Statement of Commitment from Faculty and Staff of The New School

In the context of escalating material and systemic violence against black men, women and trans- people, and the demonstrated inadequacies of our existing legal structures in achieving justice for the murders of Michael Brown and Eric Garner (and so many more before them), we endorse the statement below from The New Black School. We are all – students, faculty and staff – negotiating a moment of crisis that is differently accentuated by histories of racialized, gendered, classed and sexualized trauma, and we need to acknowledge, respect and make space for that right now, and always. This includes caring for the ways that this current crisis is impacting our students’ capacity to complete their final assignments, and exercising flexibility with our deadlines and grading. Because these conditions and experiences of systemic racism are neither new nor isolated, we want to articulate our academic, intellectual, artistic and cultural commitments to:

1. Recognizing and understanding the historical and contemporary realities of anti-black racism in the institutional and social fabric of the United States and elsewhere;
2. Working with students, faculty and staff to develop the intellectual, artistic and cultural tools to dismantle white supremacist norms within our institution and beyond;
3. Ensuring that our curricular, co-curricular and pedagogical practices are actively decentering whiteness and prioritizing the academic, activist, artistic and cultural works and lived experiences of people of color;
4. Insisting that these practices be institutionally and structurally supported and valued in the university, rather than reproducing their marginality;
5. Understanding the cultural, artistic, economic, scientific, social and political structures of power that link the murders of Brown and Garner to the various mundane and spectacular forms of violence mediated by race, gender, class, sexuality, ethnicity, ability, religion and nationality in our institution and beyond;
6. Supporting student, faculty and staff in organizing towards social, economic and political justice within our institution and beyond, such as the attached New Black School’s Statement on Ferguson Decision.

 

Across our different areas of research, practice and expertise, we work to realize these commitments as integral to an education that “foster[s] critical thinking, social justice, and cross-cultural understanding” to “make the world a better and more just place.” Moreover, we hope this statement serves as a reminder that we must continually re-evaluate, reshape and change our strategies for meeting these commitments in communication with our students.

