WCU And It’s Time For A Real Talk: Courageous Conversations About Race

Press release from West Chester University:

Sept. 3, 2020

It’s Time for a Real Talk: Courageous Conversations About Race

An Open Discussion with the Public About Where We Go From Here…

West Chester University (WCU) has raised its hand high to act as a catalyst for U.S.
social change at a time when a plethora of racial injustices fester on humankind amid
another fatal pandemic. Courageous Conversations About Race will take place September 26, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., and will convene the WCU community with neighbors from all corners of the Commonwealth of PA during a powerful Zoom discussion about topics that have fractured society --- bystander intervention, healing and restoration, implicit bias, race relations in
the workforce, and white fragility. Registration is open to the public at https://tinyurl.com/y4cj67wx. The live, open discussion is sponsored by West Chester University, the WCU Alumni Association, the WCU Frederick Douglass Institute, and St. Paul’s Baptist Church in West Chester.

During the discussion, participants will be divided into one of five groups led by
a moderator who is prepared to guide a conversation that will explore uncomfortable
issues. As each group reflects on material assigned at the time of registration, participants
will be asked to engage openly and honestly with each another. Upon the conclusion
of the group discussions, participants will rejoin the larger group, share what they
have learned, and develop action steps that each will “own” to activate social change.
A second conversation is expected to be coordinated following the 2020 presidential
election.

“Our nation has reached its tipping point and an exhausted generation has evoked a
call to action,” said WCU President Chris Fiorentino, Ph.D. “For civil rights, this
is not a moment. It is a movement that requires engagement in critical thinking and
problem solving to address systemic racism and inequities. The time is more than right
for us to foster meaningful conversations about guaranteeing, protecting, and practicing
civil rights. It is the right thing to do.”

Courageous Conversations was a public discussion originally coordinated in Chester
County in 2015 by Lisa Croft, M.D., family physician and wife of St. Paul’s Senior
Pastor Wayne E. Croft, Sr., and WCU Professor of Communication Studies Anita Foeman,
Ph.D., the lead researcher of the DNA Discussion Project, a nationally renowned campus-wide
project that continues to prompt very honest discussions about race following the
unveiling of individual DNA results.

Five years later, Foeman and Croft have found an immediate need to link arms once
again and launch Courageous Conversations, part two. Also joining in the coordinating
and moderating of the September 26 event are WCU’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
Tracey Ray Robinson, Ph.D.; WCU Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies Lisa C. Huebner,
Ph.D., feminist sociologist of gender; and WCU Director of Residence Life Jared L.
Brown, M.A.

West Chester University stands aligned in its fight for equality for all and has been
nationally recognized for its continuing efforts. On September 1, the University received
the 2020 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.
The HEED Award is a prestigious honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that
demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion, and that weave the
essential principals into the everyday work being done on some campuses.

Among WCU’s many innovative projects that celebrate diversity and inclusion through
intentional actions are the following: the launch of the Golden Rams Initiative, through
the Center for International Programs, which serves underrepresented minority, low-income,
and Pell-Grant eligible students in study abroad; the engagement of undergraduate
students in a 2019 national racial climate survey (National Assessment of Collegiate
Campus Climates Survey); the placement of Student Success Coordinators in each of
the University’s six colleges and two schools; the founding of the Ram Shop, the only
on-campus convenience store of its kind in the nation to provide workplace training
for students on the autism spectrum to practice and master social and professional
skills; and the establishment of a Resource Pantry that provides food, personal items,
school supplies, and career clothing throughout the school year, summer, and winter
break for students who have critical needs.

In keeping with its mission and strategic plan, the University is committed to creating
an educational environment where students engage in a variety of program offerings
designed to increase cultural competence. This year, WCU will place much emphasis
on critical thinking and problem solving to address systemic racism and inequities.
Among the many events highlighting the fall semester will be the 2nd Annual Ruby Jones Conference on Race, Social Justice, and Civic Leadership, which
will take place virtually September 30 through October 2; Angela Davis, as an activist,
author, and professor, will be the keynote speaker. In addition, the Office for Diversity,
Equity & Inclusion (ODEI) will launch WCU’s Institute for Cultural Competence & Inclusive
Excellence, a non-credit bearing, certificate program consisting of a combination
of diversity and inclusion training and education workshops (virtual), self-study
readings, books, on-demand video presentations, and a capstone project. Participating
WCU students, faculty, and staff will have up to 18 months to complete the Institute’s
requirements.

This press release was produced by West Chester University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.