NEWS RELEASE

The Fall 2019 Cultural Program at Nassau
Community College

Garden City, NY – Nassau Community College is pleased to present its Fall 2019 Cultural Program, which features presentations about the legacy of the “Central Park 5”; the current protests in Hong Kong; and more.

When They See Us: the Legacy of the Central Park 5

Kevin D. Richardson
Wednesday, November 13 at 11am in College Center Building (CCB), Multipurpose Room

The night of April 19, 1989 was the beginning of a nightmare for 14-year old Kevin Richardson. A jogger was raped in Central Park, and Richardson and four other African American teens were charged despite little evidence connecting them to the crime. The “Central Park 5” were convicted and sentenced to serve lengthy prison terms. Then, in 2002, a convicted rapist confessed to being the attacker, DNA testing found he was a match, and the Manhattan District Attorney then recommended all five boys—now men—be vacated of all charges. On December 19, 2002, Antron, Kevin, Yusef, Raymond, and Korey were vindicated. Today Kevin Richardson is an advocate for criminal justice reform and uses his personal experience with coerced and unjust convictions to bring about change.

Stand With Hong Kong

Anna Yeung-Cheung
Tuesday, November 19 at 1pm in CCB 254

Hong Kong native Anna Yeung-Cheung has been an activist for over 20 years, promoting democracy in Hong Kong. She is the founder and conveyor of “New Yorkers for Hong Kong” (NY4HK) and a Board member of the formal non-government organization called “Hong Kong Democracy Council” (HKDC) in Washington, DC. She is a Biology Professor at Manhattanville College.  

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba
Monday, November 25 at 11am and 2pm in CCB Multipurpose Room

William Kamkwamba, from Malawi, is a born inventor whose family could not afford the fees necessary to enroll him in middle school. Nonetheless, at age 14 he built an electricity-producing windmill from spare parts and scrap, working from rough plans he found in a library book. Local newspaper coverage led to international attention, and William worked with the TED community to embark on other projects and to further his education. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 2014 and is now building an innovation center in Malawi where young people can find tools and mentorship to solve everyday problems.

Reasonable Gun Safety

Linda Beigel Schulman
Tuesday, November 26 at 10am in CCB 252/253

Linda Beigel Schulman is the mother of Scott Beigel, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School teacher who saved many student lives but was murdered during the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida on February 14, 2018. Since that tragic day, she has lobbied for tougher gun laws all over the United States.  Through the Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund, she and her husband Michael have raised funds to send children affected by gun violence to summer camp. “We’re not going to let this go…We have a right to be safe.”

Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code

Ruha Benjamin
Wednesday, December 4 at 12:30pm in CCB 252/253

From everyday apps to complex algorithms, Ruha Benjamin cuts through tech industry hype to show how emerging technologies can reinforce white supremacy and deepen social inequity. Presenting the concept of the “New Jim Code,” she shows how algorithms and technology innovations can perpetuate institutional racism. Benjamin, Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, provides tools for decoding tech promises with sociologically informed skepticism. She is the author of the recently published Race After Technology.

For more information about NCC’s fall 2019 cultural programs, which are free, open to the public and accessible to the disabled, call 516.572.7148 or email phyllis.kurland@ncc.edu. Members of the public who plan to park their cars on campus should stop by the Public Safety Office to get a campus parking permit.

Media contact Charmian Smith 516.572.9634; charmian.smith@ncc.edu
ncc.edu/newsreleases

About Nassau Community College
Nassau Community College is an institution where more than 18,000 full-time, part-time, Workforce Development and continuing education students start and continue their successful journey through higher education. More than 80 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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