In mourning, rage and action,

1. Judy Pryor-Ramirez, Director of Civic Engagement & Social Justice, DUS Ethnicity & Race Minor, Civic Engagement & Social Justice / Ethnicity & Race, Lang
2. Laura Y. Liu, Chair & Associate Professor, Urban Studies, Lang
3. Jasmine Rault, Assistant Prof, Culture & Media, Eugene Lang
4. Miriam Ticktin, Associate Prof, Anthropology, NSSR/Lang
5. Doris Chang, Associate Prof, Psychology, NSSR/Lang
6. T.L. Cowan, PT Faculty, Culture & Media, Eugene Lang/NSPE
7. Nadia Williams, Director Parsons Scholars & Assistant Prof, SPACE, Parsons
8. Rachel Sherman, Associate Prof, Sociology, NSSR/Lang
9. Gail Drakes, Director Social Justice initiatives, The New School
10. Alexandra Délano, Assistant Professor , Global Studies, Lang
11. Scott Salmon, Associate Professor, Urban Studies, Lang/NSPE
12. Jaskiran Dhillon, Assistant Professor, Global Studies, Lang/NSPE
13. Elzbieta Matynia, Professor , sociology &liberal studies, NSSR
14. Donatella Galella, Part-Time Lecturer, The Arts, Theater
15. Cinzia Arruzza, Assistant Professor, Philosophy, NSSR and Lang
16. Alexandra Chasin, Associate Professor, Literary Studies, Lang
17. Julian Talamantez Brolaski, Adjunct, Lang First Year Writing, Lang
18. Jacob Frias Koehler, Lecturer, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Eugene Lang College
19. Banu Bargu, Associate Professor, Politics, NSSR & ELC
20. Alexis Dianda, Teaching Fellow, Philosophy, Lang
21. Genevieve Yue, Assistant Professor, Culture and Media, Eugene Lang College
22. Michael Alan Cohen, Professor of International Affairs, GPIA, NSPE
23. Christopher Christian, Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychology, NSSR
24. Juan E De Castro, Associate Professor, Literary Studies, Lang
25. Orit HALPERN, assistant professor, History, nssr/ lang
26. Soyoung Yoon, Program Director and Assistant Professor of Visual Studies, Arts, Lang
27. Jonathan Bach, Associate Professor, Global Studies, NSPE
28. Robert Sember, PT Faculty, Art, Eugene Lang
29. Wendy S. Walters, Associate Professor, Literary Studies, Writing, Eugene Lang
30. Siddhartha Deb, Associate Professor, Literary Studies, Eugene Lang
31. Carolyn Berman, Associate Professor, Literary Studies, Lang
32. Lisa Servon, Professor, Urban Policy, NSPE
33. Jeremy Varon, Associate Professor, History, ELC/NSSR
34. Stephanie Browner, Dean, Eugene Lang College, Dean’s Office, Eugene Lang
35. Mark Greif, Assistant Professor, Literary Studies, ELC
36. Angela Carr, PT faculty, Literary Studies – Writing, Eugene Lang College
37. Kate Eichhorn, Assistant Professor, Culture and Media Studies, Lang
38. Elaine Savory, Associate Professor, Literary Studies, Eugene Lang
39. Alan McGowan, Associate Professor, Chair, Environmental Studies, NSPE
40. Alice Crary, Associate Professor, Philosophy , NSSR
41. Julie Napolin, Assistant Professor , Literary Studies, Lang
42. Dmitri Nikulin, Professor, Philosophy, NSSR
43. Mark Larrimore, Associate Professor, Religious Studies, Lang
44. Nicholas Allanach, Director of Academic Operations, Dean’s Office, NSPE
45. Jennifer Firestone, Assistant Professor, Literary Studies, Eugene Lang College
46. Lara Penin, Asst Professor of Transdisciplinary Design, School of Design Strategies, Parsons
47. Tamara Oyola-Santiago, Asst Director, Wellness and Health Promotion, Student Health Services,   Student Services
48. Tanya Linn Frable, Program Administrator, Parsons Scholars Program, Parsons
49. Jose Dejesus-Gil, Senior Office Assistant, SPACE, Parsons
50. Darrick Hamilton, Associate Professor, Urban Policy , Milano
51. Katherine Kurs, Assistant Professor, Religious Studies, Eugene Lang College
52. Evan Rapport, Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology, Arts / Music, Lang / Jazz
53. Mykolas Gudelis, Teaching Fellow, Politics, NSSR
54. Danielle Goldman, Assistant Professor, Arts/Dance, Lang
55. Radhika Subramaniam, Asst Professor + Dir/Chief Curator, SJDC, School of Art & Design History & Theory, Parsons
56. Julia Ott, Associate Professor, History, ELC & NSSR
57. Rachel Knopf Shey, Assistant Director, Wellness and Health Promotion, Student Health Services, Student Services
58. Mark Statman , Associate Professor, Literary Studies, Eugene Lang College
59. Jessica Cannon, Assistant Professor, SPACE, First Year, Art & Design History & Theory, Parsons
60. Felicia DaCosta, Associate professor , Fashion design, Parsons school of Fashion
61. Jurgen von Mahs, Associate Professor, Urban Studies, Lang & NSPE
62. Niberca Polo, Associate Professor, SDS, Parsons
63. Elaine Abelson, Associate Professor, History, Lang and NSSR
64. David Lopato, faculty, jazz and contemporary music, New School for the Performing Arts
65. William Groth, Psychotherapist, Student Health Services, Student Health Services
66. Mallory Everett, Clinical Coordinator, Student Support and Crisis Management, Student Services
67. Christine Jackman, Senior Office Assistant, Student Health Services, Student Services
68. Rachel Heiman, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Liberal Arts, NSPE
69. Brita Servaes, Librarian, The New School Libraries & Archives, Central Administration
70. Jennifer Wilson, Associate Professor, Natural Science and Mathematics, Lang
71. William Somerville, Teaching Fellow, Psychology, NSSR
72. Cynthia Lawson, Associate Provost and Associate Professor, Distributed & Global Education and School of Design Strategies, Provost Office and Parsons
