A Community Conversation with Author Michelle Alexander

On October 11, 2022, The College of Saint Rose will be pleased to welcome Michelle Alexander, bestselling author, social justice advocate, and legal scholar to campus.

But our focus on Alexander’s work is not limited to her appearance on campus. There are a host of events planned that help students and other members of our campus community discuss the important issues raised in her 2010 landmark book, “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,” which appeared on The New York Times bestseller list for more than a year.

About Michelle Alexander’s work

Author and anti-racist activist Ibram X. Kendi has described Alexander’s landmark bestselling book, “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,” as “the spark that would eventually light the fire of Black Lives Matter.” The book has been lauded as the “secular bible of a new social movement” by many, including Dr. Cornel West. In their review, the New York Review of Books described Alexander’s work as “striking in the intelligence of her ideas, her powers of summary, and the force of her writing.” Since its release over a decade ago, “The New Jim Crow” has opened conversations on a national scale about the disproportionate number of incarcerated Black, Indigenous, and people of color in the United States, particularly Black men. Attendees will be invited to discuss the challenges facing the modern civil rights movement, as well as what meaningful prison reform for communities of color looks like today.

About “A Community Conversation with Author Michelle Alexander”

When: October 11, 2022, 7 p.m., Massry Center for the Arts, Picotte Recital Hall.

What: Author Michelle Alexander will be part of a panel discussion along with several members of the Capital Region community. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Alice Green, executive director of the Center for Law and Justice.

Tickets: The event has reached capacity. However, to be added to the waiting list in the event of a cancelation, please register through eventbrite.

Livestream: The event will be livestreamed through The College of Saint Rose YouTube channel.

Watch party: will be held on campus in the Interfaith Sanctuary, 959 Madison Avenue in Albany, for those that would like to view the talk in a group.

Partnership: The event is being held via a partnership with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at University at Albany and the New York State Writers Institute.

Related events

September 14, 2022, 2:40 p.m., Dear Neighbor Podcast Launch and Listening Party in the Reading Room of Neil Hellman Library.

A community podcast about learning and growth at Saint Rose. This episode features the BOLD Women’s Leadership Network and the Antiracist Faculty Community of Practice. The event includes a “Living Room Conversation” about race, moderated by Dr. Jennifer Marlow, professor of English. Listen to the episode here.

September 19, 2022, Voter Registration for Constitution Day.

A voter registration drive will be held in partnership with the BOLD Women’s Leadership Network and Political Engagement Project (PEP), led by Dr. Ryane Straus, Saint Rose professor of political science

September 22, 2022, noon, Antiracist Faculty Community of Practice.

At the monthly gathering of Saint Rose faculty to discuss antiracist practices in the classroom, the meeting will focus on incorporating Michelle Alexander’s work into the curriculum.

September 27, 2022, 6 p.m., Documentary Screening of “13th,” Neil Hellman Library.

In this thought-provoking documentary directed by Ava DuVernay, scholars, activists, and politicians analyze the criminalization of African Americans and the U.S. prison boom.

September 28, 2022, anytime, Join the Michelle Alexander Challenge, online.

Receive daily challenges via email that will expand your knowledge on topics related to Michelle Alexander’s work. Daily challenges will include things like watching short videos, reading articles, and participating in campus events. Sign up for that challenge here.

October 4, noon to 1 p.m., Student/Faculty Lunchtime Conversation, dining hall.

Students are invited to join faculty around the fireplace in the dining hall to talk about Michelle Alexander’s upcoming visit and what her work means to the Saint Rose community.

October 5, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and October 6, 1 to 4 p.m., Restorative Justice Advocacy, Events and Athletics Center.

“Restorative Justice focuses on the ways in which we can reconcile and rehabilitate, as opposed to punishing using punitive or harsh measures. Punitive disciplinary actions are seen from the classroom to our very own legal system, and everything in between” (Restorative Justice Initiative). But what does this mean in practice for the individual and their community? Stop by the Events and Athletics Center to learn more about what Restorative Justice is, how we can use these principles to strengthen our community, and to advocate for a more compassionate outlook of how we view punishment, in a way filled with equity and understanding.
Contact Niamaya Canady at canadyn@strose.edu or Joan Horgan at horganj@strose.edu for more information.

October 11, 6 to 6:45 p.m., Student Conversation with Michelle Alexander

Saint Rose and University at Albany students will be selected by faculty and administrators for “Creating Change Agents: Disrupting the School-to-Prison Pipeline,” a special discussion with Michelle Alexander to take place before her talk. The session will focus on skill-building and policy change.

Tuesday, October 11, 7 to 8:15 p.m., A Community Conversation with Michelle Alexander.

The College of Saint Rose will welcome best-selling author, social justice advocate and legal scholar, Michelle Alexander, for a discussion on racial injustice and systemic racism in the American prison system. See above for details.

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