Last semester, a group of student organizers brought students together to speak out against systemic racism and oppression and to demand the restructuring and update of the Native American studies minor at Ithaca College. Though movements like this tend to fade away once the rallies have ended, these students have continued to fight for their beliefs in a different form.

The students, who have taken on the name “the Collective,” made steps toward engaging the college community over the last two weeks with a discussion series, titled The Assata Shakur Series. The series began Jan. 26 and focused on topics such as the media’s portrayal of people of color, resistance and the importance of indigenous studies.

The discussion series was a great way for the Collective to keep people talking about the issues raised by last semester’s rallies. It was also a strong response to the critics who said the
die-ins held in the Campus Center were not productive. Systemic oppression is not an issue that people can forget about now that the demonstrations have ended. The Collective has created opportunities for critical thought and discussion on these issues, and now it’s time for the rest of the college community to join in and support this movement.