A former University of California professor, known for her bad temper, recently went off on a lengthy, disorganized tirade after critics referred to her $407,000 taxpayer-funded monument as “rubbish.”
Shereen Rodriguez presented herself as a victim during this outburst, echoing sentiments from a column that described her as targeted by “violent fascist” oppressors. Interestingly, she didn’t mention the machete incident where she assaulted a Post reporter, Reuben Fenton, in 2023, nor did she express any regret over it.
In her statement, she commented, “This isn’t my first run-in with tabloid media, but it feels like a series of focused assaults. This relates to the fascist realities that have plagued marginalized communities.” The 48-year-old seems to draw a broader connection to historical injustices faced by Black, Indigenous, and colonized peoples.
Her latest column, titled “Why My Public Art Brings Righteous Insanity,” attempts to frame her media crisis as something long-standing. She described her massive public artwork, “Phoenix Ladder: A Monument to the People of the Bronx,” which stands 23 feet tall and is made of brick, steel, and terra cotta.
Unveiled in November along the Grand Concourse and Morris Avenue, this piece was conceived more than two years ago after she struck a plea deal with Bronx prosecutors regarding her assault on a journalist.
The monument, showing signs of wear with cracks appearing, was first commissioned in 2018 through a program that allocates 1% of city project budgets for public art as part of a $62.5 million renovation of the Grand Concourse.
Rodriguez, who identifies as a self-proclaimed “black Marxist,” received $81,400 from the project budget for herself. The structure features images symbolizing resilience, such as the phoenix and clenched fists representing black power and solidarity.
However, local residents are not impressed. One neighbor even dismissed it as “junk.” Rodriguez explained that she became a target of the “right-wing media” after making headlines for her remarks about pro-life students back in May 2023 while she was an adjunct art professor.
While she refrained from mentioning her threat against Mr. Fenton, it seems that he was merely reporting and had come to her apartment for comments about the earlier incident.
In her column, she made some controversial statements, including a claim that “Christian white supremacy is facilitating a fascist campaign of racial cleansing,” oddly suggesting that she managed to complete the project after facing various obstacles over the seven years since its initial commissioning.
Rodriguez wrote that her monument stands as a beacon for the Bronx and a testament to collective aspirations, which she feels has drawn disappointment from “reactionary forces.”
Despite her provocative history, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs has not responded to inquiries regarding her actions or any potential budget revocation following her threat to a reporter.
Following the machete incident, Rodriguez was promptly dismissed from her role at Hunter College. In February 2024, she also lost another teaching position at Cooper Union due to an anti-Israel statement. Currently, her website lacks any updates on her projects.