73. Tracy Robin, AVP for Student Health and Support Services, Student Health and Support Services, Student Services
74. James W. Fuerst, Adjunct Professor, Literary Studies – Writing, Eugene Lang
75. Leah Sweet , Faculty, ADHT, Parsons
76. Melissa Kate McIntosh, Art Therapist, Advisor for CAH Program, Student Health Support Services and CAH, NPSY
77. Gabrielle Bendiner-Viani, Associate Director, Civic Engagement Initiatives, Executive Dean’s Office, NSPE
78. Scherezade Garcia-Vazquez, PT lecturer, SDS, Parsons
79. Dean Reynolds, Part-time Lecturer, Arts / Music, Lang
80. Anthony Anemone, Associate Professor, Humanities & Literary Studies, NSPE & Lang
81. Lisa Lipscomb, Teaching Fellow, Lang First Year Writing, Eugene Lang College
82. Joshua Klos, Youth Advocate, Parsons Scholars Program, ADT
83. Anastasi Siotas, PT Faculty, Arts, Dance
84. Drew Goldsmith, Member, Social Justice Committee, The New School
85. Gail Bragg, psychotherapist, Student Health Services Center, Counseling
86. Linta Varghese, Adjunct, Urban Studies, Eugene Lang
87. Alaiyo Bradshaw, Assistant Professor of Fine Arts, SDS-First Year Program, Parsons
88. Rafi Youatt, Assisant Professor, Politics, NSSR/ELC
89. Deva R. Woodly, Assistant Professor, Politics, NSSR
90. simon critchley, professor of philosophy, philosophy, nssr
91. Elaine Abelson, Associate Professor, History, Lang and NSSR
92. Kali Handelman, Part Time Lecturer, Religious Studies, Lang
93. Janna van Grunsven, Teaching Fellow, Philosophy, Lang/NSSR
94. Andreas Kalyvas, Associate Professor, Politics, NSSR
95. Geneviève Trudel, Senior Office Assistant, Student Health Services, Student Health Services
96. Elizabeth Ziff, Teaching Fellow/Grad Student, Sociology, NSSR
97. Jerry Finkelstein, Direcror of Counseling Services, Student Services, Student Health services
98. Jayne Jordan-Levy, Director, Medical Services, SHS, Student Services
99. Darren, Teaching Fellow, Philosophy, NSSR
100. Rachel Cleary, Development Officer, Development & Alumni Relations, Central administration
101. Caveh Zahedi, Assistant Professor, Culture and Media, Lang
102. Jon White, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Student Affairs, Eugene Lang College
103. Katayoun Chamany, Associate Professor of Biology, Natural Sciences and Math, Lang
104. Eleni Beja, Asst. Dir., Academic Comm., Dean’s office, Lang
105. Maureen Sheridan, Director, Student Support and Crisis Management, Student Health and Support Services, Student Services
106. Jenifer Talley, Assistant Professor, Psychology, NSSR
107. Jesse Correll, Data & Reporting Analyst, Dean’s Office, Lang
108. Kendra Danowski, Program Coordinator, Civic Engagement & Social Justice, Lang
109. Leah Weich, Director of Academic Advising, Academic Advising, Eugene Lang College
110. Verna deLaMothe, Asst. Director, Budget, Lang
111. Juliette Mapp, Adjunct Professor, Arts/Dance, Lang
112. Peta Mni, Youth Advocate, SPACE, Parsons Scholars Program
113. Albert Mobilio, Assistant Professor, Literary Studies, Eugene Lang
114. Jackie Vimo, Teaching Fellow, Politics , Eugene Lang
115. Alisa Bayes, Assistant Director, Student Housing and Residence Life , Student Services
116. Katherine Delgado, Joint Academic Coordinator, Dean’s Office, Lang & NSSR
117. Dechen Albero, Study Abroad Coordinator, Academic Advising, Eugene Lang College
118. Susan Austin, Director, Student Initiatives, Deans Office, Parsons
119. Neil Greenberg, Professor of Choreography, The Arts, Lang
120. arien mack, Professor, Psychology, NSSR
121. J. Ricky Price, TF, Writing, Lang
122. Zisan Ugurlu, Associate Professor , Arts – Theater, Eugene Lang College
123. Ivan Ramirez, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health, Natural Science and Mathematics, Eugene Lang
124. Lisa Rubin, Associate Professor, Psychology, NSSR & NSPE
125. Wendy D’Andrea, Assistant Professor, Psychology, NSSR/Lang
126. Haley A Hach, Adjunct Professor, Eugene Lang College, First Year Writing Program
127. Nicole Bayard, Assistant Manager, Development, The New School
128. Michael F. Pettinger, Assistant Professor/Director of Religious Studies, Literary Studies/Religious Studies, Lang
129. Michael Schober, Professor, Psychology, NSSR
130. Heather Gould, Assistant Professor, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Lang
131. Muge Erol, Teaching Fellow, Psychology, NSSR
132. Jane McNamara, Asst. Dean for Strategic Initiatives, Dean’s Office, Eugene Lang College
133. Oz Frankel, Associate Professor, History, Lang/NSSR
134. Jeremy Safran, Professor, Psychology, NSSR
135. Robert Aguilar, Music Professor, Music, Lang
136. Cecilia Rubino, Professor, Theater, Lang
137. Trebor Scholz, Associate Professor, Culture & Media, Eugene Lang College
138. Ann-Louise Shapiro, Professor, History, Lang College
139. Emanuele Castano, Professor, Psychology, NSSR
140. Benjamin lee, Professor, NSSR
141. Andrea Fortunato, Teaching Fellow, Psychology, NSSR
142. Stefania de Kenessey, Professor of Music, The Arts, Lang/NSSR
143. Anwar Shaikh, Professor and Chair, Economics, NSSR
144. Victoria Abrash, Part Time Assistant Professor, Arts, Eugene Lang College
145. Chiara Bottici, Associate Professor, Philosophy, NSSR
146. Natasha Marie Llorens, Adjucnct Faculty, Visual Studies, Lang
147. Virag Molnar, Assistant Professor, Sociology, NSSR
148. Karen Abigail Williams, Director of Admissions, Admissions, Eugene Lang College

