Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College

We know that the study of social movements and how communities can influence policy is more important than ever. That’s why the Public Policy Program at Roosevelt House is excited to offer a new undergraduate elective in Fall 26 titled PUPOL 30N07: Policymaking from the Margins.

In this class, you’ll learn about the institutions that make policy decisions, the communities and movements that can influence or resist those changes, and the legacy and future of organizing in NYC and beyond. If you’re interested in not only understanding policy change, but learning how to make that change, this class is for you!

This class takes place at Roosevelt House on Monday & Wednesday from 10:00am-11:15am. This course is open to both Public Policy students and non Public Policy students!

Rounding out this Pride Month, Roosevelt House celebrates Qween Jean!

Qween Jean is a groundbreaking costume designer, activist, and community leader who made history on June 7, 2026, as the first openly transgender person to win a Tony Award. She took home the prize for Best Costume Design of a Musical for her work on Cats: The Jellicle Ball, a production that reimagines the classic musical through the lens of q***r ballroom culture. She was also a Tony nominee for Best Costume Design of a Play for Liberation.

Beyond her design work, Jean is the founder of Black Trans Liberation, an activist organization dedicated to supporting and protecting trans communities. She uses her platform unapologetically, speaking out against systemic injustices, including the detention of q***r youth and adults.

Recently, Qween Jean received the 10th Annual José Muñoz Award from CLAGS: The Center for LGBTQ Studies, which honors LGBTQ community leaders. Named after the late José Esteban Muñoz, whose work explored race, gender, and s*xuality, the award preceded a conversation with Qween Jean at the CUNY Graduate Center about her own work.

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Today, Roosevelt House celebrates , a federally recognized holiday that commemorates when Black people, who were enslaved in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom on June 19th, 1965.

Hunter College

This Pride Month, Roosevelt House spotlights Cecilia Gentili (1972-2024), a legendary trans-rights organizer, author, advocate, performer, and community icon. Born in Argentina, Cecilia later immigrated to the United States as an adult.

Early in her community work, Cecilia built transgender health services at Apicha Community Health Center. Her leadership increased the program from 27 to more than 500 patients. Later, she served as a Managing Director of Policy at GMHC (Gay Men’s Health Crisis), where she worked to pass GENDA (Gender Non-Discrimination Act) and co-founded Decrim NY, fighting to decriminalize and destigmatize the s*x trade.

In 2018, Cecilia launched Trans Equity Consulting, partnering with organizations like the CDC, AIDS Institute, and the Marsha P. Johnson Institute. Through this work, she founded C.O.I.N. with Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, a free clinic for s*x workers, and created TRANSMISSION, the first all-trans music festival at Marsha P. Johnson State Park.

Beyond advocacy, Cecilia was a celebrated artist. She starred in Netflix’s “Pose”, released the award-winning memoir “Faltas”, and performed her solo show “Red Ink” off-Broadway. Whether it was on the stage, screen, or written page, Cecilia passionately and consistently advocated for the various communities that shaped her practice. Celilia passed in 2024 in New York City at the age of 52.

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Last Friday, May 8th, was all about celebrating the next generation of policy leaders 🏛️✨

The Grove Fellowship students gathered at Roosevelt House for lunch and presentations, sharing the incredible work they’ve developed through this mentorship program for Hunter undergrads.

On Monday, May 4th, Roosevelt House was joined by who lead a participatory workshop titled Abolition, Reconstruction, and Public Policy. Hunter students discussed the power of young people, the role of ideas, and the need for new frameworks .

May Day, the international workers holiday, is officially celebrated in 66 countries but largely ignored in the nation where it was born. It actually started right here in the U.S. in the fight for the 8-hour workday. On May 1, 1886, over 300,000 workers in 13,000 businesses across the United States walked off the job to protest for fair hours without losing pay, summed up in the popular demand, “Eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep, and eight hours for what we will!” This first May Day protest turned tragic at Chicago’s Haymarket Square when a bomb was thrown and police opened fire. Eight anarchist labor organizers were later convicted, even though most of them were not present at the time. Four of the eight protesters were sentenced to death, sparking America’s first “Red Scare,” which framed anarchism and socialism as dangerous, un-American ideas. Today we remember the struggle of the working-class Americans who fought for our labor rights today.

Join the Human Rights Program at Roosevelt House on Wednesday, April 29th at 6 PM for a screening of “The Uncondemned” followed by a discussion with Consolee Nishimwe, a genocide survivor and women’s rights advocate, and Jessica Neuwirth, Director of the Human Rights Program, moderated by Raza Ahmad.

RSVP: bit.ly/UncomdemnedRh

Join Roosevelt House on Wednesday, April 29 at 6 PM for a screening of “The Uncondemned” followed by a discussion with Consolee Nishimwe, a genocide survivor and women’s rights advocate, and Jessica Neuwirth, Director of the Human Rights Program, moderated by Raza Ahmad.

RSVP: bit.ly/Uncondemned