Barnard College historically has been a space for activism—from Annie Nathan Meyer’s aggressive advocacy of women’s education in the 1880s to the 1968 Vietnam War and civil rights protests to recent calls for divestment from fossil fuel companies.
Much of the College’s social justice activism today is shared through research, scholarship, and events hosted by the Barnard Center for Research on Women (BCRW), the nation’s oldest feminist research center. This academic year, the BCRW hosted numerous events—many standing-room-only—raising awareness of on-the-ground activism. Issues included trans art and organizing (the New York City premiere of MAJOR! and a panel on trans stories, justice, and resiliency), Black Lives Matter (“What is the Future of Black Lives Under a Kleptocracy?” with BLM co-founder Alicia Garza and “Poetics of Justice” with poets Claudia Rankine and Dionne Brand), and disability justice, among others.
BCRW also launched a new Social Justice Institute, which BCRW Director Tina Campt calls “the next stage of activist-academic collaborations.” Inaugural Social Justice Institute Activists-in-Residence include: Reina Gossett, Cara Page, Tarso Ramos, Andrea Ritchie, and Dean Spade ‘97.
These career activists offer practical advice and inspiration to members of the Barnard community who want to become involved in social justice work.
For more information about the individual Activists in Residence, or about the Social Justice Institute, visit the BCRW website.
