Dan and Mary Lou Rubenstein

This year’s program, called “Sankofa: Honoring the Past and Embracing the Future,” honors José Miguel Hernández Hurtado, founder and artistic director of , and Eric Kingson, professor of social work at ���ϲ�����. This year’s event will also pay tribute to , a founding faculty member of the Social Justice Awards who passed away in December 2023. The program features keynote speaker Dan Sieburg, chief executive officer of the of ���ϲ�����, followed by a reception in Wildhack Lounge.

The Social Justice Awards are free and open to the public. To attend, please by Monday, March 4.�� For accommodations, please contact Karen Goebel at klgoebel@syr.edu, or 315.443.5557.

Presented for more than 30 years, the Rubenstein Social Justice Award is given in honor of the late Professor Dan Rubenstein, a former faculty member in the School of Social Work, and his late wife, Mary Lou, a former school social worker. Recipients of this award are role models whose courage and strength inspire others to stand up—and step up—to advocate and be a voice in the ���ϲ����� community. The values of social justice are integral to their daily lives. The work of honorees each year, by their individual and collective examples, represent the true spirit of the Rubenstein Social Justice Award. Here’s a look at this year’s awardees:

Eric Kingson

Eric Kingson

Kingson’s 55-year career traces back to his involvement in the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1960s. His work is grounded in ethical principles and values that promote human dignity, democracy, racial justice, service to others, self-determination, adequate wages and incomes, access to health care, affordable housing and meaningful employment. In addition to holding faculty positions in social policy at three universities, Kingson is recognized nationally for his expertise in and advocacy of Social Security as an institution that advances economic security across generations. He served as advisor for two presidential commissions and the Social Security Administration’s 2008-2009 transition team.

In 2009, Kingson co-founded Social Security Works, a national organization with a mission to preserve and expand the Social Security system. His belief that politics can be an instrument of social justice led him to run as a congressional candidate in 2016 and serve as a New York State member of the 2016 Democratic National Convention Platform Committee. Professor Kingson has authored numerous articles, books and commentaries with his research and writing focused on the politics and economics of aging, Social Security, cross-generational responsibilities, retirement and caregiving across generations. His most recent book is “Social Security Works for Everyone!” (2021), co-authored with Nancy J. Altman.

José Miguel Hernández Hurtado

José Miguel Hernández Hurtado

Hurtado is originally from Cuba and has lived in ���ϲ����� since November 1997. In Cuba, Hurtado was selected as best male actor in a national student competition. His first 17 years in ���ϲ����� were spent as a physical therapy aide at Rosewood Heights Health. Simultaneously, Hurtado organized and directed a theater company he founded in 1999 under the Spanish Action League, serving as artistic director and dance instructor. Currently, he works in the Pediatric Emergency Department at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.

Hurtado has directed over 21 contemporary and classical Spanish children’s plays. He received the Excellence in Outstanding Achievement for Direction Award for directing several plays: Gabriel García Márquez’ “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” in 2008; Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra’s “Adventures of Don Quixote” in 2011; and in 2012 “The Enchanted Shrimp,” a version of the French Laboulaye written by José Martí. He adapted “The Enchanted Shrimp,” among others, for the stage. Hurtado’s work on the radio and in theater in Cuba carried over to his life in ���ϲ�����. He has maintained his firm belief that every child needs and deserves an opportunity to reach for a better place in which to live, and to realize their dreams for a better future.

Dan Sieburg, Keynote Speaker

Dan Sieburg

Keynote speaker Dan Sieburg is chief executive officer of the Rescue Mission Alliance of ���ϲ�����. For 25 years he has worked in the non-profit human services sector, and the last 16 have been dedicated to providing housing, shelter, food and clothing for the hungry, homeless and housing vulnerable in Central New York. Sieburg is a New York State Licensed Social Worker, a former adjunct professor in the School of Social Work, and an alumnus of ���ϲ�����’s Master of Social Work program. The Rescue Mission Alliance of ���ϲ����� was the recipient of the 2018 Dan and Mary Lou Rubenstein Social Justice Award.

A professor of social work at ���ϲ����� since 1978, Garcia is known as an exceptionally generous and engaged colleague, teacher and scholar whose many contributions extend well beyond the University’s boundaries. He taught gerontology, social policy and human diversity courses for over 43 years, shaping Falk College’s School of Social Work and generations of students. He held the Jocelyn Falk Endowed Professorship of Social Work at the time of his retirement in 2021.

Alejandro Garcia

“Alejandro possessed a deep personal commitment to advancing social, racial and economic justice, particularly for older adults, Hispanics and many others,” says Eric Kingson, also a professor in Falk College’s School of Social Work and close friend of Garcia for 45 years. “He made lifelong connections with people and had an impact on so many lives as a social worker, teacher, mentor, advocate and scholar—and as a friend. The kind of friend that is more like family.”

Carrie Smith, professor in Falk College’s School of Social Work, remembers Garcia as a treasured member of the social work, Falk College and ���ϲ����� communities and one of the first people to welcome her to the School of Social Work more than 28 years ago. “His interest and reach beyond the University are evident in the numerous awards and commendations that he has received over a lifetime of dedicated service to advancing social justice and improving the lives of all people, especially those who have experienced oppression,” Smith says. “He was a dedicated professional and worked tirelessly to teach his students to understand the importance of committed, competent and sometimes courageous social work endeavors.”

“I am indebted to him for his kindness and generosity to me through the years. He will be missed, but, just as importantly, he will always be remembered,” says Smith.

Raised in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Brownsville, Texas, Garcia was one of six children of parents who migrated from Mexico. After learning English in grade school, he was recognized as an outstanding student. His musical talent propelled him into the best high school in Brownsville at a time when discrimination and racism limited such opportunities.

Garcia was one of very few Hispanics studying at the University of Texas, and after graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army. He earned his Master of Social Work (M.S.W) degree at California State University Sacramento, where, years later, he received the “Distinguished Service Award and was designated by its School of Social Work as “The Social Work Educator of the Decades.” He was recruited by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) to fill a new leadership role as the National Student Coordinator.

Encouraged by NASW leadership to pursue doctoral studies, Garcia was accepted a few years later at Brandeis University’s Florence Heller School for Advanced Studies in Social Welfare. That led to one of the very first studies of the economic status of elder Chicanos and Chicanas, a dissertation entitled “The Contribution of Social Security to the Adequacy of Income of Elderly Mexican Americans.” An elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance and Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, he was also designated by the NASW as a “Social Work Pioneer.”

Jennifer Genovese, assistant teaching professor in the School of Social Work, first met Garcia when she was a student at ���ϲ�����. Garcia was one of her professors, and when she received her M.S.W. in 1983, he spoke at the Convocation ceremony.

Alejandro Garcia received the 2013 Dan and Mary Lou Rubenstein Social Justice Award presented by then-Falk College Dean Diane Lyden Murphy on behalf of the School of Social Work.

Genovese recalls the words he shared that day, which were later published in his article, “Reflections of a Latino in the Social Work Profession” (2014):

I suggest that there has never been a greater need for the social work profession to be the conscience of society. Now is the time to be heard: to reiterate our commitment to those who cannot care for themselves, to condemn an era of narcissism and ethnocentricity, and to re-establish the spirit of humanitarianism that has been an essential ingredient of American society. We must be heard. We must speak and be guided by the spirit that emanates from the depths of our hearts and the wisdom of our minds. We have guiding principles that speak to the dignity of the individual and advocacy for the downtrodden. With our voices in unison, we can be heard, and we can work toward effective change. We can regain our place as the conscience of American society. We must keep our priorities clear: We have a responsibility to those who cannot provide for themselves. We have responsibilities to continue aggressive efforts toward the eradication of poverty, racism, sexism and homophobia. We cannot allow our society to capitulate to narcissistic, self-serving interests. We cannot allow what Carl Rowen calls “a spirit of meanness” to pervade this country. We must make certain that terms like compassion, commitment, social justice and equality continue to be an integral part of our essential vocabulary and focus. Only then can we affirm the meaning of our profession.

“Dr. Alejandro Garcia’s inspirational words from 1983 continue to ring true in 2023 and remain part of his everlasting legacy,” says Genovese.

Over the years, Garcia served in many other leadership roles, including most recently as an emeritus board member of the ���ϲ����� Rescue Mission, Chair of AARP’s National Policy Council, Chair of the National Hispanic Council on Aging, member of the boards at the ���ϲ�����’s Spanish Action League and the Council of Social Work Education and NASW. He received the Scholar/Teacher of the Year award at ���ϲ����� and was recognized as a “Hometown Hero” by its National Veterans Resource Center. He served as the Director of the School of Social Work for two years and in many other leadership roles.

Garcia co-edited three books, including “Elderly Latinos: Issues and Solutions for the 21st Century” (with Marta Sotomayor in 1993), “HIV Affected and Vulnerable Youth Prevention Issues and Approaches” (with Susan Taylor-Brown in 1999), and “La Familia: Traditions and Realities” (with Sotomayor in 1999). He also authored numerous articles and book chapters and served on the editorial boards of several social work journals and the Encyclopedia of Social Work.

Most notably, Garcia was a remarkably kind, generous and gregarious man who loved spending time with family and friends, sharing his humor, laughter and broad knowledge of art, literature, Hispanic culture, Social Work, ���ϲ����� and so much more.

The Falk College family extends its deepest sympathy to Dr. Alejandro Garcia’s family, friends, colleagues and students.

By faculty colleagues of Alejandro Garcia. Obituary excerpts used with permission of the author.

The panel discussion, workshop presentations and discussions on communicating recommendations to different community stakeholders and policymakers were part of a research initiative funded by a grant from . Guest presenters included , chief economist at the ; , professor of economics and director of the at Howard University; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; , deputy commissioner of the at��the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; , ’07, an alumnus of the and executive vice president of the DC Health Practice at Edelman; and , president and CEO of Community Housing Associates Inc.

, ���ϲ�����’s associate provost for strategic initiatives and co-founder of the Lender Center, says the grant from MetLife Foundation has allowed the center to involve more external partners and stakeholders in the wealth gap conversation and broaden the base of people and institutions able to contribute to possible solutions. Haddix says the center is planning additional conversations on the racial wealth gap in other cities.

These images capture moments from the event.

Phaedra Rice Stewart ’91, left, an alumna of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, poses a question. Next to her is Kira Reed, Lender Center senior research associate and associate professor at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

Jim (Davis) Hull II ’13 (left) talks with Whitman School Associate Professor Willie Reddic.

Kristen Barnes, left, College of Law professor and event panelist, chats with Charlie Pettigrew, center, director, corporate giving and employee engagement at of MetLife Foundation. Barnes researches how the factors of property history and ownership and real estate practices contribute to the racial wealth gap in the U.S.

Coordinators and panelists (from left): Kendall Phillips, Lender Center interim director; Jhacova Williams, American University assistant professor of public administration and policy; Kristen Barnes, ���ϲ����� College of Law professor and associate dean for research; Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics associate professor of food studies; J Coley, Lender Center postdoctoral fellow; Daniel Cronan, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry assistant professor of landscape architecture; Marcelle Haddix, ���ϲ����� associate provost for strategic initiatives; and Kira Reed, Whitman School of Management associate professor and Lender Center senior research associate.

