Dear Friends of the Lehman College Art Gallery:
To quote the esteemed film director Spike Lee, it is important that we as individuals and that society as a whole “Do the Right Thing.” It is unacceptable that it has taken years for us as a people to approach this goal in regard to our fellow citizens of color. The events of Spring 2020 have made this aspiration of doing the right thing an even more urgent imperative, thanks in part to the brave people across the spectrum participating in peaceful protests objecting to the most recent in the long line of injustices that highlight societal inequality and systemic racism. The Lehman College Art Gallery stands with the members of society who have participated to demand significant changes in the way police departments interact with civilian populations, particularly in communities of color. We urge politicians to adopt comprehensive structural reforms to address the social and economic inequality that is at the root of our society’s turmoil.
The Lehman College Art Gallery is committed to the idea that Black Lives Matter, and to the access and equity that are so urgently needed in our Bronx community. Through its offerings, the Gallery has long sought to reflect the diversity of New York City through art, currently highlighted in our exhibition Young, Gifted and Black: The Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection of Contemporary Art. We are determined that the commitment to social justice represented by Lehman College will become even more visible in the coming days as our students and community continue their educational journey.
Bartholomew Bland
Director, Lehman College Art Gallery
