Dear Community, 

We write as a group of faculty and staff peers, in mourning and in action, from the heart of the US military empire, as we witness the ongoing and expanding assault on Palestine. The US has excused, abetted and funded the near annihilation of Palestinian life, infrastructure, history and culture. Now, our authoritarian government promises the completion of ethnic cleansing in Gaza. This is part of a fascist agenda that includes a direct attack on education and social services, and the diverse communities that make up Pratt. As we watch our institutions give tacit consent to the genocide in Gaza, we also see that same complicity at work as college and university leaders are already capitulating to the Trump administration well before obedience is necessary. Collectively we call upon Pratt to divest from genocide and divest from war. 

In November 2024, two members of the Board of Trustees visited the Academic Senate to discuss their reasons for overturning a super majority decision of the Academic Senate, which resolved “that Pratt provides full transparency regarding institutional investments in Israeli companies or companies that profit from the Israeli occupation of Palestine and prepares to divest from these holdings, if any.” In blatant disregard of principles of shared governance, the Board of Trustees overrode the resolution that passed in the Senate. In response to stated concerns, they said, “there are many voices.” The Board is not acting in isolation and is under pressure from multiple sides. They regularly receive emails from supporters of US-backed Israeli state policies. They need to hear from us and to hear our perspective. 

PLEASE JOIN US in writing letters to the Board of Trustees and Upper Administration demanding transparency and divestment from genocide, ethnic cleansing, and war. We must publicly interrupt and refuse to normalize genocide, unthinkable violence, forced famine, destruction, and devastation we are witnessing from afar. We must speak out against all forms of fascism abroad and here at home, by publicly opposing threats of deportation to international students, faculty, and staff here at Pratt. Pratt’s commitment to anticipatory compliance puts our community at risk. 

Here are the email addresses of many members of Pratt’s Board of Trustees and Upper Administration: 

president@pratt.edu, dheiland@pratt.edu, ckenny@pratt.edu, jperal42@pratt.edu, dlendof@pratt.edu, garysamhattem@gmail.com, mpratt@pratt.edu, president.barabino@olin.edu, edwards.anne219@gmail.com, sharon.gauci@gm.com, whilson@pratt.edu, klmckennaart@gmail.com, m.stumer@mojostumer.com, avaningen9@gmail.com, mzetlin@zdlaw.com, mthomas@pratt.edu, hello@mickalenethomas.com, joanfallon@aol.com, derrickadamsstudio@gmail.com, kchenault@msn.com 

Feel free to copy the email addresses and the language of this email, add your own voice, and send it to the Board of Trustees and Upper Administration. 

You may wish to draw upon your own experience as a student / faculty / staff / alum / administrator who deeply cares about this issue and calls for divestment, arms embargo, and the sanctity of life. Write to them on a regular basis; remember that they are here to support and listen to us in order to co-create a healthy and diverse learning environment. Please feel free to copy us at contact@prattfsjp.org so we can compile responses.

You can also download this interactive PDF which contains talking points and action items to demand from the Board.

In hope and solidarity,

Pratt FSJP

**Please feel free to copy us at contact@prattfsjp.org so we can track the response. In addition, we may compile these letters as a future resource for our organizing.  If you would like for your letter to remain anonymous, please let us know and we will request your permission if we excerpt or circulate any part of your letter/statement.