Queensborough Partners with AAC&U
In Fall 2021, the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) selected Queensborough Community College to host a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Center. The only college or university in New York City to host a TRHT Center, Queensborough will lead a multi-year initiative to educate, prepare, and inspire the next generation of leaders to transform limiting narratives about race and beliefs in the hierarchy of human value.
At its core, the AAC&U TRHT effort is about providing a platform for the dialogue that is needed to identify and repair institutional structures, practices, and processes that are producing racial inequities in outcomes. While dialogue and relationship building are central to the TRHT framework, a core commitment of the initiative is to leverage the dialogue that the centers generate into action that advances broader institutional goals.
Every TRHT Campus Center has a unique identity with goals specific to the needs of the communities they serve. Queensborough's TRHT Campus Center aligns all of its activities with the equity goals outlined in the College's 2021-2026 Strategic Plan.
TRHT Goals
-
Transform the educational and institutional culture of the College
-
Deepen Queensborough’s understanding of our students and their experiences
-
Provide a safe space for dialogue
TRHT Mission, Vision, and Values
Mission: We promote a deeper understanding of the diverse racialized experiences of Queensborough's students, staff, and faculty and develop new ways to practice relationship building and social solidarity.
Vision: We envision an inspired campus community that is actively engaged in ongoing personal and collective self-reflection about race, respect, and what it means to belong. The sum of these personal transformations leads to policies, practices, and processes that produce equitable outcomes.
Values: The center is committed to transparency, inclusivity, diversity, and authenticity.
TRHT Planning Committee
- Dr. Danny Sexton, Associate Professor, English Department
- Dr. Laura Cohen, Executive Director of the Kupferberg Holocaust Center
- Dr. Amaris Matos, Assistant Vice President for Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
- Dr. Mercedes Franco, Professor, Mathematics and Computer Science Department
Exploring the Links Between Historical and Contemporary Discrimination
The rising prevalence of racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, xenophobia and other forms of hate has created heightened tension and unrest across the country. In response, during the 2024–2025 academic year, the TRHT and KHC partnered to pilot Unseen Threads, a professional development initiative that examines connections between historical atrocities, and the enduring systems of discrimination that persist today.
Building on this success, Unseen Threads will continue through the 2025–2026 academic year, expanding the program’s reach and impact. This next phase will offer meaningful opportunities for staff and faculty to engage, connect, and contribute to our growing community.
Application Deadline: November 7, 2025
Please contact equity@qcc.cuny.edu for additional information.
