Bard Graduate Center mourns the acts of racial violence that have ignited protests across the country and around the world. We affirm the statement of Bard College President Leon Botstein.
Words cannot properly express the anger, sadness and despair each of us feels at the murder of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, the killing, by two civilians, of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick Georgia, and the murder, once again by officers sworn to uphold the law, of Breonna Taylor, in Louisville, Kentucky.Bard Graduate Center acknowledges that throughout history, many voices have been silenced as the result of systemic racism and oppression. We commit to do our part to honor those voices in our own field. Specifically, we will
On behalf of the entire Bard College community, I want to express our solidarity with all who grieve for the deaths, with all who live in constant fear of the brutality of racial discrimination, and with all who find themselves without hope in these dark and violent times. — Bard College President Leon Botstein
- continue to facilitate annual racial justice trainings for our students, faculty, and staff;
- continue to fund our Fields of the Future Initiative, a research fellowship and mentorship program that promotes diversity and inclusion in the advanced study of the material world;
- bring underrepresented voices into the curriculum and programming Bard Graduate Center convenes;
- promote equitable hiring practices; and
- continue to promote study of decorative arts, design history, and material culture among teens and college students of diverse backgrounds.
