The congregants of Temple Judea were privileged to hear a Zoom presentation by Frank Wu, newly-elected president of Queens College. It is a historic first for the City University to have the first Asian-American to take the helm of the 83-year-old school.
Wu has devoted much of his professional life to civic engagement and civil rights and is enthusiastic about his position as president of Queens College. He sees the college as a model of inclusion of students who are from many different racial and economic backgrounds.
He spoke about fighting anti-Asian racism and the necessity of an accurate worldview. He is the author of Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White, a work influenced by W.E.B. DuBois’s Souls of Black Folk and Eli Evans’s Provincials. Prior to his academic career, he held a clerkship with the late U.S. District Judge Frank J. Battisti in Cleveland and practiced law with the firm of Morrison & Foerster in San Francisco – while there, he devoted a quarter of his time to pro bono work on behalf of indigent clients.
He received a B.A. from the Johns Hopkins University and a J.D. with honors from the University of Michigan. He visited Israel in 2000 on a study tour sponsored by the American Jewish Committee.
During the Obama administration, President Wu was appointed to the federal department of Education, including as Vice-Chair to its National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, which advises the administration on higher education accreditation.
It was indeed a privilege to be host to President Wu. His enthusiasm and dedication to engage in civil rights for all groups is truly an inspiration.
Temple Judea is located at 333 Searingtown Road, Manhasset and can be reached at (516) 621-8049 or www.temple-judea.com. New members are always welcome to participate and enjoy the benefits of a lively and active community Temple.
