Rikki Byrd, a University of Missouri alum and graduate student at Parsons was prompted by recent events at Mizzou to draft a New School letter of solidarity in support of Mizzou community members impacted by instances of campus racism in the last few months.
“It was difficult for me to just sit back and watch everything that my friends and family were going through there,” she said. “Being in another institution, I just wanted to start something to develop a sense of unity and support between the institution I’m at now and the institution I attended before.”
Byrd reached out to the Students of the African Diaspora and worked with Lang sophomore and SOAD member Djali Brown-Cepeda, as well as other New School student leaders to draft and send the letter on Wednesday November 11. The letter was sent to New School students, faculty, staff and alum. Byrd and Cepeda were not aiming for any specific number of signatures, however the letter has currently been signed by 273 New School community members.
In addition to the letter, New School students and community members worked together to organize the City-Wide Walkout: In Solidarity with Mizzou on Nov. 13 in Washington Square Park.
You can sign the letter of solidarity here
NiQyira is currently an Arts in Context major at the New School. She joined The Free Press in Fall 2013 and enjoys writing for all four of its sections. NiQyira aims to pursue a career in photo journalism, traveling while using photography and writing to explore other cultures. She would like to write for a magazine like National Geographic one day. NiQyira’s hobbies include being the sweatiest girl in the gym, wandering the city with a camera, watching cartoons, writing and eating too much peanut butter.