The program will be led by , assistant professor of magazine, news and digital journalism in the��. She will direct five students in a public-facing research and writing project that analyzes American news coverage of U.S. war on terror policies, how those policies have affected communities, and the various ways individuals and organizations have resisted and responded to those policies and growth of the supporting government infrastructure.

Collaborators will include Nicole Nguyen, associate professor of criminology at University of Illinois Chicago, Muslim community-focused advocacy organizations and media analysis groups.

Selected fellows will spend two years on the project, receive a��$2,000��stipend and have opportunities for additional funding. Research activities will include:

• Working with Husain and collaborators to design academic research on news coverage.
• Learning how to use oral history methods to conduct trauma-informed interviews with members of communities affected by war on terror policies.
• Researching and writing about resistance projects and movements that have developed during the past three decades of war on terror policies.
• Presenting research at the 2025 Lender Center for Social Justice Symposium.

Information Session Sept. 13

An information session will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 13, to provide student applicants with more details about the project’s components. It is scheduled for 1 p.m. in 207 Bowne Hall.

Applications Due Oct. 2

Program information is available on the . Students can apply through the . The application deadline is Monday, Oct. 2.

“We are looking for students from all academic disciplines who are passionate about news media, public messaging, community advocacy and social justice to apply for these fellowships,” Husain says. “This is an important and fascinating topic to study because it concerns some stark realities in American society. The war on terror is often framed as something that is over, but it’s not. The government infrastructure to keep it relevant to the public remains intact and its reach continues to expand, particularly globally.

“There has been resistance to these policies for decades; I think a huge and hopeful part of this project will be documenting those movements. We hope this project will shed some additional light on what is actually occurring in the war on terror arena today, how various segments of America are responding to it, and the value of added information and increased awareness regarding it.”

This year’s program “Empowering Communities Through Advocacy: Leadership at the State and Local Level,” honors Rachel May, New York State senator for the 48th District, and Sharon Owens, deputy mayor of ���ϲ�����. The ceremony will be led by George Kilpatrick, host of Inspiration for the Nation radio program.

Presented for more than 30 years, the Rubenstein Social Justice Award is given in honor of the late Dan Rubenstein, a former faculty member in the School of Social Work, and his late wife Mary Lou, a former school social worker.

Recipients of this award are role models whose courage and strength inspire others to stand up—and step up—to advocate and be a voice in the ���ϲ����� community. The values of social justice are integral to their daily lives. The work of honorees each year, by their individual and collective examples, exemplifies the true spirit of the Rubenstein Social Justice Award.

Rachel May, New York State senator for the 48th District.

State Senator May is serving the City of ���ϲ����� and the areas of Onondaga and Cayuga County for her third straight term. Senator May ran for State Senate in 2018 after living in and working in ���ϲ����� as a professor. Senator May has been a strong advocate for bills that promote the healthy functioning of democracy. She uses her experience as an environmental professional to help draft climate change legislation. Senator May has advocated strongly for access to quality affordable home-based care for elders, and security and dignity for the people who care for them. Senator May has been a stalwart advocate for the city of ���ϲ����� bringing legislators from around the state to ���ϲ����� to support legislation that promotes economic opportunity in ���ϲ����� and protect the rights and interests of vulnerable communities.

Sharon Owens, deputy mayor of the city of ���ϲ�����.

Deputy Mayor Owens has served the City of ���ϲ����� through the Mayor’s office since 2017. Her portfolio of responsibilities includes emergency services, economic development, and neighborhoods.�� Deputy Mayor Owens has made social justice and racial justice one of the central pillars of her work as Deputy Mayor. She has spent her whole career serving families and communities in ���ϲ�����. She worked for the Dunbar Association, Peace, Inc., and Early HeadStart promoting the well-being of children and families. She worked for Jubilee Homes and Home Headquarters seeking to ensure all residents have access to affordable homes in healthy communities. Deputy Mayor Owens also led the Southwest Community Center as a director. She has focused on a range of policies from promoting work opportunities for young people to expanding access to affordable housing.

The Social Justice Awards are free and open to the public. To register to attend, please visit the . For accommodations, please contact Kara Hughes at khughe07@syr.edu or 315.443.5562.

Those questions will be addressed by more than 40 expert presenters—including faculty, doctoral students and alumni from schools and colleges across the University—during the Lender Center for Social Justice Symposium. The event, supported by MetLife Foundation, takes place Thursday, March 30, and Friday, March 31, in 130 Dineen Hall.

On March 30, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs Jamie Winders will offer opening remarks, followed by a keynote address by College of Law Professor Kristen Barnes, speaking on “Dispossession and Restoration.” Closing remarks will be given by Jasmine Bellamy ’92, vice president of merchandising, planning and allocation and leader of Reebok Culture at Reebok.

The March 31 keynote address will be given by dt ogilvie, professor of urban entrepreneurship and economic development, former distinguished professor of urban entrepreneurship and former dean of the Saunders College of Business at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Welcoming remarks will be offered by Marvin Lender, chairman of Baldwin Street Management LLC, ���ϲ����� Life Trustee and Investment and Endowment Committee member, and Charlie Pettigrew, director, corporate giving and employee engagement at MetLife Foundation. Remarks by Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives Marcelle Haddix will close the day’s program.

Speakers and guests attend the 2022 Lender Center Social Differences – Social Justice symposium held at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. (Photo by Evan Whitney)

Five panels will convene during the two-day event. The topics are:

• “Integrating a Humanities Perspective in Understanding and Addressing the Racial Wealth Gap”
• “Structural and Systemic Impact of Educational and Criminal Justice Systems on the Racial Wealth Gap”
• “Racial Wealth Disparities in the Military and Among Veterans”
• “Exploration of Factors Within Organizations That Impact the Racial Wealth Gap in the U.S.”
• “Converting Research to Policy Change and Action”

Presenters represent multiple ���ϲ����� schools and colleges, including the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Law, College of Professional Studies, Martin J. Whitman School of Management, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, School of Information Studies, School of Architecture, School of Education and S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, as well as the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families.

In 2022, MetLife Foundation awarded a three-year, $2.7 million grant to the Lender Center for new initiatives to explore the racial wealth gap in the U.S., looking at its causes and consequences and elevating effective solutions.

Initiatives include hosting conversations among academic and social justice leaders in city centers across the nation to gain deeper insights on the topic; hiring postdoctoral researchers to develop new data-collection and evidence-gathering research tools; and other efforts to assess and resolve the wealth gap’s impact on members of Black, Latinx, Indigenous and other communities of color. Projects are being managed by leaders of the Lender Center and the .

Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives Marcelle Haddix speaks at 2022’s Lender Center Symposium on Social Differences – Social Justice. (Photo by Evan Whitney)

Haddix says the innovative partnership between the Lender Center for Social Justice and MetLife Foundation “is intended not only to help uncover the systemic issues contributing to the racial wealth gap, but also to discover and develop scalable solutions to reduce inequities, provide access to opportunity and enable historically marginalized communities to ultimately build better economic futures.”

The was founded by ���ϲ����� Life Trustee (Marvin) Lender and is named for him, his wife, Helaine, and their family.

and are available.

For more information about the event or to request accommodations, contact Kira Reed at 315.443.3391 or kireed@syr.edu.

Predictive text offers to finish our web searches and our text messages. AI learning-based software can produce everything from research papers to poetry, solving complex math equations to writing computer code. AI can be used to write algorithms, collect data on which areas experience the most gun violence and dictate which neighborhoods receive access to vital resources.

This year, five students who make up the 2022-24 will set out to investigate how AI weapons systems transform war and surveillance, and they will also analyze how AI accentuates our social and political vulnerabilities to violence.

The research team will use collaborative documentation, GIS-enabled mapping and immersive media techniques to study precisely how artificial intelligence weapons and systems may bring about social and political changes.

These research-based advocacy projects will be directed by , associate professor of anthropology in . Last fall, Bhan was selected as the center’s 2022-24 faculty fellow.

Bhan will conduct the project along with other University faculty, University centers such as the Autonomous Systems Policy Institute and this new cohort of student fellows to analyze and disseminate findings on the social justice implications of AI weaponry. The project is part of a larger research and advocacy project Bhan is carrying out with her longtime collaborator, Haley Duschinski, of Ohio University.

Get to know ParKer Bryant, Aren Burnside, Nadia Larissa Lyngdoh-Sommer, Cheryl Olanga and Anna Terzaghi, the 2022-24 Lender Center student fellows. These students will be provided with a $2,000 stipend between 2022-24 and will have opportunities for additional funding.

ParKer Bryant, Ph.D. student

ParKer Bryant

A dedicated teacher and learner, when COVID struck in the spring of 2020, Bryant started researching where to obtain her doctoral degree. That’s when Bryant came across the research being done on literacy and teacher preparation by Marcelle Haddix, associate provost for strategic initiatives and Distinguished Dean’s Professor of Literacy, Race and Justice.

Bryant applied for the student fellowship in part because she wants to study how to achieve balance between AI and education, specifically focusing on the implications that stem from releasing much of our memory and cognition to technology. The end goal? Learning how to make peace with this new technology while striving for a balanced relationship between AI and education.

“I’m interested in future thought, not necessarily being present in the right now, but in where we’re going. I applied because I wanted to do more with AI and education, focusing on the implications when we release so much of our cognition to technology, and what impact that has on us as a society and those of us who are educators,” says Bryant, who is pursuing her Ph.D. in literacy education from the School of Education.

Aren Burnside ’20, Ph.D student

Aren Burnside ’20

Growing up in ���ϲ�����, Burnside is very familiar with the issues affecting the city, which include one of the highest child poverty rates in the country. He’s committed to using his fellowship and his time at the University—Burnside earned dual bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and philosophy from the Maxwell School and is currently in his third year of Maxwell’s anthropology doctoral program—to bring about change in the city.

By studying how residents interact with the city’s spaces—both physical spaces like buildings and roads and interpersonal space created through relationships—Burnside wants to know more about how space is created, produced and maintained in the city, and why some segments of the population flourish while others struggle to make ends meet.

“You can’t really understand how citizens interact with their spaces until you do a deep dive into questions like how certain communities that are targeted by the police and similar militarized forces are left out of these new investments in the community. I’m especially interested in the ways that the military funding and wealth produce uneven space in the city and how certain groups get better access to resources and jobs based on the infrastructure in the city,” Burnside says.

Nadia Lyngdoh-Sommer ’25

Nadia Lyngdoh-Sommer ’25

Much like Burnside, Lyngdoh-Sommer is quite familiar with the societal issues ���ϲ����� residents face on a daily basis as a tutor for students on the north side of the city through the Shaw Center, the University’s hub for academic community engagement.

Unlike her fellow cohort members, Lyngdoh-Sommer comes in without any previous research experience. But growing up in Singapore, Lyngdoh-Sommer witnessed how the country uses AI technology to police and surveil its citizens.

This fellowship represents the perfect introduction to the field of how AI weapons systems transform war and surveillance activities and accentuate the social and political vulnerabilities of humans to violence.

