Afternoon Tertulia: The Memory of Radical Student Movements

Join CENTRO on September 19th for a panel discussion on radical student movements and the screening of “The Five Demands”, a film documenting the student takeover of City College of New York in April 1969. Following the Vietnam war, protests like the one at City College, led by Puerto Rican and Black students, set the tone for affirmative action, ethnic studies, and the founding of CENTRO. Moderated by CENTRO Directora, Dr. Yomaira Figueroa-Vasquez, the panel will expand on the film by exploring the legacy and impact of student organizing and protest in combating institutional racism. Panelists include Hunter College Professor, Tami Kashia, Henry Arce, one of the leaders of the 1968 protests at City College, and Professor Obden Mondésir, Associate Director of the Barnard Archives & Special Collections.

Photo credit: CCNY students, some of them members of the Puerto Rican Institute for Student Action (PRISA) demonstrate on campus after a meeting with administration and faculty members. Student at right carries a Puerto Rican flag. Photo courtesy of The New York Times.