Black History Month

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

                                                                Martin Luther King, Jr.  1968

“In this country we rise and fall as one nation, as one people.”

                                                 Barack Obama   2008

The Gallatin School of Individualized Study

at New York University presents:

BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2009

Building Alliances

Forging Friendships

Strange Fruit

A film screening

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

6:30pm – 8:00pm

The Jerry H. Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts

715 Broadway, Main Floor

(Enter at 1 Washington Place)

Strange Fruit is the title of the anti-lynching poem that was written in the mid-1930s by Abel Meeropol, a Jewish public school teacher from the Bronx. The haunting ballad, made famous by jazz icon Billie Holiday remains one of the most influential protest songs ever written.  Strange Fruit brings viewers face to face with the terror of lynching as it spotlights the courage and heroism of those who fought for racial and social justice

Admission is free. Seating is on a first-come, first-saved basis.

Brick by Brick: Rebuilding Black-Jewish Alliances

A discussion

Thursday, February 12, 2009

The Jerry H. Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts

6:00pm – 8:00pm

715 Broadway, Main Floor

(Enter at 1 Washington Place)

President Obama urges us to come together as one nation and work to renew old alliances and forge new and enduring partnerships.

Alliances between Blacks and Jews have played major roles in shaping American politics and culture. Radical social movements from labor to civil rights were built on Black-Jewish coalitions, influencing civil rights legislation and many other social justice initiatives.

Tensions over housing, community control of schools and other issues eroded Black-Jewish relations but did not completely destroy grass-roots interactions.  However, public feuds by leaders from both groups who continuously fling accusations of racism and anti-Semitism have overshadowed the work in communities where Blacks and Jews live side-by-side, promoting peaceful co-existence and social change.

With the election of Barack Obama, America is at a decisive moment in race relations. This discussion examines the history of Black-Jewish solidarity and its collapse, and how understanding the causes of conflicts between these groups may lead to solutions to and development of a model to resolve conflicts among other racial and cultural groups.

Moderators:         Michael Dinwiddie, Associate Professor, The Gallatin School, NYU

                                George Shulman, Professor, The Gallatin School, NYU

Participants:          Eric Adams, Senator, New York State

Hasia Diner, Professor, Hebrew and Judaic Studies, NYU

                                R. L’Heureux, Assistant Professor, The City College of New York

                                Dov Hikind, Assemblyman, Brooklyn, New York

Performance:       Judith Sloan, Adjunct Professor, The Gallatin School

Please RSVP to studentaffairs.gallatin@nyu.edu or call 212/998-7375.

Alliances in the Arts

L’d Up: Look, Listen and Learn

Performance and film

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The Jerry H. Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts

6:00pm – 8:00pm

715 Broadway, Main Floor

(Enter at 1 Washington Place)

Art is an effective tool to analyze and reconcile injustices. It may be used to erase cultural and ethnic barriers, and allows artists to express the complexities of culture and ethnicity in a way that values and accepts differences.  It is their artistic expressions that bring these performers together and strengthen relationships among our diverse communities.  We, the performers, present love with conscience.  Look at us, listen to us, and learn from us. 

The Artists:

Shakinuze a.k.a. Lunch Special (Jake Podhurst & John Iannuzzi)

The John Iannuzzi Quartet

Trashon Shallowhorn

Luke Brekke-Meisner

Indoda Entsha Percussion Ensemble

Jody Rucks

Admission free.  Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Building Alliances: Intergroup Dialogue

An info session

The Gallatin School Student Lounge

715 Broadway, Room 525

February 19, 2009

12:30pm – 2:00pm

Build alliances via intergroup dialogue. Please join us for lunch and an informal information session about NYU’s Intergroup Dialogue Program. The Intergroup Dialogue Program is a nationally recognized 1-credit course that brings together small groups of students from diverse backgrounds. Come share your experiences and gain new knowledge related to diversity and social justice. Former intergroup dialogue participants will attend.

Please RSVP to gallatin.gallendar@nyu.edu

Building Bridges: Working as an Ally

A workshop

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

The Gallatin School Student Lounge

715 Broadway, Room 525

12:30pm – 2:00pm

An ally is typically a member of an advantaged social group who uses “social power” to take a stand against injustice. An ally works as an agent of social change rather than an agent of oppression. In this workshop, we will learn what it means to be an ally and how to best fulfill that role.

Facilitated by the Center for Multicultural Education and Programs

Refreshments served.

Please RSVP to gallatin.gallendar@nyu.edu

Admission to all events is free for all events.  Non-NYU guests must present a valid photo I.D.  Information:  studentaffairs.gallatin@nyu.edu