Joint Statement from the Department of American Studies and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies regarding the recent treatment of Student Protesters
Our academic units stand with student protesters and their right to politically-motivated free speech and right to assembly. In the context of our convocation ceremony, we gather to celebrate all of our students and their multi-year achievement in moving forward to their academic and personal goals. Our gathering celebrates the achievements of our students. We do not condone the university’s upper administration’s harassment of students at the UNM Palestine Encampment or the use of excessive force and pepper spray on students in and near the Student Union Building.
We hope that our administration will recognize these students’ actions for what they are, acts of political speech that exist in a long history of such speech, just a few past examples of which include the Civil Rights Movement and the student movement against the Vietnam war in the 1950s and 1960s. Likewise, we look forward to a future in which these students will be supported by our university and not penalized with overly harsh and punitive responses.
This statement is given in the context of the Faculty and Staff Statement of Solidarity with UNM Palestine Encampment.
Our academic units stand with student protesters and their right to politically-motivated free speech and right to assembly. In the context of our convocation ceremony, we gather to celebrate all of our students and their multi-year achievement in moving forward to their academic and personal goals. Our gathering celebrates the achievements of our students. We do not condone the university’s upper administration’s harassment of students at the UNM Palestine Encampment or the use of excessive force and pepper spray on students in and near the Student Union Building.
We hope that our administration will recognize these students’ actions for what they are, acts of political speech that exist in a long history of such speech, just a few past examples of which include the Civil Rights Movement and the student movement against the Vietnam war in the 1950s and 1960s. Likewise, we look forward to a future in which these students will be supported by our university and not penalized with overly harsh and punitive responses.
This statement is given in the context of the Faculty and Staff Statement of Solidarity with UNM Palestine Encampment.
American Studies Joint Convocation
May 11, 2024 2:00 PM
Bobo Room, 3rd Floor Hodgin Hall
