We are delighted to invite you to an open forum on “Anti-Racism and Social Justice in Higher Education,” which will take place on July 28, 2021 at 11:00 am – 12:30 pm. For this academic year, this is the first in a series of university-wide conversations about anti-racism and our collective quest for a more just, inclusive, and equitable university and society.
We have a distinguished panel of scholars and thought leaders from our university and surrounding community, who will give short presentations of different aspects of anti-racism, followed by a question-and-answer session.
The panelists and titles and abstracts of their presentations are as follows:
- Dr. Annegret Staiger (Professor of Anthropology, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences)
Title: From Social Movements to Cooptation: The Rise and Fall of Anti-Racist Struggles.
Abstract: From the abolition of slavery to the entrenchment of prison labor, from reconstruction to Jim Crow, or from desegregated schools to de facto resegregated schools today, the cycle of antiracist movement, progressive legislation, and subsequent inoculation and decline has a long history in the US. Based on my research in the Long Beach school district and the example of a desegregation tool that consolidated the notion of whiteness as giftedness, I will give a short overview of this history of rise and fall of antiracist struggles and what it means for our current antiracism struggles at Clarkson.
- Dr. Seema Rivera (Assistant Professor of STEM Education)
Title: Beyond the Statement: Faculty-driven Antiracism Work at a Predominantly White STEM University
Abstract: In this short presentation, I will share a book chapter under review (Rivera, Hoffman, Manierre, and Boolani). The purpose of this chapter is to share the experiences, motivations, and reflections of the authors’ efforts of establishing an antiracism institute at a predominantly White STEM university in a small, rural county in Northern New York. To accompany their perspectives, the authors interviewed faculty members involved in this process to identify their motivations and hopes for the institute, along with the challenges and difficulties. In doing so, this chapter seeks to offer insights and recommendations for similar institutions who wish to engage in this type of antiracism work.
- Dr. Rebecca Pelky (Assistant Professor of Film Studies, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences)
Title: Representation without Context
Abstract: In this short talk, I will touch on three topics relevant to Institutions of Higher Education. Approaching anti-racism from a broadly Indigenous perspective, I will briefly consider land recognition statements, displays of Indigenous art, and classroom practices based on Indigenous teaching methods. Each of these points present opportunities to contextualize Indigenous representations in the University and therefore avoid erasure when our intentions are to represent.
- Dr. Darryl Scriven (Dean, School of Arts and Sciences)
Title: Anti-racism and Recruitment in Higher Education
Abstract: Much warranted attention has been recently given to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Education. It is well understood that creating institutional cultures where complementary populations feel welcomed and valued is a vital feature of recruitment and retention. Whether faculty, staff, students, or administrators, building environments of sustenance is necessary to foster belonging and success within and across these populations. Given the history of education and antiblack racism in the United States, fashioning an antiracist University climate for recruitment will take a series of intentional acts. In this talk, I will briefly discuss key practices needed for Universities like Clarkson to construct an antiracist recruitment strategy that impacts both students and employees.
- Dr. Nicole Hylton-Patterson (Director, Adirondack Diversity Initiative)
Title: From Tower to Town Hall: Examining the impact of antiracist struggles in
higher education on surrounding communities
Abstract: My presentation will look at the history of on-campus antiracist movements through the lens of the communities within which they are embedded, and upon which they rely for much of their sustainability. My segment will grapple with the implications of these on-campus struggles for the local cultural and political economies. What are the implications of the antiracist struggles at Clarkson to Potsdam and Canton?
- Dr. Claudia Hoffmann (Assistant Professor of Film Studies, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences) will serve as moderator of the panel discussion.
The forum will be held in person on the Clarkson University Potsdam campus CAMP 194 with a zoom capability for those who are unable to attend in person. The zoom link to register for the forum is: https://clarkson.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUtcOChqDovGtJkalF2obiz9fngsTyM7DY0.
Because of space limitations, please rsvp to Marcy Wilcox (mwilcox@clarkson.edu): 315-268-2300 by Monday, July 26.
The forum is open to the public and will be recorded and distributed via the university social media.
We look forward to your attendance and participation.
Thank you!
