She added the reason she’s supporting Brandeis’ AAAS department, in particular, is larger than the mere fact that it belongs to her alma mater. And this seemed to me to be a way that I could participate in the conversation from a white woman’s perspective.” “I’ve been working really hard to become an ally, an anti-racist. “It took me a long time to begin to understand how I internalized systemic racism,” Kauffman said. She was also deeply affected by the 2020 murder of George Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police, and the nationwide protests against racist police violence that followed.
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In her professional life, she has spoken about her regrets regarding the lack of diversity on her hit show “Friends,” on camera and behind the scenes. “Brandeis needs to embrace that and recognize there’s an opportunity to lead with our department at the forefront.” “Brandeis is where I learned to be a human being”įor Kauffman, the investment follows a period of self-examination, a time informed by her own experiences and current events. “We’re at a time in this country’s history where students are looking for opportunities to expand their intellectual and political horizons, and looking for places where they can articulate what it means to be a young person in a time of incredible change and upheaval, particularly as it relates to race,” he said.
and Augusta Spector Professor of History and African and African American Studies, added the professorship is key to placing Brandeis in a leadership role in the broader academic community and public sphere. We are so grateful to Marta for her generosity and vision.”Ĭhad Williams, the Samuel J. “ It is the first endowed professorship in the program, which means it will ensure the study of African and African American culture, history, and politics for generations of Brandeis students-something more critical than ever. “This professorship is so meaningful to both our African and African American Studies Department and to the university,” said President Ron Liebowitz. The gift will also help the department to recruit more expert scholars and teachers, map long-term academic and research priorities and provide new opportunities for students to engage in interdisciplinary scholarship. Kauffman ’78 Professorship in African and African American Studies will support a distinguished scholar with a concentration in the study of the peoples and cultures of Africa and the African diaspora.
Marta Kauffman ’78, H’20, co-creator of the hit sitcom “Friends,” has pledged $4 million to establish an endowed professorship in the African and African American Studies Department at Brandeis University. Marta Kauffman ’78 and Professor Chad Williams met on campus last month to discuss the significance of the newly endowed professorship in African and African American Studies.