The Center for “Race,” Culture and Social Justice at Hofstra University

On April 25, 2022, I had the honor to be invited by the Department of the Romance Languages and Literatures, the African Studies Program, and the European Studies Program to deliver a session at Hofstra University on my proposal to grant Spanish nationality to former colonial subjects in Africa . It was a real pleasure to share and discuss it with the students of the course on “Borders, human mobility, and migratory experiences across the Spanish-speaking world”, offered by Professor Benita Sampedro, and to be joined by other students and faculty on campus and via Zoom. The idea that was the focus of this presentation was first advanced in 2014, when the Spanish government was preparing a law that offered Spanish nationality to Sephardic Jews who were living in different parts of the world. The reason for this was to give some kind of reparation to the descendants of those people who—having refused to convert from Judaism to Christianity—were expelled from the old kingdoms of Castill...

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was established in 1909 and is the nation's oldest civil rights organization. W. E. B. Du Bois, Mary White Ovington, Moorfield Storey and Ida B. Wells formed the organization with efforts to advance justice for African Americans. The association fought injustices such as denial of voting rights, racial violence, discrimination in employment and segregated public facilities. The NAACP Chapter at Hofstra University is dedicated to educating, uplifting, and improving the community. The Chapter is a multicultural organization at Hofstra University alongside other organizations that are deemed a safe space for students of color such as the Black Student Union, Hofstra's Organization of Latin Americans and African Students Association. The Chapter has done a great job in making students feel included. One example of this is when the Chapter hosted a cook-out in the beginning of the year in efforts to welcome students to ...

As the pandemic hit full swing, we saw the intense separation between political parties, the “pro/anti-vaxxers,” the “pro/anti-maskers,” and those who were finding ways to disagree with anything they could think of. Along with that, racial and social tensions grew especially with the topic of wearing a mask. The lack of knowledge on the efficacy of masks led to some wearing them incessantly and others being adamant about not wearing them. In the midst of the arguing, I thought to myself how this could potentially be affecting different people of color. A plethora of studies has since been conducted from different types of fields with regard to the pandemic and how it has changed people’s lives and perspectives. Two studies that stood out to me, in particular, were a couple that sought to find out whether or not people of color were experiencing more bias because of their need to wear masks. These studies went past whether or not people of color made others seem uncomfortable, and loo...

In the spring of 2020, New York City was the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in America. The net out-migration from the city increased by an estimated 130,837 from March 2020 through June 2021, as compared to pre-pandemic trends. People moved out of the city to avoid the spread of disease in crowded spaces, seeking safety and space in the suburbs. Residents from the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods were the most likely to leave. By leaving the city to avoid this infectious virus and terrifying disease, the people who left followed a pattern that has existed for hundreds of years. Fleeing dense urban spaces for the clean air, open space, and the healing properties of nature. What they did was cross a line, between city and suburb, a line that was not physical but psychological, that holds significance in its power to separate. The practice of public health has long seen that separating or using what was originally a public health term, segregating the sick from the well can...

The HOLA club (Hofstra’s Organization of Latin Americans) at Hofstra University has had a major impact on many students for years. This organization has been the one to help me the most throughout my young college career. As a young latina woman who studies sports journalism, which is a male dominated area, I feel that the HOLA club has become a safe space for myself where I can feel accepted. In many of my extra curricular activities and classes that revolve around sports journalism, I am usually one of the few girls out of all white male students. Being in a room and being the only woman or person of color can sometimes feel a bit intimidating, however, organizations such as the HOLA club can make those experiences better when having someone to talk to and relate to. In many cases, there are situations where students feel they don't fit in. It is important for students to have a place on campus where there is a sense of belonging for them. The HOLA club embraces all types of Lati...

“Why not?” The question I always ended up asking myself every time I left my high school guidance counselor’s office. Why was it that Hofstra was a school that I had to forget about or move to the side, or categorize as a “reach” school? The effort I put into doing well in all of my courses, the time that I spent in clubs and at practice and games, the relationships I built with teachers, and faculty to have the best opportunities for solid recommendation letters were all not good enough for this school all of a sudden. Well, that’s what I thought. Silly of me not to realize that it was not because of my transcript or personality or anything that had to do with me personally. I just could not afford it, along with most of my friends in high school. I was a minority student living in a neighborhood where although I had everything I could ever wish for and more, it is not typical to afford a school as expensive as Hofstra. The students I surrounded myself with were all high-caliber stude...

Aditi Rabindra Sachdev a , Kevin P. Nolan b , Nicholas P. Salter b , & Comila Shahani-Denning b a PepsiCo, Inc b Department of Psychology, Hofstra University On September 30, 2020, Aditi Rabindra Sachdev presented her collaborative research on hiring discrimination at the Center for “Race” Colloquia Series. Held on the last Wednesday of every month during the academic year, in these colloquia, Hofstra faculty members are invited to present their recent publications and engage with new scholarship focusing on race, culture and social justice. Below is a summary of their research findings.