New York Liberation School with Conor Tomás Reed

Office Hours Higher Ed

In this episode we talk with Conor Tomás Reed, an organizer and educator with a new book called New York Liberation School: Study and Movement for the People’s University, out this month with Common Notions Press. The book is a people’s history of CUNY, the City University of New York. It follows students and faculty as they created new forms of radical education, including the formation of Black, Puerto Rican, and Women's Studies at CUNY. It is also a reflection on the notion of “liberation schools” and the challenges and possibilities of engaging in radical teaching and learning within the bounds of the university.

In our interview, we focus in particular on the years between 1969 and 1976, when CUNY saw a wave of student strikes and mobilizations, followed by administrative repression and counterinsurgency. Topics covered include the construction of “counter institutions” within and beyond the university, coalition building in movements, student writing as a form of political expression, and the possibilities for organizing in the university today.

Details on our book giveaway:

We will be giving away copies of Conor’s book on Twitter and Instagram. The first five followers to share our post will receive a free copy of New York Liberation School.

Check our Twitter and Instagram for details:

We are on Instagram @officehourshighered and on Twitter @officehoursed.