With the recent protests stemming across the country in response to several incidents of police brutality, Baruch College officials, Undergraduate Student Government and CUNYUniversity Student Senate all released statements addressing the issue.
In an email blast to Baruch students, Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs James McCarthy said on the issue, “Now is the time to rededicate ourselves to the historic mission of Baruch College and the Free Academy. Our institution was founded to turn the ideals of justice, access, and opportunity into a reality for generations of New Yorkers.”
“Our road towards these noble goals has not always been straightforward, and-honestly-we have not always lived up to the fullness of our founding ideals. We have made gains, but this spring has shown that our society-and we-have more to do,”McCarthy continued.
Some departments at Baruch put out independent statements in response to the protests against police brutality. “Central to the discipline of Political Science is the study of power: who wields it, who is subject to it, and the relative legitimacy of how it is exercised. In 2020, it is clear that the United States is grappling with the disproportionate burdens of health disparities, economic precarity, and racial violence that fall on communities of color … Healing the open wounds of racial discrimination in this country will require work from all of us,” the political science department posted on Facebook.
The Weissman School of Arts and Sciences department chairs also released a joint statement echoing similar sentiments. “We mourn the death of George Floyd and the profound injustice it represents. We recognize our responsibility and role in changing long-held beliefs, practices and actions. We reaffirm our commitment to continuing to build and expand an equitable and diverse community at every level, one that values and respects all individuals,” the statement signed by the chairs of the English, communication studies, Black and Latino studies, mathematics, history, political science, psychology, journalism, modern languages, philosophy, anthropology and sociology departments said.
The Office of Student Life held a Black Lives Matter Town Hall virtually on June 4 for students, staff and faculty to discuss the protests and their effects on the Black Community.
“I think, personally, it’s essential that we’re not only educating ourselves but our families on social injustices still prevalent in today’s society,” Briana Staten, USG’s vice president of academic affairs, said in a video on USG’s social media pages.
The video was accompanied by a caption that read, “Baruch USG stands in solidarity with all the current protests and supports the black community. We stand with everyone grieving George Floyd and the countless black Americans who have been impacted by years of systemic oppressions.”
USS released a statement signed by Timothy Hunter, USS’s chairperson. “The University Student Senate stands together and united in condemning any and all acts of white supremacy, police brutality, and the overall oppression of marginalized communities all throughout the racist history of America,”the statement said.
The statement also called for CUNY to implement more diverse initiatives on all campuses and restrict its relationship with the New York Police Department by only allowing them on campuses for emergency purposes.
Additionally, USS called for CUNY’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice to incorporate “racially conscious lenses in their criminal justice and correctional studies curriculum and pedagogy.”
Lastly, USS called on city officials to slash the NYPD’s budget and redirect the funding to CUNY, adding, “This unsettling dependence on the NYPD in schools has led to the criminalization of black and brown youth even before they get to CUNY.”
In addition to these demands, USS, along with various Baruch departments and organizations, hopes to encourage the Baruch community to be more aware of racial disparities and to be a part of a positive change.
