Ethnic Studies Symposium: Honoring Our Past, Envisioning Our Future
This weekend, join the Ethnic Studies Program as it presents a 44 Days: Honoring Black History celebration event: Honoring Our Past, Envisioning Our Future. The symposium will be held on Saturday, March 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at LeFevre Theater. The program will include:
- An alumni and education activists panel
- Interactive workshops on abolitionist education
- Curated music
- Lunch by Chef Bryant Terry
Fifty years ago, five Black Gaels basketball players walked off the court mid-game against their rivals at Santa Clara University on February 26, 1972. They did so to protest racism at the College and the firing of Dean of Students, Odell Johnson, an alumnus and Saint Mary’s first administrator of color.
In the days and weeks that followed, Chicana/o/x students occupied and fasted in the College Chapel in support of the players and were joined by AAPI, Black, and international students. A group of white students, led by Students for Progressive Action Now (SPAN), moved out of the residence halls and established a "tent city" in the Quad as part of a widening protest movement. The overarching students' demand was for the College to live up to its Lasallian commitment to serve poor and historically marginalized students. The student protesters presented a list of 11 demands to the president that included "an official College committee be established to research and develop a major program in ethnic studies. Their activism led to the eventual development of the current Ethnic Studies program.
Today, there are efforts to silence education about race and historical oppression through attacks on critical race theory and ethnic studies. The Honoring Our Past, Envisioning Our Future symposium honors our past student leaders and invites us to critically examine the importance of facing race in order to envision a future of equity, justice, and healing. The symposium will include a panel of alumni activists and workshops from community organizations on the frontlines of the fights for social justice that shape ethnic studies curricula. The symposium will round out with a cooking demonstration and fireside chat with chef, food activist, and author Bryant Terry, where we will discuss healing, wellness, and futurity.
Please join us for this festive event.