Lecturer, College Seminar Program, Yale College
Kimberley Williams Brown
Associate Professor of Education
Dr. Elizabeth H. Bradley
President of Vassar College
Jennifer Ching
Executive Director of North Star Fund
Miriam Cohen
Professor Emerita of History
Ashleigh Gardere
Executive Vice President of PolicyLink
Katherine Hite
Professor of Political Science on the F. Thompson Chair and Director of International Studies
Jerry Maldonado
Director, Cities and States Program at Ford Foundation
Eva Woods Peiró
Professor of Hispanic Studies
Tyrone Simpson
Associate Professor of English
Scot Spencer
Associate Director, Local Policy, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Jasmine Syedullah
Assistant Professor of Africana Studies
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