NEWS RELEASE

Immediate:  October 13, 2017

Nassau Community College's Fall 2017 Cultural Program

 

Garden City, NY  – Nassau Community College is pleased to present its Fall 2017 Cultural Program, which features a debate about whether or not New York State should have a constitutional convention; Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner; a Korea/Asia specialist who has worked with the CIA speaking about the threat from North Korea; and more. 

Should New York State Have a Constitutional Convention? How Will You Vote on November 7? Monday, October 30 at 12:30 p.m. in the College Center Building (CCB), Room 252/253
On November 7, New Yorkers will vote whether or not to hold a convention to rewrite or amend our state constitution.  Educate yourself about this issue at a debate with Tom Bergdall, senior associate at the Citizen’s Union (for the convention) and Susan Gottehrer, director of the Nassau Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union.  The debate will be moderated by the Executive Director of NYPIRG (the New York Public Interest Research Group), Blair Horner.

Ending Female Genital Mutilation and Child Marriage in This Country and Around the World
Jaha Dukureh
Wednesday, November 1 at 9:30 a.m. and again at 12:30 p.m. in the CCB Multipurpose Room
A survivor of female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced child marriage, Jaha Dukureh was named one of the 2016 Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential people in the world.  Confronting her past, her family, her culture, her religion, country and its leaders, Dukureh became a lightning rod for change in the Gambia, her work contributing to the recent government ban on FGM and child marriage.  In the United States where Dukureh lives now, this founder of Safe Hands for Girls now works to end FGM in the United States and internationally. 

Shakespeare Saved My Life
Laura Bates
Tuesday, November 14 at 10:00 a.m. and again at 1:00 p.m. in the CCB Multipurpose Room
Teaching Shakespeare to prison inmates in supermax solitary confinement, prison volunteer and Professor Laura Bates learned how education can change lives and how the Bard of Avon can indeed “speak to contemporary readers in all sorts of circumstances” (Booklist).  Her best-selling book is the 2017 Common Reading text at Nassau Community College.

The Search for Justice
Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner
Monday, November 20 at 9:30 a.m. in the CCB Multipurpose Room
As the matriarch of one of Staten Island's largest African-American families, Gwen Carr has earned nationwide recognition as the mother of Eric Garner, a man killed by New York City police in July of 2014.  His words “I can’t breathe” were caught on camera, and his death continues to play an integral role in the ongoing conversation about police brutality in the United States.

The Threat From North Korea, and What to Do About It
Sue Mi Terry
Wednesday, November 29 at 11:00 a.m. in the CCB, Room 252/253
Korea/Asia specialist Sue Mi Terry has worked with the National Intelligence Council, the CIA, the National Security Council, the Council on Foreign Relations, and Columbia University.  Her research focuses on US-Northeast Asia relations and on North Korea’s nuclear strategy.   She has testified before Congress during this current crisis, and is frequently featured on major media outlets such as the BBC, CNN, PBS, and Fox News.

Promoting Racial Reconciliation, Standing Up to White Supremacy
Reverend Robert W. Lee IV
Monday, December 4 at 2:00 p.m. in the CCB, Room 252/253
A descendant of Civil War General Robert E. Lee, Reverend Lee spoke out against white supremacy at the recent MTV Video Music Awards and elsewhere.  Confronting his family history, the 24-year old pastor called for the removal of confederate statues and said, “We can find inspiration in the Black Lives Matter movement, the women who marched in the Women’s March in January, and, especially, in Heather Heyer, who died fighting for her beliefs in Charlottesville. 

For more information about NCC’s fall 2017 cultural programs, which are free, open to the public and accessible to the disabled, call 516.572.7148.  Members of the public who plan to park their cars on campus should stop at the Public Safety Office to get a campus parking permit.

NCC Contact:  Alicia Steger;  516.572.9634;  alicia.steger@ncc.edu

ncc.edu/newsreleases

About Nassau Community College
Nassau Community College is an institution where almost 20,000 full- and part-time students and approximately 10,000 continuing and professional students start and continue their successful journey through higher education. More than 70 fields of study are offered on a 225-acre campus located in the center of Long Island. As the largest single-campus two-year college in New York State, Nassau Community College maintains a national reputation for excellence. For more information, visit www.ncc.edu.

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