Formalizing criticism of CUNY is hard because I am so grateful for the opportunities and experiences the institution has given me and will continue to for the rest of my academic career. I’ve met many knowledgeable, compassionate, and inspiring people at CUNY, both students and faculty alike, who’ve all in one way or another helped shape me into the person I am today.
Before my time at CUNY, I attended school in Upstate New York, where I faced many pressures that hampered my personal growth. This includes moving to a small town unfamiliar to me, being far from home, and feeling restricted in movement since there was no public transportation like in the city. Additionally, I felt pressure as a queer black student attending a PWI, where there was a lack of any QTBIPOC community, all during a time when we had to remain 6 feet apart, and there was no end in sight because the vaccines were yet to be created. Throughout my semesters I found myself in experiences that I never thought I would be in, which made me ask questions I never thought I’d be asking like “Why am I here? Is College for me? Am I not good enough?” These intrusive thoughts affected my grades and made me very depressed and unhappy about not only my present but my future as well.
During one of my last semesters upstate, I decided to take Intro to Black History and the American Civil Rights Movement, during which I was exposed to new, more profound ways of thinking which elevated me out of my depression. Black Studies taught me how the world around us was built to both physically and psychologically restrain marginalized groups, and convince us to ask the questions I was asking myself during my time upstate. I came to truly understand the value of not only myself, but in protecting the history, culture, spaces, and voices of marginalized groups, and in the end knew that I needed to be back in the city and CUNY was where I needed to be.
So I left, and in the fall of 2023, I started school at New York College of Technology, where I learned from day one that I made the right choice in transferring. I found community in the people around me who were all caring, engaging, and insightful. I also had the opportunity to be a part of some incredible classes like The Heritage of Imperialism, with Professor Javiela Evangelista who encouraged many of the very ideals I strive for now in my academic career. I’m very thankful for this experience and also thankful for Professor Evangelista’s recommendation to apply for CUNY Peer Leaders. Which has allowed me to be here today to engage with all of you lovely, bright, and amazing people!
If I were to give any critique of the CUNY system, it would be to cultivate more spaces for marginalized groups, where people can engage with one another and build community. We should provide more spaces where people would be able to support each other whether they need emotional or academic assistance.
If I’ve learned anything from my experience in higher education it’s that community is paramount to any liberatory space. In addition, at least one Black Studies course should be required for every student because learning from the experiences of those most marginalized, shows us how we improve policies and institutions and make the world better for everyone.
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