Monday, November 3, 2025 — Our theme is “Meeting the Moment”
Save the date for the fourth annual Black Solidarity Day, held on the first Monday
of November. We encourage you to plan to incorporate that day into your syllabus or
work schedule and consider reassigning your classes or employees to participate in
the event.
November 3, 2025 will be the fourth year in which Black Solidarity Day is an official
part of the SUNY Plattsburgh academic calendar. This year, the theme is “Meeting the
Moment.” In recognition of Black Solidarity Day, our campus will host a Social Justice
Teach-In, featuring programming for the Plattsburgh community and beyond about racial
justice, anti-racism and social justice.
This is a day to meditate on the meaning of social justice and civic engagement in
what could be a multi-racial democracy. Black Solidarity Day is meant “to highlight
racial injustices, societal inequities and to illuminate how Black voices are integral
to American life” and our college community. We invite students, faculty, staff and
community members to contribute a teach-in session that speaks directly to the meaning
of Black Solidarity Day and/or that engages with social justice, broadly defined.
2025 Schedule of Events
Join us for a series of concurrent presentations and events, led by students, staff,
faculty and community groups, held all over campus. The theme is “Meeting the Moment.”
The day will commence with a welcome event in the Warren Ballrooms and conclude with
a candlelight vigil for peace and racial justice. A full schedule for 2025 will be
revealed in the coming weeks.
2024 Recap
Our 2024 Black Solidarity Day program explored important topics such as supporting
underrepresented students in STEM, redefining allyship, dispelling myths about immigration,
and fostering connection through bridge-building and peer mentoring workshops. We
also offered an interactive “Double Dutch” jump-rope session that encouraged movement
and community fun while learning about its history and cultural significance.
New for 2024, we introduced a cool down zone for anyone looking for a safe space in
which to relax, reflect or decompress with various activities, including petting a
therapy dog.
Activist, and former SUNY Old Westbury professor, Carlos Russell created Black Solidarity
Day in 1969. He was inspired by Douglas Turner Ward’s play, “Day of Absence.” The
plot focuses on a fictional town where the Black residents suddenly disappear, resulting
in the White residents realizing how much of their lives rely on Black labor. As part
of this annual day, and to highlight their contributions to society, Black people
were encouraged not to work and not to shop as a form of economic protest. Instead,
they were encouraged to engage in educating and enlightening their communities (Price,
2018). Since 1969, members of college campuses have recognized Black Solidarity Day
by convening panel discussions, educational workshops, rallies, and other culturally
enlightening forums.
Black Solidarity Day is a student-driven initiative. Shiyiheeim Nartey-Tokoli, the
former treasurer of the Student Association wrote the proposal to have SUNY Plattsburgh
recognize this day as a holiday. The proposal was revised and re-submitted by Mac-Olivier
Lalanne, a former senator of the Student Association. Ohemaa Owusu-Poku, a former
member of the Student Association executive board and the former coordinator of student
affairs and diversity, and Ahmed Metwaly, the former president of the Student Association
worked with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee to develop a plan for how the campus
could recognize Black Solidarity Day. After the proposal was endorsed by the Faculty
Senate and endorsed by the administration in Spring 2022, Black Solidarity Day became
part of the SUNY Plattsburgh academic calendar, to be held annually on the first Monday
of November.
In recognition of Black Solidarity Day, our campus hosts a social justice teach-in
featuring programming for the Plattsburgh community about racial justice, anti-racism,
and social justice, broadly defined. A teach-in is an organized event, typically hosted
on a university campus, focused on raising awareness and developing knowledge to address
inequities and social justice. The overarching goal is to support the educational
empowerment of students, staff, faculty, and community members who participate in
the day, and to honor the diverse voices of those who contribute to our community.
A social justice teach-in aligns with Dr. Russell’s vision for Black Solidarity Day
to engage in educational empowerment. Social justice teach-ins were held in 2017 and
2019 on our campus. SUNY Plattsburgh has institutionalized the Black Solidarity Day
teach-in, as an annual event which aligns with our commitment to inclusion, equity,
belonging, and justice for all.
The Social Justice Teach-In will be a full-day event. During the morning and afternoon,
students, staff, faculty, and community members can choose from over 50 breakout sessions
ranging from workshops, readings, performances, discussions, and presentations on
a diverse range of issues related to social justice.
During lunchtime, there will be food truck vendors to buy lunch, free hot chocolate
and cider provided by the DEI Office, and entertainment. Multicultural businesses,
student entrepreneurs, and community groups will also host tables to share information
about their organizations.
We will cap off the day with a keynote presentation. Faculty, staff, students and
community members are encouraged to attend as many sessions as possible. A virtual
track will also be available for those who want to attend from afar.