“My sociology major was really helpful because I was already familiar with a lot of the background on the inequalities and criminal justice issues in ���ϲ�����. We are researching how AI adds to the militarization and disproportionate policing efforts in certain communities in ���ϲ�����. Certain areas are affected much more by this over-policing, and AI plays a large role in that,” Lyngdoh-Sommer says.

Cheryl Olanga ’25

Cheryl Olanga ’25

Whenever Olanga logs into her social media channels, she notices a problem. The AI systems used display embedded patterns of bias, discrimination, racism, ableism and sexism. And that doesn’t sit well with Olanga, a sophomore studying computer science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

Since coming to the University, Olanga says she’s become more aware of the ways AI is inherently biased against people of color and plans to use her student fellowship and her academic pursuits to devise a framework and a blueprint for devising solutions to the implicit biases found in AI.

“My classes focus on writing and analyzing algorithms, and I want to use my computer science degree to help solve the social issues we’re facing. We will come up with solutions to combat the issues I want to change when I graduate,” Olanga says. “I’m living my dream and the Lender Student Fellowship has provided me this platform to actualize my dreams and my passion for changing these systems that have been normalized in today’s world.

Anna Terzaghi ’24

Anna Terzaghi ’24

Studying social justice issues piqued Terzaghi’s interest from a young age. When she was in high school in Sydney, Australia, Terzaghi became involved in community problem-solving, devising strategies for addressing the issues that plague society.

For Terzaghi, one of the biggest issues she’s encountered has been drone surveillance, drone technology and the humanitarian issues related to AI, specifically how drones and AI track people who are trying to escape persecution.

She plans on working with the Upstate Drone Coalition—a dedicated group of ���ϲ����� residents who often protest the ways drones are utilized in and around the area—to both better understand the why behind their work and to become inspired to get more involved in her own social justice causes.

“The ability to surveil people using drones, technology and AI, to track them as they are fleeing a situation, is problematic and comes with a lot of ethical questions. What is right when it comes to the use of drones? How are these humanitarian issues playing out on the world stage today?” says Terzaghi, a junior majoring in international relations and anthropology in the Maxwell School.

The club is run by , assistant professor of educational leadership in the School of Education, and is getting ready to welcome its fifth cohort of teenagers who are fans of young adult fiction.

The Breedlove Readers, a teen book club run by Courtney Mauldin, assistant professor of educational leadership in the School of Education,�� is seeking applications for its Spring 2023 cohort.

The deadline is Feb. 25.��The club meets in the Southside Communications Center, 2331 South Salina St. in ���ϲ����� on the following Saturdays from 1-3 p.m.

Spring 2023 Reading List

• March 25: Meet and greet, plus discussion of “,” by Talia Hibbert
• April 22: Discussion of “,” by Tiffany D. Jackson
• May 20: Discussion of “,” by Dhonielle Clayton, et al., plus art exhibition and dance
• June 17: Discussion of “,” by Kalynn Bayron

Space is limited to 15 participants, ages 14 to 17. Participants receive books and materials at each meeting, with the first book mailed ahead of the March 25 get-together.

The book club was formed in 2020 by Mauldin and , ���ϲ�����’s associate provost for strategic initiatives and Distinguished Dean’s Professor of Literacy, Race, and Justice. The club combines Mauldin’s and Haddix’s love of books with a mentorship model that also explores social, political and personal topics.

The novels selected for the spring cohort��reflect an array of Black girl experiences that resonate with its young members, according to Mauldin. Topics—including body positivity, identity formation, navigating high school, community change, and social activism—are explored through dialogue, writing and creating art pieces that will be showcased in an art exhibition later in spring.

“The fall 2022 cohort of The Breedlove Readers read young adult novels from the sci-fi/fantasy, romance, and suspense genres that created space for rich dialogue among the girls and creative making of monster illustrations, shibori fabrics, and artifacts that spoke to themes in the various novels,” says Mauldin.

To learn more about The Breedlove Readers, follow the club on social media by searching for “The Breedlove Readers.” Questions can be directed to��thebreedlovereaders@gmail.com, or by calling��615.852.6196.

The awards are part of a new social justice initiative and one of the projects funded by a $2.7 million MetLife Foundation grant presented to the University’s last fall. That work is being conducted in collaboration with the University’s faculty and in concert with the Academic Affairs Office of Strategic Initiatives.

Deadline April 3

The deadline for applications is April 3. The opportunity applies to projects over the period of July 2023 to June 2024.

Total funding of approximately $300,000 will be awarded to multiple projects depending on the needs, scope, and anticipated impact of the project. The funds are meant to provide support to scholars with new or ongoing research projects that relate to the causes, consequences, and solutions to the racial wealth gap.

, associate professor of management and a co-lead for the Social Differences, Social Justice research cluster at the University, describes the racial wealth gap as a continuous issue that undermines potential economic and social progress and opportunities able to be pursued by members of underserved and underrepresented communities in the United States.

The grant funding provides welcome new opportunities to center attention on the problem of ever-expanding economic and social inequality and to find ways to work toward solutions that address it, says , interim director of the Lender Center for Social Justice and associate professor of sociology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

How to Apply

All submissions should be submitted to the at ���ϲ����� at .

The Lender Center for Social Justice welcomes applications from those with scholarly projects that address subjects along one or more of these tracks:

• structural and systemic factors positively or negatively impacting the building of generational wealth like slavery, settler colonialism, and historic legacies of racialized violence, racial capitalism, mass incarceration and inheritance laws;
• policies and practices that generate or minimize racial wealth disparities such as redlining, urban renewal schemes, tax policy, predatory financing, healthcare burdens and racially disparate housing appraisals;
• individual and organizational-level factors influencing educational attainment, skills acquisition, and career development, such as educational inequities, hiring queues and corporate programs.

More details about the specific orientations and the kinds of research being sought and the requirements of the submission process are available

The Lender Center will use the three-year grant to address what the foundation calls a persistent crisis that continues to undermine social and economic opportunities for underserved and underrepresented communities throughout the United States. The projects will include new research on the topic, discussions among social justice leaders to gain added insights on the issue, and new data-collection and evidence-gathering activities to illustrate the racial wealth gap’s impacts.

The grant includes four key focus areas:

• The Lender Center will coordinate an “Addressing the Racial Wealth Gap Working Group” that partners with the University’s to organize thought leadership discussions. The panel discussions will promote collaboration between ���ϲ����� faculty and national social justice leaders. Discussions are planned to be held in New York City, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Los Angeles.
• The University will hire diverse postdoctoral researchers having pertinent and lived experience with the issue to examine fundamental questions regarding the gap and its impact on diverse communities, families and individuals.
• Annual research grants will be available for faculty fellows selected in coordination with the University’s Office of Research to conduct research investigations related to the gap.
• The Lender Center will partner with other leading voices on the subject to increase awareness of and amplify discussions around planned actions and potential solutions.

The work will include mapping the social dynamics of racial wealth disparity, charting perceptions of social justice and uncovering patterns that can serve as a foundation for ongoing work. Projects will be managed by leadership from the Lender Center and the Social Differences, Social Justice research cluster, which will include Kira Reed, associate professor of management in the Whitman School of Management, who also co-leads the Social Differences/Social Justice research cluster, and Gretchen Purser, associate professor of sociology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and Lender Center co-director, alongside James Rolling, professor of arts education in the School of Education. They will support researchers, coordinate convening activities and manage the release of scholarly publications, articles, reports and presentations.

“The Lender Center is grateful for the partnership with ��MetLife Foundation as we work together to further uncover systemic issues contributing to the racial wealth gap in the United States,” says , associate provost for strategic initiatives in the Office of Academic Affairs, who oversees the work of the Lender Center. “Together, we aim to find scalable solutions that reduce inequities, provide access to opportunity and enable historically marginalized communities to ultimately build better economic futures.”

Mike Zarcone, head of Corporate Affairs for MetLife and chairman of MetLife Foundation, says, “Transforming our diversity, equity and inclusion commitments into meaningful action is a top priority for both MetLife and MetLife Foundation. MetLife Foundation’s partnership with the University and Lender Center is directly aligned with our strategy to help drive economic mobility by addressing the needs of underserved and underrepresented communities. There’s strength in numbers, and by working together with the University and other national leaders, we have an even greater opportunity to further reduce the racial wealth gap.”

Community conversations, like this one on labor and economic impact in October, are regularly held by the Lender Center for Social Justice. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer views the existing cooperation between the University and the surrounding community as a perfect backdrop for the projects.

“Our research resources, our connection to the community, and the strong University and Lender Center commitments to social justice, as well as diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, provide an excellent foundation for this work,” Ritter says. “The MetLife Foundation’s generous funding of these projects will help propel the University forward as an evidence-based, field-focused research leader with the goal of finding additional ways to address the racial wealth gap across the country.”

Research materials produced, including scholarly articles and presentations, plus results of data collection and evidence-gathering activities, will be shared through the MetLife Foundation and Lender Center annual events. The information will also be posted on the and circulated by both the University and the MetLife Foundation.

Highest Poverty

Haddix believes that the University is ideally suited to lead new scholarly examinations and to initiate both local community and national leadership engagement in the social justice space. She points out that the City of ���ϲ����� has one of the in the United States and that new data shows ���ϲ����� has the highest child poverty rate in the nation among cities of more than 100,000 people. In addition, individual researchers in the arts and humanities from several University schools have already been studying the impact of economic disparities of those from historically marginalized communities through social, economic and public health lenses and via the University’s Social Differences/Social Justice research cluster.

The Lender Center aspires to foster proactive, innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to issues related to social justice, equity and inclusion. MetLife Foundation is committed to driving inclusive economic mobility for underserved and underrepresented communities around the world through collaboration with nonprofit organizations and grants aligned to three strategic focus areas: economic inclusion, financial health and resilient communities. Since 1976, MetLife Foundation has contributed more than $900 million to strengthen communities where MetLife has a presence.

Aubourg admits she had career tunnel vision and was focused on becoming a chef…but as she readily admits now, life never goes according to plan. So it was during an internship in high school that Aubourg first realized just how big of a problem food justice was in this country, and that she wanted to dedicate her career to addressing these inequalities.

Ashia Aubourg ’18 is a food justice advocate who helps empower communities through food.

“It was really cool that I was working in this restaurant, but no one in my family can afford to ever come and eat here. None of my friends and none of the members of the community, even though it was nestled within our community, could afford to come and enjoy these delicious foods that we offered. That just got me thinking about what food inequality and food justice looks like. Here I had this super tunnel vision of going down this culinary path of wanting to become a chef, but the culinary curriculum was very much focused on the technique and history of food, but we never dug deep into the societal impact that food has on us,” Aubourg says.

Following a spontaneous and inspirational conversation with an admissions counselor from ���ϲ�����, Aubourg decided to become one of the first students enrolled in a new academic offering from Falk College, the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School: food studies and policy studies.

After earning dual bachelor’s degrees in food studies and policy studies in 2018, Aubourg launched her career as a food justice advocate, entrepreneur, journalist, podcaster and creator of healthy recipes. Today, she serves as the global culinary program lead for the San Francisco, California-based company, Asana, empowering communities through the power of food.

