A once vibrant hub for cross-cultural dialogue at Queens College, the Center for Ethnic, Racial and Religious Understanding (CERRU) has gone quiet since its last event in Spring 2024.
CERRU was founded in 2009 by History Professors Sophia McGee and Mark Rosenblum with a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, according to the Queens College Library Archives. CERRU was designed to bridge societal divides on campus and within the surrounding community by offering conflict resolution training, student leadership development, mutual aid initiatives, and workshops. The center provided students and faculty from diverse backgrounds with a platform to address social issues, develop dialogue and build mediation skills to promote awareness and understanding.
In an email from President Frank Wu on Nov. 29th, 2023, QC announced a partnership with CERRU to create resources aimed at “combating anti-semitism and Islamophobia, as well as racism and sexism and other discriminatory behavior.” However, since April 17th, 2024, there have been no public updates or event announcements from CERRU. The last event promoted by the Office of Communications and Marketing was the Social Identity Fashion Show, held on April 17th, 2024.
The Knight News reached out to the college for a status update:
“Queens College recently conducted a national search to recruit and hire a director for its Center for Ethnic, Racial, and Religious Understanding (CERRU), with a candidate expected to be in place in the new year,” said Jerima Dewese, chief diversity officer and dean of diversity.
McGee was unaware of QC’s search for a new director of CERRU, but said that, while there may be plans for its revival, the organization will likely not use the same training resources.
“This will be something entirely new and not related to the original center and its activities,” McGee said.
The Knight News attempted to reach former CERRU Director Aysa Gray using the contact email listed on CERRU’s website but received an automated response indicating the address did not exist.
Despite its recent inactivity, CERRU’s collaborations with the Muslim Student Association (MSA), QC Hillel, and other religious and interfaith groups are preserved in Harvard University’s Pluralism Project archives. CERRU organized a series of teach-ins and interactive student-faculty simulations, including “America and the Middle East,” which can be seen on CERRU’s YouTube channel.
Professor Peter Liberman from the Political Science department stated he had heard the college is searching for a new director for CERRU, though he is not sure why the center has been dormant in recent months.
Looking ahead, Professor Liberman expressed his commitment to helping students develop dialogue skills by co-teaching Political Science 102: Current Political Controversies next spring. The course will focus on Israel and Palestine.
“All of the Political Science 102 courses, whatever their particular topic, aim to develop students’ skills of civil discourse, engaging diverse viewpoints on a basis of mutual respect and openness to differences,” Professor Liberman said. “Don’t you think our country, including our college campuses, really needs to improve on those skills these days?”
Fatima Aleena Yassin, a Senior majoring in Biology and a member of MSA, feels a void because of CERRU’s absence.
“Right now, there’s a real need for understanding and solidarity, and the lack of CERRU’s programs has left many feeling like there’s no organized way to address these difficult topics,” Yassin said. She believes the college could support groups like MSA by implementing sponsored forums, discussion circles, and professional counseling services on campus.
As CERRU stays silent, students, faculty, and alumni are left uncertain about the future of dialogue at QC. The college has the opportunity to renew its commitment to fostering inclusion, learning, and understanding in their search for a new director.
