Photo: Xavier DeJesus, Dannette McMillan, Marleny Garcia, Dr. Kevin McGruder, and Maria Mohammed.
Dr. Kevin McGruder, an Associate Professor of History at Antioch College, visited Hostos on Dec. 5 to discuss "Segregation Pays: The Many Obstacles to Achieving the Vision of the 1968 Fair Housing Act." Dr. McGruder talked about the historical roots of housing segregation in the 20th century, and illustrated the intentional nature of governmental, realty, and banking policies that maintained and perpetuated racial segregation. Dr. McGruder connected that era with present day struggles to build racially integrated neighborhoods.
Hostos students asked insightful questions, some drawing from their personal experiences. Student Dannette McMillan likened the event to a quote from a famous civil rights leader. “It was a pleasure to gain knowledge from Dr. McGruder. If I could do this again, I would. As Nelson Mandela once said: ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’”
The event was part of the Emerging Scholars Speaker Series organized by the Social Sciences Unit of the Behavioral and Social Sciences Department. The purpose of the Series is to introduce the Hostos community to the scholarship of early-career researchers and community leaders in the social sciences (economics, history, and political science).
The Series began during the Fall 2016 semester with Dr. Teresita Levy of Lehman College. This is the companion series to the Social Sciences Speakers Series, which began in Spring 2014, with Dr. David Nasaw of the CUNY Graduate Center.