I am petitioning the DSC to approve a new working group–which I have described thusly:

“This group would provide a space for CUNY graduate students who teach in the CUNY system and elsewhere to reflect on their pedagogical practices in the context of today’s political climate and the rise of racist, misogynist, anti-queer, and anti-immigrant rhetoric, policy, and publics, as well as invite experts on anti-hate teaching practices to present trainings. Together we will develop curriculum that resists these threats, engages with critical pedagogy, and promotes students’ ability to speak and act toward producing safer learning communities.”

The idea is a cross-departmental space to which we could invite experts in social justice leadership, self-reflection on racial identification and how it effects our work, a shared space where we can help each other evolve classroom practices, ways of being, lesson plans, and syllabi that will empower students to claim authority and employ it to fight the various forms of hate they might face on campus or in communities beyond.

I will be in the GC cafeteria on the 8th floor on Friday from 12-2 collecting signatures. Find me or send me a message with your info if you’re interested.

Looking forward to what we can do together,

Karen Lepri

English Department, GC-CUNY
karen.lepri@gmail.com