Aubourg discusses food justice and food insecurity and how these issues affect millions of Americans; how food plays an important role when it comes to social justice, healing and culture; why food is about more than nourishment; and how her time at ���ϲ����� helped fuel her passions while encouraging her to take advantage of every opportunity.

Note: This conversation was edited for brevity and clarity.

Check out episode 117 of the “’Cuse Conversations” podcast featuring Ashia Aubourg ’18. A transcript [PDF]��is also available.

That is the question , associate professor of anthropology in the , will explore with an interdisciplinary team of students and faculty in her project. Bhan was recently chosen as the center’s 2022-24 .

Mona Bhan

Bhan studies artificial intelligence (AI) weaponry through the lens of a cultural anthropologist, believing that those systems can transform the realities of autonomy, accountability, human rights and justice.

While proponents of AI weapons emphasize the humanitarian benefits of autonomous systems in wars, opponents adopt a human rights-centered approach focused on the importance of maintaining human control over the use of force, she says.

“This project challenges the unquestioned assumptions in claims of humanitarianism and human rights and examines how technologies are reconfiguring what it means to be human and transforming global negotiations over free will, autonomy, accountability, societal harm, citizenship and sovereignty,” Bhan says.

The research team will use collaborative documentation, GIS-enabled mapping and immersive media techniques to study precisely how artificial intelligence weapons and systems may bring about social and political changes. Bhan will conduct the project along with other University faculty, University centers such as the and a new group of Lender Center student fellows to analyze and disseminate findings on the social justice implications of AI weaponry. The project is part of a larger research and advocacy project Bhan is carrying out with her longtime collaborator, Haley Duschinski, of Ohio University.

Problem/Solution

The Lender Center for Social Justice promotes multi-disciplinary and dynamic collaborations supporting development of courageous and ethical scholars and citizens at the University to foster proactive, innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to issues related to social justice, equity and inclusion. Faculty and student fellows are supported for one year of research activity working to identify a problem and a second year addressing solutions or shifting conversations about the issues they have identified.

Pertinent to ���ϲ�����

Center Co-Director , associate professor of sociology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, says Bhan’s project is especially pertinent to the University’s past and present.

“Mona is an exemplary scholar-activist with a deep commitment to engaged, collaborative research on matters pertaining to human rights,” says Purser. “What is especially compelling about her project is its focus on the global scale, but with clear connections to the local ���ϲ����� community, both as a site of innovation in AI weaponry and as a longstanding incubator of anti-war activism.”

Gretchen Purser

“The Lender Center’s selection of Dr. Bhan as our next faculty fellow supports her work as she and her thought partners both here on campus and outside of the University work to expand the public dialogue on a number of vital issues that social justice scholars must address whenever human rights are at stake,” says Center Co-Director ., professor of arts education in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

James H. Rollings Jr.

In the Maxwell School, Bhan serves as Ford-Maxwell Professor of South Asian Studies; director of the and senior research associate and advisory board member of the . Her research explores economic and infrastructural development in counterinsurgency operations and resistance movements in protracted wartime and conflict. Other interests include border wars and counterinsurgency; militarism and humanitarianism; race, gender and religion; environmentalism and climate change; occupation and human rights;��space and place; and water and infrastructure in Kashmir.

Before coming to ���ϲ����� in 2019, Bhan taught at DePauw University as the Otto L. Sonder Jr. Chair of Anthropology. She received a Ph.D. in anthropology from Rutgers University in 2006, a M.Sc. in anthropology from Delhi University, India, in 1999 and a B.Sc. in zoology from Delhi University in 1997.

Student Fellow Applications

The Lender Center is now accepting applications for student fellows for the 2022-24 term. Fellowships are open to all ���ϲ����� students who can commit two years to the project. Five students will be selected and will receive a yearly stipend.

The application deadline for student fellows is Tuesday, Nov. 1. An in-person information session will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 11 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in 151 Eggers Hall. and a link to the is on the Lender Center website.

2021-2023 Lender Project

The 2021-2023 fellowship project is being led by Associate Professor of the College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Design and focuses on access to health and wellness for women. She and student fellows are examining and informing local efforts to create a more equitable, sustainable, and inclusive health system in Central New York. Their work explores the social determinants of health and wellness and how those issues impact women living in ���ϲ�����’s diverse Northside neighborhood.

The deadline is Sept. 29. The club meets in the Southside Communications Center, 2331 South Salina St. in ���ϲ����� on the following Saturdays from 1-3 p.m.:

• October 22: Reading
• November 19: Reading
• December 17:�� Reading

Participants receive books and materials at each meeting, with the first book mailed ahead of the October 22 get-together.

“This year, we are partnering with ���ϲ�����’s newest local bookstore——for our kickoff meeting. In doing so, we are supporting a local business which has a fantastic young adult selection that mirrors the types of novels our book club reads. We also are again working with , assistant professor of art therapy, who led a collective mask art project for our last cohort of young readers. Plus, we’ve been fortunate to have two authors of the books we’ve read join us virtually and talk about their work as well,” says Mauldin.

Courtney Mauldin (left) and Marcelle Haddix (right) founded the Breedlove Readers, a teen book club for middle and high school Black girls who are fans of young adult fiction.

The book club was formed in 2020 by and , ���ϲ�����’s Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives and Distinguished Dean’s Professor of Literacy, Race, and Justice. At that time, both Haddix and Mauldin were wondering how Black girls between 14 and 18 years old were holding up during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The two came across the , which stands for “Poised, Gifted, and Ready.” This nonprofit organization mentors girls between 6 and 18 years old, focusing on community service and socializing through “sister bonding” events.

Mauldin and Haddix wanted to do something similar in their community, so they combined their love of books with PGRs mentorship model to create The Breedlove Readers. Additionally, they wanted to explore current racial topics with the students amidst the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement.

When coming up with a name for the club, Mauldin recalled “The Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison. “We were thinking about the character Pecola Breedlove and how much she struggled to be in love with herself and be comfortable in her own skin,” she says. “The idea was to reclaim the Breedlove name as one by which girls love all aspects of themselves.”

Since its inception, the club has picked novels with themes that resonate with its young members, such as harassment, body shaming, what love is, and activism. This range allows for deep discussions amongst the group paired with a writing exercise and the ability to respond to the text through the creation of art, Mauldin explains.

Follow the club on social media by searching for “The Breedlove Readers.” Questions can be directed to thebreedlovereaders@gmail.com.

Organized by Maxwell’s and moderated by the center’s director and Professor of Sociology , the panel included political scientists , and , as well as (history) and (public administration and international affairs). The discussion covered the history of governing abortions in the U.S.; how the Dobbs v. Jackson decision might affect access to abortion and other reproductive services; impacts the decision could have on economic and health outcomes and voting behaviors in upcoming elections; and what precedent this decision might set for other Supreme Court decisions going forward.

Note, this discussion was held prior to President Joe Biden issuing his Executive Order Protecting Access to Reproductive Health Care Services on July 8, so the panel did not offer commentary on how the executive order might impact these issues.

A Nuanced History

Carol Faulkner

Faulkner, professor of history and associate dean of academic affairs in the Maxwell School, studies the history of the 19th-century United States with a focus on women, gender, sexuality and social movements. Her introductory remarks placed the ruling into a nuanced historical context, referencing an amicus curiae brief submitted in Dobbs v. Jackson by the American Historical Association and the Organization of American Historians, two large professional organizations representing 15,000-plus historians.

The brief noted that in the post-revolutionary U.S., the nation widely adopted English Common Law, which only criminalized abortion after “quickening,” or when fetal movements could be felt, a fetal age of approximately 4-5 months. Up until the mid-19th century, decisions about abortion were left primarily to women and could be obtained by visiting a pharmacy or apothecary to purchase herbal medicines to “restore menses.”

According to Faulkner, history shows that criminal abortion statutes emerged as a result of two factors. One, the newly formed American Medical Association opposed abortion as a way to strip control away from the home and those who were not formally trained medical practitioners. Two, the statutes were not necessarily motivated by concern for the fetus, but instead the belief that white Protestant women were not having as many children and the country would soon be overtaken by the children of Catholic immigrants.

“The historians point out that such biased arguments in favor of criminal abortion statutes are constitutionally impermissible,” Faulkner said, also noting, “The majority opinion ultimately sidesteps the issue of women’s equality by defining abortion solely as a medical issue.”

Impact on People on the Margins

Panelists said it’s important to understand how the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling will have an outsized impact on the working class, those living at the poverty level, people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people who are incarcerated and others who belong to one or more marginalized groups—and are already more likely to experience barriers to care and poorer health outcomes.

Jenn Jackson

Jackson, an assistant professor of political science with faculty affiliations in African American studies, women’s and gender studies and LGBT studies who studies gender and sexuality, political behavior and social movements, argues that this is intentional. “When we think about the 14th Amendment and the idea of equal protection and due process, that’s a Reconstruction amendment … meant to solidify the idea that Black folks were no longer property, but they were people,” they said. “So, when we think about the history and the connectedness this decision has to our deep history of racial enslavement and the long arc of slavery in this country, we have to also consider the fact that this is not without intention and not without design.”

Sarah Hamersma

Hamersma, associate professor of public administration and international affairs, studies the health and economic implications of social policies in the U.S. She shared data from the Guttmacher Institute that cites the most common reasons for abortions to be financial and personal constraints, which tend to disproportionately affect individuals in marginalized groups.

“We may think of some of these as social constraints, or at least policy-sensitive constraints, such as employment, educational and financial consequences of child-bearing in a society that devalues caregivers,” she said, emphasizing the importance of other policy solutions—including prenatal WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children), SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Medicaid and other supports; better parental leave; and better and more equitable medical care at birth—to reduce harm to both birthing people and fetuses.

Discordance With Public Opinion

A recurring theme of the discussion was the apparent discordance between the court’s opinion and public opinion, with Gadarian stating that “public opinion, in the aggregate, has majority support of legal abortion.” Data Gadarian shared from the General Social Survey, a five-decade sociological research initiative out of the University of Chicago, shows that between 35 and 40% of Americans support all abortion rights, regardless of the reason, and around 25% of Americans oppose legal access to abortion for any reason, with the balance of Americans falling somewhere in the middle—perhaps supporting at least some limitations on abortion but opposing outright bans.

Thomas Keck

Keck, Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and professor of political science who studies constitutional courts and the use of legal strategies by contemporary political movements, says that due to cycles of partisan alignment and realignment, the Supreme Court has fallen out of step with public opinion in the past.

One example Keck pointed to: During the Great Depression in the 1930s, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his Democratic Congress passed new labor laws, such as those related to minimum wage, maximum hours worked, working conditions, child labor and Social Security. The Supreme Court of that era repeatedly struck those laws down, even though the vast majority of Americans thought the government should have the authority to regulate these issues.

With the court’s public support at historic lows even prior to the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling, Keck said there may eventually be pressure for some sort of institutional reform of the court. “The American public is only going to tolerate a court that is wildly at odds with public opinion for so long,” he said. “So that is something that the court is probably going to have to pay attention to sooner or later.”

The Role of Partisan Politics

Shana Kushner Gadarian

Gadarian, Merle Goldberg Fabian Professor of Excellence in Citizenship and Critical Thinking, professor and chair of political science who specializes in U.S. politics, political psychology, public opinion and political communication, spoke of how alignment with a major political party is increasingly intertwined with individual views on abortion.

