Where it Started: Under Ground and Still Standing

In this episode we cover the recent non-renewal of Professor Anthony Dandridge’s contract for the fall semester and the consolidation of the Black Studies Department, Latin Caribbean & Latinx Studies, Asian Studies, and Women Gender and Sexuality Studies into one multicultural department. With this news, we wanted to look at the impact this has had on students and the campus at large. This isn’t just a New Paltz issue, however, as numerous institutions around the country have begun to make changes to their cultural departments due to the recent crackdown on DEI in higher education by the Trump Administration. Through the lens of Hip Hop in activism we tell the story of what happens when an institution makes changes to its curriculum based on politics and national trends. Asa Abraham (Producer/Host)Andrew Paz (Co producer)Lexy Castillo (Researcher/Co-host)Alana Witbeck (Editor/Recordist)