I (Juliet) had a fantastic 2024 Memorial Day weekend at my Alma Mater, Bard College. Though Higher Education and the Liberal Arts are under attack, Bard College has refused to capitulate! Instead, it has doubled down on its mission to be a force for public good and societal change.
As a Trustee and Alum of the college, I participated in an amazing Commencement. We honored exceptional and inspiring individuals such as Naomi Oreskes, Carla Hayden, Rachel Weisz, and Imad Abu Kishek. Below are pictures of me with renowned actor and producer, Rachel Weisz, and the President of Al Quds University, Imad Abu Kishek. Fun fact: Al-Quds Bard College (AQB) was established in partnership with Bard in 2008 and is the only liberal arts dual degree program with an American university in Palestine. Yup, since 2008!
Under the exceptional leadership of President Leon Botstein, Bard continues to have difficult yet productive conversations about conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere. Yesterday, Bard College graduated over 60 displaced students from countries such as Afghanistan and Ukraine. I was especially proud to see the graduates of the Bard Prison Initiative and Bard Microcolleges walk across the stage with the pride of a degree well earned and the confidence of a brighter future.
In Jamaica, the land of my birth, we have a saying: “Wi likkle, but wi tallawah”. It means that we have an outsized influence as a tiny country. Jamaica brought the world Marcus Garvey and his message of Black pride and liberation. It blessed the world with musical genres such as Ska and Reggae, which heavily influenced Hip hop and Reggaeton. There is waaaaay more of course--too much to mention here. I feel a similar pride in Bard.
The third photo is with my friend and fellow Jamaican, Dumaine Williams, Vice President and Dean of the Bard Early Colleges. We both arrived at Bard College 20+ years ago as baby science nerds who wanted to make a difference. Our goals remain the same.
We rise despite our size. 😊💪🏾🇯🇲🇺🇸🌍 #bardianandproud
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