SUNY Brockport has decided to move the upcoming talk by Jalil Muntaqim to a virtual event, after news of the event generated a lot of controversy in recent weeks.
Muntaqim was incarcerated for 49 years for his role in the slayings of two New York City police officers. He had been a teenage member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, and he continued his activism while behind bars. He was released in 2020.
Muntaqim, whose birth name was Anthony Bottom, has been scheduled to give a talk on April 6. The event has drawn criticism and controversy in social media, and also from Republican state lawmakers who have called on the college to rescind the speaking invitation.
A letter to the Brockport community released on Wednesday from SUNY Brockport President Heidi Macpherson, said that “to help mitigate any potential security concerns around the Jalil Muntaqim event, we are engaging with key partners to build a plan that prioritizes the safety of our students, faculty, staff and campus guests.”
Macpherson wrote that, “With that goal in mind, we have decided to move this event to a virtual format.” She noted that the event “has elicited strong feedback, divergent opinions and has spurred protests, and she said that SUNY Brockport urges students, faculty and staff to “engage in meaningful conversations about this situation.
SUNY Brockport has set up a web page to update information about Muntaqim’s talk.