“At the time of the Roe decision, the parties were growing apart ideologically and we see this also with abortion opinion,” she said. “So while the parties themselves looked pretty similar on abortion policy in the 1970s, they’re very different now in terms of the kinds of policies that they support, and you see that reflected in the public.”

When it comes to the mid-term elections in November, Gadarian said it is up to the candidates to talk about what’s happening at the state level, where decisions about abortion access will be made. She also emphasized the role of concurrent issues, like gerrymandering and voting rights, on state-level policymaking. “We’re seeing a move toward more restrictions even in places with publics that are supportive of abortion rights, and that is because of the way the states themselves are gerrymandered,” Gadarian said. “Many of the state legislators are insulated from accountability and being pushed out of office because of their positions on issues like abortion.”

Future Implications

Keck speculated that “the post-Roe v. Wade world will be like the pre-Roe v. Wade world in some respects. Before 1973, some pregnant people with the means to travel were still able to access safe and legal reproductive health care and the burden fell disproportionately on poor women and people of color.” He said a post-Roe era will be different in some ways, too. “Compared to 1973, we are living in a very different world with regard to economic inequality, with regard to expansion of the carceral state, with regard to electronic surveillance, with regard to the scope and power of the anti-abortion movement. So I think we can anticipate that the regime of anti-abortion regulation is going to be much more aggressive than it was prior to 1973.”

There is also the question of whether the logic used in the majority opinion on Dobbs v. Jackson could or would be used to roll back other protections, like same-sex marriage or the availability of contraceptives. The dissenting opinion by Justices Kagan, Breyer and Sotomayor also warned of this potentiality. “We know that the logic of the court’s recent opinion threatens other constitutional rights as well,” Keck said. “Which does not mean that all of those other constitutional rights are now going to fall, because the court doesn’t operate solely on the basis of legal logic.”

Jackson said they spend a lot of time talking to young Black and Brown people across the gender spectrum in the U.S. who already have a “very fraught relationship with reproductive justice in this country” and that there is a lot of fear around what Dobbs v. Jackson might mean for other protections that help keep them safe. “People don’t want to go back to a place where abortions and reproductive care are things that we do in the shadows,” they said.

Jackson encouraged grassroots activism at the local level, noting that there are generations of activists who have long been organizing around reproductive justice, reproductive rights, voting rights and other interconnected issues. “Get local and find out what’s happening in your neighborhood, in your community, where you pay taxes,” they said. “And really start to dig into the ways that you can change the environmental and political conditions that are facing people where you are. That’s where you have the most power.”

Catherine Herrold

Herrold, an associate professor of public administration and international affairs in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, is heading to Serbia for seven months in the Spring 2023 semester. She will live and work in local communities there, interact extensively with local residents and collaborate with scholars at the University of Belgrade.

Herrold spent five years doing similar research in Egypt and Palestine for her award-winning book “Delta Democracy: Pathways to Incremental Civic Revolution in Egypt and Beyond” (Oxford University Press, 2020).

A senior research associate in the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC), Herrold examines how people cultivate democratic citizenship through their work with voluntary grassroots groups and local philanthropic entities, as opposed to in professional nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs Dean David M. Van Slyke says this prestigious award is a testament to the impact of Herrold’s body of work into citizen involvement and participatory governance.

“Catherine in an accomplished scholar whose timely research and innovative teaching is of sizable benefit to the Maxwell School and its students as well as the greater global community,” Van Slyke says. “That knowledge will help to empower individuals to work toward the changes they want to have happen in their communities.”

In this Q&A with SU News, Herrold offers insights about her interest in local organizing and what she hopes to achieve with her research.

A group of community organizers Professor Herrold worked with in Palestine

��

Judge McKee and Chancellor Kent Syverud (right) at the College of Law’s Commencement on May 6.

The announcement of the scholarship in the name of Judge McKee, a ���ϲ����� Life Trustee and an honorary member of the College of Law Board of Advisors, came at the college’s Commencement ceremony on May 6, before the Class of 2022 and Judge McKee’s family, including several of his judicial clerks.

The Hon. Theodore A. McKee L’75 Endowed Law Scholarship will provide ���ϲ����� Law students with the education and cultural context to enable them to carry forward the legacy of Judge McKee, who has served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit for more than 27 years.

“This scholarship honors a College of Law legend and one of its foremost pioneers, who as a jurist has earned praise for his fairness, compassion and incisive questioning from the bench, and whose public service is grounded in a deep concern for social justice,” says Dean Craig M. Boise. “The Alexanders’ generous gift ensures that Judge McKee’s legacy is enshrined at the college and that, in his name, we can assist and inspire students whose backgrounds and experiences will bring diverse perspectives to the college and the practice of law.”

Judge McKee graduated from the College of Law in 1975 magna cum laude and as a member of the Order of the Coif and the Justinian Honorary Law Society. He began his legal career in private practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before entering public service as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He then served as deputy city solicitor for Philadelphia, as a lecturer at Rutgers Law School and as general counsel for the Philadelphia Parking Authority.

Judge McKee first took the bench in 1984 on the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County. After a decade of service, he was nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit by President William J. Clinton in 1994, receiving his confirmation and commission later that same year. Judge McKee served as the court’s chief judge from 2010-16.

As to the scholarship, Richard and Emily Alexander said, “We are delighted to be able to honor Judge McKee’s distinguished service to our country, his commitment to social justice and his passion for ���ϲ����� by supporting scholarships to deserving students in the College of Law.”

Upon hearing the news of the Alexanders’ gift, Judge McKee said, “I am humbled beyond words by the generosity and thoughtfulness of the Alexander family in endowing a scholarship in my honor. The legal education I received from ���ϲ����� has allowed me to compete with graduates of any law school in the country, and I am very thankful that this scholarship will help me to give back to the university that has done so much for me.”

For more information, or to contribute to the Hon. Theodore A. McKee L’75 Endowed Law Scholarship, please contact Assistant Dean for Advancement and External Affairs Sophie Dagenais at 315.443.1964 or sulaw@syr.edu.

An unknown, fast-spreading global health pandemic.

The sudden shutdown of campus.

Postponing Commencement for the Class of 2020.

Shuffling between remote and in-person classes.

Holding not one but three separate Commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2021 that practiced social distancing and followed COVID-19 safety protocols.

A national reckoning around race and social justice spurring nationwide protests, including on campus and in the City of ���ϲ�����, and a rise in hate crimes against some of the most marginalized communities.

It’s been anything but business as usual these last four years.

Weird.
Crazy.
Chaotic.
Surreal.
Exhausting.

Those are some of the adjectives used by Jonathan Danilich ’22, Cameron Joy Gray ’22, Diego Luna ’22 and Darnelle Stinfort ’22 to describe their time as undergraduates.

Leading up to Commencement, seniors Diego Luna ’22 (upper left), Cameron Joy Gray ’22 (upper right), Jonathan Danilich ’22 (lower right) and Darnelle Stinfort ’22 (lower left) reflect on their experiences at ���ϲ�����.

On Sunday morning, Danilich, Gray, Luna and Stinfort will be among the more than 6,400 undergraduates, graduate students, law students and doctoral students expected to have their degrees conferred inside the stadium before family members, friends and members of the campus community.

It marks the culmination of a challenging four-year period on campus, a time unlike any other in ���ϲ�����’s proud 152-year history.

Leading up to Commencement, we caught up with Stinfort, vice president of the Student Association, Gray, a ���ϲ����� Scholar and Our Time Has Come Scholar; Danilich, the past president of Otto’s Army; and Luna, an Our Time Has Come Scholar, to discuss being a ���ϲ����� student during these uncharted times.

Darnelle Stinfort ’22, Student Association (SA) Vice President

Before she arrived on campus, whenever Darnelle Stinfort ’22 heard people say they were using their time at college to find themselves, she was confused.

“Why does anyone need to find themselves? Don’t they know who they are?” Stinfort says, reflecting on her attitude during her first year on campus.

Back in the fall of 2019, Stinfort knew who she was, or at least she thought she did. As she prepares to receive a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from the College of Arts and Sciences, she admits her four years have been “a reality check,” that she “doesn’t have it all figured out,” and that it’s OK to not have the answers to life’s questions.

Darnelle Stinfort ’22

“There’s always twists and turns. Life is full of the unexpected. You need to learn to deal with the unexpected challenges life throws your way. I’m learning to just get by one day at a time,” Stinfort says.

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, Stinfort had a hard time focusing on her courses. The sense of isolation was overwhelming. Stinfort also helped her father, a middle school math teacher, navigate technical difficulties he encountered teaching class on Zoom.

It was an anxious time, and that was before the protests calling for social justice following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others took over city streets across the country.

Hard work and dedication helped Stinfort thrive academically. But the constant reminders of deaths of Black men and women at the hands of a police officer became too much. Stinfort often burst into tears while scrolling through her Instagram feed, feeling completely overwhelmed.

Stinfort was ignoring her mental well-being and needed help. She reconnected with her faith, saw a counselor and ceased using social media. More importantly, Stinfort, who would minimize her own feelings because others were dealing with worse issues, allowed herself the grace to grieve and the right to feel the way she felt on a particular day

“I decided to get more into reading books that dealt with the social unrest in this country and the system in which we live. It gave me some clarity. Eventually, I regained my mental wellness, and prayer and reconnecting with my spiritual side definitely helped, too,” Stinfort says.

Stinfort is proud of what she and SA president David Bruen accomplished during the 2021-22 academic year, including the advocating for “Wellness Days” during each semester beginning in the fall of 2023; the grocery store trolley program that gave students complimentary rides to and from neighboring stores; and the resumption of the free Menstrual Product Program that supplies students with menstrual pads and tampons in bathrooms across campus.

She’s also proud of her new attitude, taking time to appreciate the resiliency required to make it to Commencement.

“I’m learning to celebrate myself. It’s okay to celebrate what I’ve accomplished and not just rush on to the next challenge. I feel more confident in being able to overcome future obstacles because of the lessons I’ve learned from these last four years,” says Stinfort, who wants to one day become a physician.

Cameron Joy Gray ’22, Our Time Has Come Scholar

“When are we coming back? Are we coming back? How do you do anything for school online? How are we going to shoot our sophomore films?”

These were some of the questions Cameron Joy Gray ’22 asked herself on that chaotic day in March 2020 when she and many of her peers made a mad dash to the Schine Student Center to collect boxes for packing up their belongings.

The timing was less than ideal. Gray and a classmate had each spent a few hundred dollars to cast and hire actresses for their production about middle school girls and female friendships.

Gray, a film major in the Department of Film and Media Arts in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, spent the first 10 weeks of the Spring 2020 semester mapping out her sophomore film project. Now, she headed home to Washington, D.C., to work on a condensed, four-week film project about a girl who discovers an old telephone in her attic that puts her in touch with people who were alive during the Cold War.

Cameron Joy Gray’s (center) filmmaking skills earned her a Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence in Student Research, and she was selected as a ���ϲ����� Scholar, the highest undergraduate honor the University bestows.

