Dark Islands: Race, Migration
and Confinement
A LECTURE AND FILM SCREENING
LECTURE:
“The Infamous History of Willowbrook State School,” by Jorge Matos Valldejuli,
Assistant Professor
and Reference Librarian,
Hostos Community
College-CUNY
Wednesday, March 1, 2017, at 4:30 p.m. Leo A. Guthart Cultural Center Theater Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library, First Floor, South Campus Willowbrook State School on Staten Island was an institution for mentally ill children and people with developmental disabilities that operated between 1947 and 1987. It is remembered for its inhumane and unethical treatment of people with disabilities. A disproportionate number of its residents were of Puerto Rican and African-American descent, comprising the largest minority population of any such institution in New York state at the time. This presentation focuses on how and why this fact has been forgotten in the historical narrative.
FILM SCREENING: Ellis The short documentary Ellis, written by Eric Roth, directed by artist JR and narrated by Robert De Niro, takes its audience back to the early years of Ellis Island through the experience of one immigrant. It is set in the abandoned Ellis Island Hospital complex and uses JR’s art installations to narrate the forgotten story of immigrants arriving in New York City. This program has been convened by Karyn Valerius, associate professor of English and director of the Women’s Studies and Disability Studies programs, Hofstra University. 71235:02/17
Co-sponsored by the Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) and Disability Studies Programs