CUNY DIGITAL HISTORY ARCHIVE

In this interview, Neha Gautam discussed the interconnected nature of race, class, gender, sexuality, and nation in the political structure of CUNY and New York. In particular, she focused on the ways in which it radicalized her, most notably in the wake of 9/11 with the intense policing of South Asian communities in New York. This led to her participation in the Student Liberation Action Movement (SLAM!) while a student at City College in the early 2000s. She discussed the influence of Sixties organizations such as the Young Lords on SLAM! and the mutual aid work they did such as the book exchange at the Morales-Shakur Center at City College. She talked about the personal disputes, as well as political conflicts around questions of gender and sexuality that caused tension within the organization, as well as the repression from the CUNY administration.