Salem State Awarded $3 Million Ethnic Communications Grant

SALEM, MA — Salem State University will use a $3 million grant to create the Digital Ethnic Futures Consortium, a national network of regional public universities that traditionally serve underrepresented student populations.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded the school the grant for the program designed to help students communicate through digital exhibits, data visualization and digital archives to highlight the experiences of Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities.

Salem State Chair of Secondary and Higher Education Roopika Risam, Ph.D., will coordinate the program, which is set to include New Jersey City University, Texas Southern University and Cal State-Fullerton.

"The Mellon Foundation's landmark support comes at an opportune time — and for this, we are so grateful," Risam said. "The way we understand our past, present and future will be greatly influenced by who is doing the storytelling, and that increasingly comes down to who is prepared to use these digital tools effectively.

"While many private universities have digital humanities courses, recent research shows that less than a quarter of public universities offer these opportunities despite high interest on campus. In a digital world, we are risking a deepening divide when it comes to the stories we hear and who is telling them."

Digital ethnic studies programs are also designed to turn public attention to issues like anti-Black racism, settler-colonialism and xenophobia.

"Digital ethnic studies scholars can mobilize public engagement on these issues by collaborating with community partners, attracting minoritized students to humanities disciplines, and preparing students to combat injustice and steward the humanities beyond universities," Risam said.

Risam will be joined by co-principal investigators that include: Keja Valens, Ph.D., professor of English at Salem State University; Sonya Donaldson, Ph.D., professor of English at New Jersey City University; Toniesha Taylor, Ph.D., chair and professor of communication at Texas Southern University; and Jamila Moore Pewu, Ph.D., professor of digital humanities and new media at Cal State University-Fullerton.

"Professor Risam is widely recognized for her leadership in advancing racial equity and social justice through digital scholarship," Salem State University President John Keenan said. "We are extraordinarily grateful to the Mellon Foundation for its generous commitment, which reflects the core attributes that define a Salem State education: engagement, inclusion, and the importance of the liberal arts.

"This investment in digital ethnic studies allows Professor Risam to further the impact of her talent and vision, along with the expertise of her colleague at Salem State, Professor Keja Valens, and their partners across the country."

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)