Bayside College Racial Healing Center Part Of CUNY Chancellor's Visit

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — The head of the city's public university system is visiting Bayside Thursday, in-part to meet with people spearheading a new center on racial healing.

CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez will meet with members of the planning committee for Queensborough College's Truth Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Center.

First announced in October, the center aims to develop new ways to build relationships and social solidarity with people of diverse racial backgrounds, primarily through facilitated racial healing circles.

"As the most diverse and largest urban university in the U.S., CUNY is uniquely positioned to address the structural inequities and systemic racism that persist in our country and city," said Rodríguez when the center was first announced, noting that is the only center of its kind to open at a college or university in New York City.

"We salute Queensborough Community College and President Mangino for this important selection and are proud of their commitment to help our communities heal, produce actionable change, and transform students' lives by making their paths toward social mobility more accessible and equitable."

The college — which is one of 49 designated Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Centers at public and private institutions across the U.S. — was chosen for its diverse student makeup.

Over one-quarter of Queensborough's nearly 13,000 students identify as Black and another quarter identify as Latinx. About one-third identify as Asian or Pacific Islanders and 16 percent of students identify as white.

All told, students come from over 117 countries and speak over 80 languages, according to the college.

In addition to his meeting with members of the racial healing center planning committee, the chancellor plans to tour a new exhibit at Queensborough Community College's Holocaust center, alongside a Holocaust survivor.

He is also going to drop into a music class, according to a news release.