Skip to Main Content
Skidmore College
Racial Justice Initiative

Communities in Conflict

Initial goals

  1. Focus on programming and efforts that seek to address anti-Asian violence, the U.S./Mexican border and issues of migration, and the Israel-Palestine conflict. 
  2. Partner with student and faculty groups to bring prominent speakers, cultural figures, intellectuals, and artists to our campus community. 
  3. Facilitate discussion, debate, and understanding about these issues and determine steps that can be taken to address and reduce challenges. 
  4. Infuse all programming with the commitment to peace, justice, and open discussion that defines the Racial Justice Initiative. 
Key Progress Efforts in Motion

Skidmore continues to host a variety of talks and events that explore complex issues in the Middle East, including the Israeli-Palestinian issue, and highlight interfaith dialogue and cooperation.

This conflict is centuries old and continues to challenge communities today, including the Skidmore community. We have and will continue to seek programming, speakers, initiatives, and other opportunities to learn more about this conflict and encourage understanding and, where possible, resolution.

In fall 2021, Palestinian and Israeli peace activists engaged in a dialogue during the program “Two Truths in One Heart; Two Peoples in One Land,” part of a series of ongoing conversations on campus about the Israeli-Palestinian issue. 

As part of the annual Greenberg Middle East Scholar-In-Residence, Avi Rubin of Ben-Gurion University lectured on "The Battle over Israel's Fragile Democracy: Socio-Legal Observations and Personal Experience." The series celebrated its 20th anniversary in fall 2023.

Sumita Pahwa, associate professor of politics at Scripps College and author of "Politics as Worship," is scheduled to discuss "We Do It for God': Politics, Worship and Islamic Electoral Activism."

As part of the Jacob Perlow Series, Skidmore will host Madeline Hirschland of Creation Care Partners, whose talk "Creation Care and the Climate Crisis: What can we do? A Jewish Perspective" highlights how a variety of faith traditions can work together to address an important issue of mutual concern. Several local religious congregations are among the sponsors.

Progress on the crucial issues of the U.S./Mexico border and questions of immigration and the expansion of Latinx culture in the U.S. was limited in 2021-22. This may well be one of the most pressing issues in the U.S. and certainly at Skidmore, and we are committed to producing programming and understanding/education efforts in the coming year. 

In September and October 2023, The Racial Justice Initiative supported Social (In)Justice at the U.S.-Mexico Border, a month-long series of events, that invites participants to consider the complex issues of social justice, and injustice, at the U.S.-Mexico border. Through dialogue, exhibitions, and performances, the series draws attention to the human consequences of evolving border policies and offers a variety of perspectives and potential solutions.
Anti-Asian violence is a theme we have pursued in theater productions, lectures, and other programs. President Conner committed significant funding to the Asian Cultural Awareness club in 2021-22 to support cultural programming. Those funds have been allocated now to overarching OSDP programming for the coming year to support initiatives that are consonant with the Racial Justice Initiative.