 

New Black School’s Statement on Ferguson Decision

On Saturday, August 9, 2014, Michael Brown, an unarmed eighteen-year-old black student, was shot multiple times and killed by Police Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. On Monday, after more than three months of protests and marches demanding for justice, the St. Louis County Prosecutor announced that Wilson would not be indicted on any charges. We, the members of the New Black School, along with the many individuals and organizations that have supported us, write this statement in solidarity with the family of Michael Brown, the people of Ferguson, and all others who lost loved ones due to police brutality. The continual legitimization of police brutality, that disproportionately affects People of Color, particularly Black people, must come to an end. The university we call our academic home must stand with Black students who, every 28 hours, must mourn the state-sanctioned killing of someone who looks just like them.

1. Respect Our Outrage

While media outlets across the country are making the outrage of unarmed protesters equal to the violence of militarized law enforcement, we demand more of The New School. A community has the right to express rage when a murderous police force is relentlessly dehumanizing and terrorizing them. There is no individual, organization, or university that is in a position to condemn the anger of Black people. We demand a statement in solidarity that does not question, judge, or invalidate the reasonable response of anger from Black students, the people of Ferguson, MO, and the nation, who are in a state of rebellion.

2. Condemn Anti-Black Violence

The continual violence that does not allow our community to mourn after our loved ones are killed is a constant reminder of the value of our lives. Solidarity means recognizing and condemning the long history of state-sanctioned killings of Black bodies. We demand a statement from our administration that condemns the murders of Michael Brown, Tanesha Anderson, Eric Garner, Akai Gurley, Tamir Rice, and Shantel Davis. These are the people we raise in this demand, but in no way exhausts the long list of names or our pain.

3. Support Student Organizing

Organizations that represent The New School’s Black community have continually been creating programming to raise awareness and increase direct action on the current crisis. The New School administration must reach out to our community and ask how they can support our efforts. The sound of rallies in Union Square echoed in our classrooms on the night of the indictment decision recalling The New School’s progressive tradition. This tradition can be realized when The New School formally stands behind the organizing efforts of its student leaders.

The New School has always chosen the side of social responsibility and true democracy in the face of its dissenters. We charge The New School to make a statement that continues this legacy and stands with Black communities battling state-sanctioned violence.

In Solidarity,

New Black School

NewBlackSchool@newschool.edu