Honest and direct conversations about race are long overdue. For some the conversation is new and challenging and for others it is an everyday fact of life, both necessary and on-going. Our history is filled with men and women that have advanced the discussion about race, racism and structural inequalities. They have been ex-slaves and ex-slave owners, they have been poor and wealthy, educated and illiterate, all having advanced the conversation in their own way and suffered the consequences for broaching the topic.
Today those of us able to see through the sterile manufactured “diversity” misled populace, have begun to challenge the conventional thinking regarding institutional racism and its attendant destructiveness. Glenn Singleton has addressed the issue through the program he has developed called “Courageous Conversation” with a specific focus upon building effective approaches and skills to eliminate racial disparities in education.
We are a long way from achieving equity and social justice so let’s all join the conversation!
———–
*In October 2012, Dr. Joy will be a keynote speaker at “The Summit for Courageous Conversation 2012″ in San Antonio, Texas.
I teach at Seattle Central Community College, where the student population includes ex-convicts, transsexuals, immigrants (including recently-arrived Africans, Central and South Americans and Asians, all from many different countries. There are students whose families summer in the country; students with varying psychological and medical diagnoses. There are children of some of Seattle’s oldest ethnic families in various positions throughout the college. The faculty are similarly varied, but more European American representation. Not sure about gender proportions.
Might you be interested in giving a lecture? We are part of a multiple-campus state of Washington-funded system, the Seattle Community Colleges. Might you be interested in lecturing at more than one of the Colleges?
I myself teach psychology and am just now putting together my curriculum One of my colleagues has expressed interest in co-teaching a course on African American psychology; I plan to throw my hat in the ring to co-teach that with him.
I find a large disparity between African American students and others. It may be my teaching. I don’t seem to know how to “break down” academic requirements and standards effectively in one quarter’s worth of time.
Anyway, I would be interested in any light you can shed on educational disparities on the community college level.
Thanks for your attention and for your great work.
Esther “Little Dove” John, M.Ed.
Conflict Management, General Psychology, Applied Social Psychology, Psychology of Human Relations
Seattle Central Community College
Humanities and Social Sciences Division
206-344-6321
206-934-6908