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Full Slate of Events Planned for Black Solidarity Day on SUNY Plattsburgh Campus


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SUNY Plattsburgh’s annual observance of Black Solidarity Day Nov. 4 carries a call to action for everyone: Be the change you wish to see.

Observed nationally on the Monday before Election Day, Black Solidarity Day gives the campus community time to reflect on the meaning of civic engagement and social justice, a day to highlight societal inequities and to shine a light on how Black voices are part of the fiber of our community.

“We live in a world where many people can make comments; people have many opinions, but as individuals we can be the change and usher in a new day of progress,” said Allison Heard, vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion.

bsd fileThe day has its roots deep in U.S. history when on Nov. 3, 1969, Carlos Russell, former Panamanian ambassador to the UN and  Brooklyn College professor, put out the call to protest “against the intensifying repression that threatens the very existence of black people in America.” Today, it is celebrated and recognized at SUNY Plattsburgh as part of the official academic calendar thanks in part to a group of students who in 2021 approached administration and Faculty Senate to stress that many students aren’t able to attend because of class commitments.

Years of Growth

After years of growth to the program, Heard said 2024 has grown beyond the confines of the SUNY Plattsburgh campus and now offers streaming services for many of the programs throughout the day, available to students, faculty and staff at the Queensbury campus as well as participants at several SUNY campuses across New York state.

The Nov. 4 program kicks off on campus at 8:15 a.m. with a welcome by President Alexander Enyedi, Heard, Student Association President Kalema Gooding and others in the Warren Ballrooms, Angell College Center. Light refreshments will be served beginning at 8 a.m.

Concurrent morning sessions run from 9 a.m. to noon; afternoon sessions pick up after a networking lunch at 1 p.m. Sessions include supporting underrepresented students in STEM, dispelling myths about immigration, understanding Title IX and direct reporting, equity, inclusion and democracy and the power of service and working toward community change, among many others.

bsd allison and sorority womenSessions wind up at 4 p.m. after which Dr. Debra Thompson, associate professor of political science and Canada research chair in racial inequity in democratic societies at McGill University in Montreal, will give a keynote address, “Race, Democracy and Politics without Guarantees” as part of the Distinguished Canadian Address, in the Warren Ballrooms beginning at 4:15 p.m.

The day culminates with a social justice vigil hosted by Black Onyx: The Black Student Union, starting at 8 p.m.

New this year will  be information tables in various locations staffed by volunteers who can assist with questions and guidance throughout the day. A Cool Down Zone will be available for anyone looking for a safe space in which to relax, reflect or decompress with various activities and therapy dog Beckett in Meeting Room 1, Angell College Center.

A full schedule of events and descriptions of sessions is available at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dg2cPSPfZi3iIQr_57Szo4gxmaKRF1Ne_gIqnpXzrkU/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.c2y5vea7g3nw.

For more information, contact [email protected] or call 518-564-5410.

— By Associate Director of Communications Gerianne Downs

— SUNY Plattsburgh File Photos

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