Today we welcomed a very special guest speaker to Brooklyn Collaborative – Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt! The visit was organized by US History teacher John Schmitt. Mr. Lanigan-Schmidt is one of the veterans of the now-mythic Stonewall Uprising, which many people say helped start the modern LGBTQ movement. At the time of the uprising, Mr. Lanigan-Schmidt was only 17. Shortly after the riot started, he was photographed with a group of other young people by photographer Fred W. McDarrah in an iconic photo. (See photo below – Thomas is in the striped shirt)
Mr. Lanigan-Schmidt spoke with students, faculty and members of our community first and then stayed afterschool for a special professional development session for faculty. Several students in John’s US History class are writing their 11th grade Mastery Passage PBATs about Stonewall and methods of resistance and raising awareness.
ADDITIONAL INFO ABOUT MR. LANIGAN-SCHMIDT:
Lanigan-Schmidt is a member of the faculty at the School of Visual Art, and his installations have received international acclaim. An installation art piece by Lanigan-Schmidt, “Mother Stonewall and the Golden Rats” commemorated the events at the Stonewall Inn (see photo below of another of his pieces). In recognition of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, Lanigan-Schmidt was among those invited to the White House to meet with First Lady Michelle and President Barack Obama.