The project connected the mass hysteria and fear of the unknown surrounding COVID-19 with the Cold War and concerns over communism. It also prepared Gray for “the most difficult semester of her life,” the Fall 2021 semester.

Cameron Joy Gray ’22

Through it all, Gray persevered. In April 2021, Gray was named the recipient of a 2021 Beinecke Scholarship, an award that provides graduate funding and mentorship for juniors in the arts, humanities or social sciences. Gray was just the second Beinecke Scholar in ���ϲ�����’s history.

As part of her senior thesis film, Gray finally wrote her production about middle school girls and female friendships.

Gray’s filmmaking skills earned her a Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence in Student Research, and toward the end of her senior year, Gray was selected as a ���ϲ����� Scholar, the highest undergraduate honor the University bestows.

“It’s been crazy rewarding, crazy surprising and just crazy in general. Each year on campus has been completely different than the one before it,” Gray says.

“I’m proud of our class and our professors for adjusting and adapting to every challenge we’ve had to face. We’ve achieved so much. I’m grateful we were still able to come together and have those experiences, even in the midst of a global pandemic.”

Jonathan Danilich ’22, Past President, Otto’s Army

Otto’s Army has a reputation as one of the most passionate student sections in the country. As its president for the 2020-21 school year, Jonathan Danilich ’22 faced an unusual dilemma.

When Jonathan Danilich (center) was president of Otto’s Army, students weren’t allowed in the stadium to cheer on the Orange. So Danilich found new and creative ways to engage with students.

In August of 2020, then-New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo decreed that fans couldn’t attend games because of concerns over COVID-19 when college sports teams returned to play that fall.

When your job is to rile up the student section, but you can’t attend the games, what is the president to do? You find new and creative ways to engage with students.

Danilich expanded Otto’s Army’s presence on YouTube, Twitter and Instagram, and he and Otto’s Army’s leadership team live tweeted during ���ϲ����� games, organized video watch parties and competed with the opposition’s fans on YouTube.

Toward the beginning of the Spring 2021 semester, fans were allowed back inside the stadium to root for the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams.

Jonathan Danilich ’22

The hard work paid off for Danilich when, on Sept. 11, 2021, COVID restrictions eased and students and fans cheered on the Orange when ���ϲ����� hosted Rutgers University, the first football game with fans in nearly two years.

“It felt different having everyone back in there smushed together again. It felt really weird after all that time with no fans. But all I was focused on was the mission we needed to accomplish,” says Danilich. “You have to make the first game count because students won’t come back if it isn’t fun. People arrived early and we taught them our chants and we just me made it a raucous atmosphere. It was so loud and everyone had a blast. It felt really good being back.”

Danilich plans to use the skills he’s acquired through his time with Otto’s Army and the relationships he’s built with the athletics department to transition into a career in sports marketing.

“College is a time where you really find yourself, and these past four years have given me a chance to rethink what I want to do in life,” says Danilich, a broadcast and digital journalism major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

“I wanted to do something that makes people smile. Being part of Otto’s Army these last four years has helped me do that. It changed a lot of people’s school experiences for the better, and I’m really proud of that.”

Diego Luna ’22, Our Time Has Come Scholar

The situation was dire for Diego Luna ’22.

Back in his parents’ home in Brownsville, Texas, COVID-19 cases were high. Luna felt isolated taking virtual classes, and he was missing the sense of community and camaraderie he felt with his friends on campus, especially in the Pride Union student organization.

Luna almost transferred out of ���ϲ�����, but thankfully, he stuck it out, making the most of a bad situation while recreating that sense of community in a virtual setting. Like the times Pride Union would hold drag shows and drag bingo nights virtually, in addition to starting new traditions like Netflix watch parties.

When classes resumed on campus and in-person activities were once again deemed safe, the time apart made gathering in person that much more special.

Diego Luna ’22

“When everyone finally got back together, it was such a strong and happy welcome back moment, especially for the students that were here during the pandemic. We had missed those in-person gatherings and interactions so much. The time apart made our bond even stronger,” says Luna, a biotechnology major in the College of Arts and Sciences.

That sense of community applies to the good times and the troublesome times, like when the country experienced a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans, Blacks, the LGBTQ+ community and other historically marginalized members of society.

Luna, who identifies as queer, was proud of the conversations he observed during those difficult moments. Especially the ones that focused on all the ways we’re similar instead of our differences.

“A mantra of mine is ‘Five seconds of courage,’ from the movie ‘We Bought a Zoo.’ Five seconds of courage is all you need to get a conversation going. It’s easier said than done, but if you take a chance, talk to someone and really get to know them, regardless of their political or ideological beliefs, it’s surprising the levels of community we can create that way,” Luna says.

What advice would Luna have for his freshman year self?

“You’ll be challenged like you’ve never, ever been challenged before, and you will think this is the most impossible, emotionally trying time you’ll ever live through. But you will get through it. It’s been a great experience and I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. The amount of growth I went through is immeasurable, mainly because of the amazing faculty, staff and students who created such a welcoming environment,” Luna says.

Daniel Sarmiento

Daniel Sarmiento joined ���ϲ����� Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) as Curator, 20th century to present, as of April 1.

Danny has worked for the Libraries since 2018, serving as director of administration. He has a master of arts degree in English literature, a master of science degree in business administration and a master of library and information science degree specializing in the preservation of historical material.��He also taught English and writing at Shandong University in China and at the City College of New York City.

Sarmiento comes to SCRC with over five years of teaching experience and pertinent subject knowledge related to SCRC collection areas such as activism, social reform, radicalism in the arts, literature, disability studies, Black studies and Labor studies. In this position, Sarmiento will continue to develop, interpret, and teach with special collections materials from the 20th century to today.

He will use a reparative framework to fill gaps in the historical and archival record by seeking material and collecting evidence of individuals, groups and events underrepresented in the collections. He will curate exhibitions in SCRC’s exhibition spaces, provide class presentations on the topic of primary source literacy and promote the modern collections while serving as liaison to ���ϲ�����’s academic departments. Sarmiento’s previous years of service on the Libraries’ Diversity Equity and Inclusion team has prepared him to further the work of social justice at SCRC.

Austin Lewter, a graduate student in Pan African studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, presents at the inaugural Social Differences, Social Justice Research Symposium March 31.

On March 31, the hosted its inaugural symposium, crossing interdisciplinary boundaries to showcase student and faculty research related to equity, social justice and global transformation.

Co-sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences, Humanities Center, Lender Center for Social Justice, Renée Crown University Honors Program and Whitman School of Management, the symposium featured a keynote address from Gisele Marcus ’89, a ���ϲ����� Trustee and professor of practice in diversity, equity and inclusion at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

“Today is a day of celebration, valuing and honoring,” said , associate professor of management in the Whitman School and member of the Social Differences, Social Justice cluster, addressing scholars during her introductory remarks. “We are excited that we now have a cohort of cluster hires and that the University recognizes the value in convening scholars of different disciplines to bring forth issues of justice and equity and ideas about how we can make improvements. We are here to value you and your contributions. Your work is meaningful and impactful.”

, professor and chair of management in the Whitman School, and , co-director of the Lender Center for Social Justice and professor of arts education in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, welcomed symposium attendees before the panel discussions commenced.

The first panel on African Diasporic Studies showcased student research, featuring graduate students from the master’s program in Pan African studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Moderator , professor of African American Studies and director of the Renée Crown University Honors Program, acknowledged that “the Department of African American studies has a long and rich history at ���ϲ�����. It continues to be a space where intellectuals across many disciplines center Africa as a site of intellectual knowledge, where faculty and researchers contest pre-existing ideas of what Africa and its diaspora mean, and present alternative knowledges.”

Taana Smith then introduced first-year graduate students Joy Nyokabi, Kailey Smith and Austin Lewter.

From left: Melissa Yuen, Abdullah Naimzadeh and Danielle Taana Smith during a panel discussion on African Diasporic Studies.

Nyokabi presented her preliminary research on attempts by the British government to conceal documents and evidence of war crimes against Kenyans during the Mau Mau War in the 1950s.

As a critical component of the discussion about reparations, Kailey Smith’s presentation argued for the return of stolen cultural artifacts from Western museums to the African nations from which they originated.

Lewter presented his research on the legacy of lynching in the United States, arguing that lynchings have moved from public spectacle—such as the courthouse lawn—and become quieter and more institutionalized, invoking the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Sandra Bland and Eric Garner as examples of modern lynchings.

The second panel, Democratizing Internet Access, was moderated by Abdullah Naimzadeh, a graduate student in the School of Information Studies (iSchool), studying applied data science. Exploring the principle of global internet access as a human right, panelists Catherine Forrest ’22, doctoral candidate Jane Asantewaa Appiah-Okyere and Professor , from the iSchool, shared ongoing research on deployment of the , which was co-invented by McKnight.

Use of the internet backpack to expand global internet access was presented through the lens of several contexts and projects, including for health care workers in rural and remote Central America; teachers in rural Ghana; and elementary school students in underserved areas of Brooklyn and the Bronx in New York City. The panel also addressed the moral imperative for universal internet access—especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic—and the importance of championing a framework for ethical data collection.

The morning then segued into a full schedule of faculty research briefs and presentations, including:

• , assistant professor of management in the Whitman School, presented on the characteristics and outcomes of diverse teams;
• *, assistant professor of communications in the Newhouse School, presented on contemporary representations of Mexico, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans in Hollywood films;
• *, assistant professor of management in the Whitman School, presented on dehumanization and maladaptive perfectionism at work;
• , associate professor of communications in the Newhouse School, presented on her forthcoming book, “Diversity and Satire: Laughing at Processes of Marginalization;”
• , Newhouse Professor in the Newhouse School, presented on the personal, professional and political challenges of critical race scholar-activism;
• , associate professor and director of graduate studies in marriage and family therapy in the Falk College; , Dean’s Professor and Provost Faculty Fellow in counseling and human services in the School of Education; and , assistant professor of public health in the Falk College, presented research on the continuation of teletherapy post-COVID-19;
• , assistant professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, presented on his forthcoming book, “The Body is Not the Land: Memory, Translation, and Territorial Aporias;”
• *, assistant professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, presented on her current book project, “Aerial Geographies: Rooting Aviation in Global Black Literature;”
• *, assistant professor of music history and cultures in the College of Arts and Sciences, presented on racial and language identity within the mixed race or coloured community of Cape Town, South Africa;
• , assistant professor of music history and cultures in the College of Arts and Sciences, presented “Mirroring Motherhood/Land in Diaspora: Igbo Women in Music;”
• Melissa Yuen, the curator at the ���ϲ����� Art Museum, presented “Teaching and Learning Social Justice at the ���ϲ����� Art Museum;”
• , associate professor of communication and rhetorical studies in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, presented “Too Much to Tolerate: School Bathrooms, Trans Temporality, and Black Excess;” and
• , associate dean and Andrew W. Cohen, Walter Montgomery and Marian Gruber professor of history in the Maxwell School, presented “Gender at the Polls: Illicit Voting and Suffrage Before the Civil War.”

*Indicates a cluster hire in the Social Differences, Social Justice research cluster.

Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives Marcelle Haddix

, associate provost for strategic initiatives and Distinguished Dean’s Professor of Literacy, Race and Justice in the School of Education, shared her thoughts on the significance of the day prior to Marcus’s keynote address.

“This inaugural symposium is exactly the type of output, the kind of research work we want to see coming from the research clusters,” Haddix said. “Today spoke to the power of interdisciplinarity, the power of connecting us, bringing us together. And what we often don’t talk about are the kinds of resources it takes to engage in this work; how we acknowledge and reward interdisciplinary collaboration; how we create spaces and opportunities for people to come together across differences. That’s what today’s event really highlighted for me.”

Haddix then welcomed Marcus to deliver her keynote address, “Belonging: Essential to Enhancing the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Equation.”

Gisele Marcus ’89 delivers her keynote address, “Belonging: Essential to Enhancing the DEI Equation.”

Marcus began with a definition of belonging from diversity and inclusion expert Verna Myers: Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion means being asked to dance; belonging is “they’re actually playing some of my music.”

She spoke of belonging as a human requirement, shared how companies can expand their DEI initiatives to include belonging to address the Great Resignation, and how increased feelings of belonging for students lead to better outcomes in higher education.

“Belonging is all about feeling welcomed in a space, feeling that you’re included, feeling that your contributions are valued,” Marcus said. “It matters because when people belong, they are going to help their organization be more productive, there’s going to be better teamwork and an increase in their pride as an employee. And all of those things can be contagious in your environment.”

Marcus earned a bachelor’s degree in management information systems and transportation management from Whitman and an MBA from Harvard University. She is a member of the ���ϲ����� Multicultural Advancement Advisory Council; former vice president of the ���ϲ����� Alumni Association; an inaugural lecturer for the University’s Sankofa Lecture Series; and a 2014 recipient of the Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence in Global Business Management. Marcus also endowed an Our Time has Come scholarship in her name in the Whitman School and joined the University’s Board of Trustees in 2021.

, associate professor in writing studies, rhetoric and composition in the College of Arts and Sciences and member of the Social Differences, Social Justice cluster, closed the symposium, remarking on the scholarly community being strengthened through the cluster. Berry stated that this group of scholars will be prepared to inform the academy, the arts, business and society, and that including students in the endeavor prepares them to make a global impact.

The Social Differences, Social Justice research cluster includes more than 30 affiliated faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering and Computer Science, College of Law, College of Visual and Performing Arts, iSchool, the Maxwell School, the Newhouse School and the Whitman School. The group has a listserv to which interested scholars can subscribe to stay connected and learn of future events: SDSJ@listserv.syr.edu. To join, send an email to Professor Patrick Berry at pwberry@syr.edu. To learn more about its work, .

Please note: This image pre-dates the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presented by the Social Differences, Social Justice faculty cluster and sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences, Renée Crown University Honors Program and Whitman School of Management, campus community members are invited to participate in the first annual . The symposium will be held as a hybrid event (in person and virtually) on March 31, 2022.

The inaugural symposium will explore the themes of equity, social justice and global transformation. “These fundamental issues remain unresolved in society, higher education and across professional settings,” says , associate professor of management in the Whitman School and member of the .

“Businesses are having to address them with their employees, activist investors, as well as consumers that are shopping their values. Management scholars, working with humanists colleagues, can examine this phenomenon in nuanced ways that will advance the study of organizational performance. Global contestations of existing systems and structures have the potential to transform how we work and shop and bridge the gap in who has access to opportunities.”

These challenges include access to quality education at all levels, high-quality and affordable health care and a universal basic income; protection of our climate; the right to immigrate; the right to be free from violence, civil strife and armed conflict, pandemics, environmental disasters; and the need for sustainable development.

The symposium seeks to respond to the urgent need for rigorous research and debate regarding these challenges. Key questions for exploration include:

• How can scholars and researchers at leading universities, such as ���ϲ�����, spearhead the process and engage our students, communities and policymakers in forging a common path forward?
• How can scholarly work contribute to improving our communities while at the same time improving the well-being of others in distant places?
• How can scholars better understand prevailing narratives and counter-narratives on current socio-political, economic and other changes which impact our human condition?
• How is interdisciplinary research in the humanities, social sciences, professional disciplines and sciences crucial to unpacking these phenomena?

Established and emerging scholars, including students, who are conducting transformative research and investigating these issues are invited to . Presentations can take multiple forms, including teams, and presentations will be approximately 20 to 30 minutes in length.

Submission Process and Deadline

Presentations are sought of works in progress, completed papers, performances and other forms of expression that speak to these themes. The deadline to submit a presentation is Feb. 28. For more information, with questions, or to submit work or join the Social Differences, Social Justice cluster, please email Kira Reed.

Interested in Attending the Symposium?

Faculty, graduate and undergraduate students from ���ϲ����� and partnering schools are welcome to attend the research conference on March 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. There is no registration fee to attend and lunch will be included for in-person participants. .

In a 2019 interview, National Public Radio’s Scott Simon asked ��a pointed, and timely, question about her debut novel, “The Gone Dead,” in which the lead character returns to the Mississippi Delta shack her father owned in the 1970s. There she confronts the mystery of her father’s death and grapples with racial injustice and her family’s—and the nation’s—history of white supremacy.

“When,” Simon asks, “is the past past—ever?”

Chanelle Benz

“Well,” responds Benz, a new member of ���ϲ�����’s internationally recognized creative writing program, “I think that we can lay the past to rest once we’ve had some kind of reckoning with it.” She continues, “I don’t believe that there can be any kind of healing or moving on or reconciliation with the past unless we’ve had a true confrontation with it.”

“The Gone Dead” (Ecco/Harper Collins, 2019) was longlisted for the 2020 PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel and earned the 2019 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. “Her attention to the recurring nature of racism in this country, and her gift for weaving these insights into a gripping narrative, establish Benz as an adept critic and storyteller,” author Margaret Wilkerson Sexton writes in a 2019 New York Times review.

Benz previously was assistant professor of English at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. Her short story collection, “The Man Who Shot Out My Eye Is Dead” (Ecco, 2017), was longlisted for the 2018 PEN/Robert Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction and the 2017 Story Prize.

Mona Awad

Another new faculty member to join the program is . Her third novel, “All’s Well” (Simon & Schuster), was released in August 2021. Awad is also the author of “Bunny” (2019, Penguin) and “13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl” (Penguin Books, 2016). An NPR review calls “All’s Well” “a surreal exploration of chronic pain, women’s believability and visibility, and desperation that straddles the line between comedy and horror.”

Benz and Awad bring their voices to the creative writing program in the College of Arts and Sciences English department as the national conversation continues around the need for equity and social justice in the American experience. Creative writing, which powerfully explores the breadth of human existence, is a natural avenue for students wishing to portray the world as it is—or, perhaps, how it should be.

Honing Their Craft

Making Readers Feel

Sarah Harwell

And students can learn to do so in the new undergraduate major and minor programs in creative writing. The new programs allow students across campus to either try out creative writing or concentrate specifically on the discipline, says , associate teaching professor and associate director of the creative writing program.

“If you’re an illustration major in VPA but want to write comic books, you can add a minor. Students at Newhouse often take our courses,” Harwell says. “I’ve had several biology majors who are overwhelmed with their science courses and want to try something else. All these people have something to write about but don’t end up in classes that teach them to write.”

Teaching Students to ‘Fully Inhabit Their Talent’

Our students are so good that we don’t need to teach them writing. —

George Saunders G’88, professor of English

You are welcome to quote their comments directly about Indigenous Peoples’ Day on October 11. While still federally recognized as Columbus Day, many states and local municipalities have moved to make it a day of awareness and celebration of Native American communities. These professors are available for interviews via Zoom to talk about this important recognition shift.

Professor Stevens says:

“I’m heartened to see that Indigenous Peoples’ Day continues to grow and gain traction in communities across the United States. There has been increased attention to social justice issues following the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and others in the last two years. Perhaps portions of the general population are finally also more open to acknowledging the legacy of settler colonialism that began with the European invasion of the Americas in 1492. Indigenous people have always been aware of this legacy, we live it every day, and we have long advocated that the majority society recognize the cataclysmic effects it has had on Indigenous peoples here and throughout the Western Hemisphere.

“While the European settlement of the Americas meant new opportunities and a better life for many European colonists, it meant devastating pandemics, genocide, and dispossession for millions of Indigenous people, as well as the advent of the Atlantic slave trade.��All Americans should reflect on this complex reality. But Indigenous People’s Day is not only a day of reflection, but a day meant to call attention to and celebrate Indigenous resilience and persistence.

*

Professor Arnold says:

“The shift from Columbus to Indigenous Peoples Day at ���ϲ����� is a welcome change. From Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests around the country to local efforts to fold in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) into campus culture, there is a much-needed shift in the foundational narratives. Understanding the contributions of the Haudenosaunee, the Indigenous Peoples of the region that ���ϲ����� calls home, include their influences on American democracy and the Women’s Rights Movement.

“We built the Skä·noñh—Great Law of Peace Center at Onondaga Lake Park, a few miles from campus, in collaboration with the Onondaga Nation and other higher education institutions in the area, specifically for the purpose of facilitating this shift in narratives.”

For more information or to schedule an interview with these professors, please contact Daryl Lovell, media relations manager, by email at dalovell@syr.edu or by phone at 315.380.0206.

Abdul-Ghani, who is an assistant professor in the Department of African American Studies, worked with a cadre of student fellows who served as co-investigators. Each of the four student fellows chose a well-established hashtag to analyze how those hashtags have catalyzed larger conversations about social justice issues at the national and international level.

Established by Marvin and Helaine Lender in 2018, the Lender Center for Social Justice seeks to create a hands-on experience for undergraduate and graduate students interested in social justice that crosses academic disciplines.

Center co-directors Marcelle Haddix, dean’s professor and chair of the reading and language arts department in the School of Education, and Kendall Phillips, professor of communication and rhetorical studies in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, introduced the symposium presentations, noting that the Social Justice #Hashtag Project is a digital humanities project, combining computational scientific research with history, sociology, writing and communication.

Joining by Zoom, Marvin Lender said, “This symposium is the beginning of a dream come true. What has been done by this first group sets a high bar for the work of future Lender Fellows.” Noting the challenges to social justice presented by the global pandemic and other national and international events, Lender added, “This was a tough year to do the kind of work that you are doing. We will forever be indebted to all of you who are doing the work.”

Lender also welcomed James Haywood Rolling Jr., professor of arts education in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and teaching and leadership in the School of Education, who will succeed Haddix as the Lender Center’s co-director in fall 2021.

The research presentation was preceded by an invited keynote address presented by Mark Anthony Neal, the James B. Duke Distinguished Professor and Chair of African and African American Studies at Duke University. Neal, the founding director of the Center for Arts, Digital Culture and Entrepreneurship at Duke, conducts research and teaches courses on Black masculinity, popular culture and digital humanities.

His presentation focused on the idea of social justice in the practice of digital media, including content aggregation and curation, provision of a platform, community formation and the implications of digital media for a generation that has been immersed in multitasking media technologies.

