Name
Systems, Structures and the Possibilities for an Abolitionist CUNY
Date & Time
Thursday, April 15, 2021, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Sofya Aptekar
Description

The George Floyd and Breonna Taylor uprising this summer reminded us that any serious discussion of how to create an anti-racist academy must prioritize demilitarization and the removal of police, ICE and other institutions of organized violence from campus. In this session, we will consider the possibilities and limitations of university-led diversity and inclusion projects through an abolitionist framework, comparing and contrasting reformist and non-reformist reforms. The session will feature a panel of CUNY student, staff, and faculty organizers from Rank and File Action, Free CUNY, and CUNY for Abolition and Safety. Panelists will reflect on the contradictions and duality of the public university, considering it as a site where the logics, mechanisms and power of the carceral state and racial capitalism more broadly are reproduced but also, considering the long history and ongoing examples of anti-racist and decolonial struggle, a place of fierce resistance. The format of the workshop will encourage participation and interaction with attendees, fostering the development of connections and analysis across the CUNY system.

Session Type
Workshop