Hi everyone.  I am a TCNJ student about to complete my B.A. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.  Through my years at TCNJ, I have witnessed and fought against racism in our community. In our current political climate, TCNJ MUST step up to be actively anti-racist on our campus and in our classrooms everyday, not just when racism is brought to the administration’s attention. 

Given TCNJ’s historical and contemporary instances of racism, I, and many others, believe the current Liberal Learning requirements on race and gender are inadequate, with many classes counting towards these requirements either not reaching students early enough in their collegiate careers or not effectively reaching students who are taking them. In an effort to push an anti-racist agenda on our campus, TCNJ should revise the Liberal Learning program to include a mandatory class for first-year students focused on social justice with an emphasis on anti-racist theory and practice. It’s imperative this class also include the historical context of slavery locally and in New Jersey as well as ways that racism still plagues our communities.

Many students and faculty are already in support of creating such a course.  Please sign this petition to show your support for revising our Liberal Learning program so we can incorporate a much needed class into our curriculum.