These themes were carried through the symposium. In introducing the project, Abdul-Ghani presented the idea of Instagram and Twitter as culturally neutral spaces that lead to critical discussions. She and the student fellows asked why these platforms are impactful and interrogated the aims that can push a national or international conversation about social justice topics to create a diverse and inclusive message that anyone can understand.

Lender Student Fellows Abigail Tick ’22, Grace Asch ’22, Andrea Constant ’24 and Adriana Lobo ’22 presented research on how hashtags can help advance social justice at the inaugural Lender Center for Social Justice Faculty Symposium.

These concepts were further examined by Grace Asch ’22, Andrea Constant ’24, Andriana Lobo ’22 and Abigail Tick ’22 in their examination of four specific hashtags, their aims and outcomes.

Asch, a television, radio and film major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, studied the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite. She found that the hashtag, created in 2015 when all 20 acting nominations by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences went to white actors, has been influential beyond the Academy.

“#OscarsSoWhite is not just about nonwhite actors receiving their due, but has become associated with the need for structural change in the film industry,” Asch says. “There’s a recognition that for real inclusion, there needs to be a fundamental change in filmmaking.”

Constant, a Ph.D. student in sociology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, examined the hashtag #SayHerName, which highlights police violence and gender-based violence against Black women and girls. Building on her extensive study of the history of criminalization of Black girls and women in the United States and Black-led social movements, including Black Lives Matter, Constant provided broad context for the proliferation of #SayHerName after 26-year-old EMT Breonna Taylor was killed by police in Louisville, Kentucky, as they executed a no-knock warrant.

Noting the geographical concentration of #SayHerName in Louisville, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Philadelphia during the spring and summer of 2020, she found that much of the hashtag’s use stayed close to the original intent of shining a spotlight on police violence toward Black women and girls. However, Constant also noted that the hashtag has become international, indicating that it may be opening up discussion about gender-based violence for all women.

Lobo, a communication and rhetorical studies major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, studied the hashtag #NiUnaMenos and its close counterpart #NiUnaMas. Pulling together the complex threads of cultural forms, government impunity, victim blaming and the economics of NAFTA, Lobo followed the use of the hashtags to mobilize mass protests in 2020 against the Mexican government.

The protests were sparked by anger that the government is not enforcing or implementing current laws aimed at curbing gender violence. Lobos explored the implications of the hashtags in protests against violence toward LGTBQ people and indigenous women, noting that economic vulnerability is another key factor contributing to gender violence. The use of the hashtags has spread beyond Mexico to Chile, Peru, the United States and Canada.

Tick, a triple major in sociology, women’s and gender studies, and citizenship and civic engagement in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School, studied the rise of the hashtag #WhyIDidntReport, used by individual women telling their stories of sexual violence in the wake of the Senate confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. By explaining why they chose not to report their experience using the hashtag, women created a space where they could engage non-survivors and move from passive victims to active survivors.

Tick also analyzed the reasons that women chose not to report their experience to officials, finding that fear, self-blame and the lack of belief in their lived experience were significant factors. The social media space brought these hidden stories to light, providing women with control and agency around the discourse of sexual violence that they lacked when they decided not to report their experiences.

Nel Gaudé

After Gaudé was displaced from their job due to COVID, the late food studies Professor Evan Weissman connected Gaudé with the facilitator for the ���ϲ�����-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance (SOFSA). Weissman was an associate professor in food studies and nutrition at the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics for eight years before passing away unexpectedly while at home with his family on April 9. His research examined grassroots efforts to address food disparities in urban America.

“Evan had a very genuine and honest and humble way of looking at the world and doing it with such compassion. A lot of people that are involved with SOFSA knew Evan very well. I think we all are trying to do what he would have done in the way he would have done it and try to remember how he thought about things and how he approached them,” Gaudé says.

SOFSA is a new food policy council that sprang into action in response to COVID. “They saw the need to help organize and try to connect people with emergency food,” says Gaudé, who is working with SOFSA to establish an organizational structure while fulfilling the spiraling demand for emergency food. They have been researching other food policy councils, designating leaders and working on the bylaws. Gaudé says they are trying to make sure that social justice and racial justice is embedded within the organization itself. “We can’t achieve any kind of food justice without facing those things,” they says.

SU News sat down with Gaudé to discuss their role with SOFSA and the challenges the ���ϲ����� community faces in mitigating food shortages due to the pandemic.

Q: What are you researching while working with SOFSA?

A: Most of the food policy councils that exist have more of a traditional leadership, like president, secretary, treasurer, co-chair, that sort of thing. Right now, we’re trying to do some research on non-hierarchical leadership or horizontal leadership, just to see if that improves the equity of the operations of the organization. I’m still doing research on that to see if that’s even a thing that people have tried, and if it works the way they think and want it to. We’re still looking and evaluating.

Q: How has the pandemic created more food scarcity?

A: The pandemic has really emphasized and exaggerated the inequities that already existed. We’ve seen all of these standard and popular supply chains really falter. Other avenues like shorter, value or regional supply chains have been able to rethink and redesign how they connect people with food. I think it’s really exciting work to be doing right now, because we have this impetus and this momentum to truly assess the current food system, make changes and start doing things in a more efficient and equitable way.

We’ve also been very cognizant and explicit about the things that we want to include and embed within the core mission of the organization, like systemic racism and the toll it has had in marginalized communities and the food system. You can’t separate the two.

Q: What are some initial challenges?

A: One of the things that we’re struggling with right now is reaching stakeholders with the lived experiences of the situations that we’re trying to address. That’s absolutely essential to have, to have the residents represent themselves. Without their input and voices telling us what they need, then we become just a group of mostly white people trying to do a good thing.

We’ve also been working democratically amongst all of the members and inviting anyone who expresses interest to be a part of it. We are trying to get out as far as we can into the community without physically going out into the community, due to COVID. Inviting people to come to the meetings, to come to the advisory board meetings and help us, critique us, tell us where we could be doing better.

It is a difficult time to be a young organization, because all of the traditional avenues to gain traction, visibility and new membership are not available to us right now. We’ve been getting a lot of input and feedback on our development thus far and trying to find like models that exist just to identify best practices. We’ve been connecting with other established organizations like ���ϲ����� Hope, and with Peter Ricardo at the CNY Food Bank.

Q: What have you learned in this process?

A: I think one thing that I didn’t understand was the importance of food knowledge. It is one thing to pass a bill that says that corner stores need to have a percentage of fresh food, but if the members of the community that shop there don’t necessarily know what to do with it, they’re not going to eat it. For instance I think I’m biased because I cook everything, and if I don’t know, then I’ll look it up. But I’m also not a single parent of four kids with two jobs that doesn’t have time to educate myself on how to cook a rhubarb. It is a privileged thing to be able to afford to destroy a dish to a point where it is inedible. If you’re unable to afford more food, what are you going to feed your family if that happens?

We have been partnering with other organizations, like Jessi Lyons at Brady Farms to brainstorm different events that we could have given the limitations with COVID. I think letting people see the farm, how a carrot really looks out of the ground, and then also pair that with a cooking demo. It shows that cooking is not scary. It is scary until you know how to do it. Once you get past that fear, then it is a lot of fun.

Maya Moore

A collegiate, Olympic and professional basketball champion, Moore will discuss the intersections of sports, spirituality, and the sustained pursuit of justice and opportunity. “Life with Purpose: A Conversation with Maya Moore, athlete and activist,” is part of the virtual event series leading up to the 36th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Sunday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. ET.

“Maya Moore has provided the world with an example of what service and sacrifice is. We can all take a page out of her playbook as we aspire to create the sort of change that impacts lives,” says Sean Dorcellus ’21, student co-chair of the organizing committee. “We are elated to learn more about her journey firsthand while honoring the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”

“Maya Moore is a courageous leader and believer,” says the Rev. Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel and co-chair of the organizing committee. “Through her own exploration of meaning and purpose, she invites us into a powerful conversation on how we too can spark and sustain personal and public change. We are honored and excited to host such an outstanding role model in the midst of these important times.”

Moore led the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team to two NCAA championships. After graduating in 2011, Moore joined the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Minnesota Lynx organization, leading the team to four national championships. Moore’s success with the USA National Women’s Basketball team landed her a spot in the 2012 Olympic Games.

In 2019, Moore’s religious faith and passion for social justice led her to step away from competitive athletics at the height of her career, humbled by her interactions with a man in prison who had been falsely convicted for burglary. Moore committed her time to proving Jonathan Irons’ innocence, and consequently his charges were overturned and he was released from prison. Today, the 31-year-old Moore leads a life that emphasizes family, purpose and ministry.

On Jan. 27, Moore will speak about the converging worlds of athletics and ministry, the pursuit of opportunity, and her expression of faith through helping others.

View the full list of 2021 MLK Virtual Event Series programs on the . During registration, select “Life with Purpose: A Conversation with Maya Moore, athlete and activist,” from the list of program options. Guests may also register for the 36th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. Registrants will receive Zoom links to all selected programs in a confirmation email.

This story was written by Christina Kohl ’21

is a professor at ���ϲ�����’s School of Education, whose research focus is on the intersections of popular culture/media with American experiences of race, class and gender.

Alston says:

“I did not watch Super Bowl LIII, but my Twitter timeline kept me up to speed. Most mentions I saw were by people not watching the game. They were #WithKap and have the same reasons I do for withholding any NFL support they may have once had – the NFL’s terrible record on domestic violence and lifetime impact of concussions. And the owners’ disgraceful response to Colin Kaepernick’s protest of state violence against black bodies.

“The NFL is big business, and it was still able to charge $5.3 million for 30 seconds of ad time in the game this year. So despite the absence of Cardi B and other Atlanta-based artists, the 10-year low in viewership, and the opting out of an entire class of people who want more accountability from the league – I don’t know that core fans are going to break the habit, except for team loyalty.

“I am not certain that most of them really know what Kaepernick is protesting as marked by the #hashtag. Hint: It is not the national anthem. Maybe in a year when the spectacle is not on the gridiron but in the nation’s capital, we can begin to speak about that more clearly.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Media Relations Manager
Division of Marketing and Communications

T��315.443.1184 ����M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

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is a professor of marketing at ���ϲ�����’s Whitman School of Management. He says brands cannot be everything to everybody, so it’s important for companies, such as Nike, to not only know their brands but also to stick by them in a strategic, focused way.

Lee says:

“The fact that Nike has chosen Colin Kaepernick as the face in its latest ad campaign is not surprising at all, considering the fact that Nike typically stands by its athletes and given the fact that its relationship with the football player dates back to 2010. Nike took a calculated risk, deciding to express its values despite the controversial topic and based on the attention they’re receiving as a result, the risk is paying off.

“In the old days, companies spent a lot of money for this kind of attention but in this time of social media, Nike is reaping the benefits of having millions of conversations happening about its brand. With the advent of social media, brands can no longer control their messages in the way they once could. So, it’s best for companies to ride the wave, as Nike is doing, rather than try to control the wave, which is futile.

“Nike’s unwavering support for its athletes resonates with its younger, diverse demographic, which likes to see brands take stands for what they believe in.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Media Relations Manager
Division of Communications and Marketing

T��315.443.1184 ����M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

820 Comstock Avenue, Suite 308, ���ϲ�����, NY 13244
news.syr.edu |

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