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Preserving Activism Beyond and Between Pratt’s Gates

Research Open House 2021

HEATHER LEWIS, School of Art
CRISTINA FONTÁNEZ RODRÍGUEZ, PRATT INSTITUTE LIBRARY
REBECCA KRUCOFF, School of Art and School of Architecture
KEENA SUH, SCHOOL OF DESIGN
VICKI WEINER, SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

AMBER COLON, BFA COMMUNICATIONS DESIGN ‘23
ANISHA KAR, MS HISTORIC PRESERVATION ‘21
*Obden Mondesir, Oral History Project Manager, Weeksville Heritage Center: Oral History Instructor and Consultant
The Prattler, founded in 1940, is Pratt’s official student newspaper. During the 1969 strike, there was a lot of protest coverage, including an entire issue devoted to the strike. This issue contained a full description of the various strike activities that occurred each day both at Pratt and at other NYC-area colleges.
The Prattler, founded in 1940, is Pratt’s official student newspaper. During the 1969 strike, there was a lot of protest coverage, including an entire issue devoted to the strike. This issue contained a full description of the various strike activities that occurred each day both at Pratt and at other NYC-area colleges.

The interdisciplinary Preserving Activism project team conducts historical research that seeks to foster public dialogue about social justice activism between and beyond Pratt’s gates. This past year faculty and students worked with the Institute Archivist to examine 20th century activism at Pratt through coursework and the collection of oral histories, texts, and ephemera that will become part of the Archives.

DRUM was a radical publication by the Black Students Union of Pratt in the early ‘70s that published original articles, poetry, and artwork created by students for students. It addressed issues of minority representation, racism, and sexism within the institution and beyond.
DRUM was a radical publication by the Black Students Union of Pratt in the early ‘70s that published original articles, poetry, and artwork created by students for students. It addressed issues of minority representation, racism, and sexism within the institution and beyond.

The project’s digital storytelling shares how women and people of color have led the fight against inequality on and off campus. Through public engagement the project has forged connections between Pratt’s Black student activists of the 1970s and those of today.

For more information on the project, please visit:
https://preservingactivism.org