{"id":172866,"date":"2021-05-11T13:02:25","date_gmt":"2021-05-11T17:02:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=172866"},"modified":"2021-05-11T15:59:20","modified_gmt":"2021-05-11T19:59:20","slug":"new-programs-supporting-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-have-visible-outcomes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2021\/05\/new-programs-supporting-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-have-visible-outcomes\/","title":{"rendered":"New Programs Supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Have Visible Outcomes"},"content":{"rendered":"

In October 2019,<\/span>\u00a0Breanna McFarlane \u20192<\/span>2<\/span>\u00a0(CLAS)\u00a0<\/span>attended the <\/span>UConn\u00a0<\/span>March Against Racism<\/span>. She didn\u2019t realize that it would be<\/span>\u00a0a<\/span>\u00a0turning point in<\/span>\u00a0her\u00a0<\/span>experience with social justice<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After a group of students were arrested for shouting racial slurs on campus at UConn Storrs,\u00a0<\/span>s<\/span>tudents representing the\u00a0<\/span>Black Students Association<\/span><\/a>, the\u00a0<\/span>NAACP of UConn<\/span><\/a>, and other\u00a0<\/span>BIPOC\u00a0<\/span>organizations marched in front of the Student Union<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in response to the event<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>They marched for the<\/span>ir voices to be heard and for the University to stand against racism.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI felt it was very powerful when people were chanting and sharing their stories,\u201d she says. \u201cYou can feel the weight of the experiences and the urgency in demanding justice.”<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A month earlier, students\u00a0<\/span>had\u00a0<\/span>gathered in the same place to\u00a0<\/span>strike for climate justice, in solidarity with millions of students across the world<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The protests at UConn\u00a0highlighted to\u00a0McFarlane. urban and community studies (UCS) and human development and family sciences (HDFS) double major, how relevant and important her new\u00a0<\/span>social justice organizing minor<\/span><\/a>\u00a0was.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0social justice issues\u00a0<\/span>become<\/span>\u00a0more prominent on campus,\u00a0<\/span>McFarlane and her peers\u00a0<\/span>sh<\/span>are some of the initiatives<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in the\u00a0<\/span>College of Liberal Arts and Sciences<\/span>\u00a0(CLAS)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>empowering diverse voices<\/span>\u00a0and promoting learning and action for equity and social justice<\/span>\u00a0at UConn.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>T<\/span>he\u00a0<\/span>African Americans and Social\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Protest<\/span><\/i>\u00a0course is really teaching me how social movements work,<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Mc<\/span>Farlane says. \u201cYou’re not just learning information in the\u00a0<\/span>classroom<\/span>;\u00a0<\/span>you<\/span>\u2019<\/span>re<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>learning how\u00a0<\/span>to apply it and find your own voice even more.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Educational Equity and Justice<\/strong><\/p>\n

A\u00a0<\/span>year after the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>March Against Racism,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>her minor<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>led\u00a0<\/span>McFarlane<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>intern<\/span>\u00a0with<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Kamora\u2019s Cultural Corner<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(KCC) in Hartford, Connecticut, an organization based on using Black Queer and Afrocentric art to build community connections.\u00a0<\/span>Their weekly community discussions\u00a0<\/span>supplemented the lessons<\/span>\u00a0about social systems and movements<\/span>\u00a0she was learning in\u00a0<\/span>her<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>class<\/span>es<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKamora opened my eyes to the idea that everyone has a predefined role in a protest,\u201d McFarlane says. \u201cWhen it comes to social movements<\/span>, it\u2019s important for everyone to know their role for the movement to function properly.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Giving\u00a0<\/span>a platform for a<\/span>ll voices to be heard and\u00a0<\/span>have<\/span>\u00a0equal weight in a movement<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>ensures the movement w<\/span>ill be\u00a0<\/span>efficient<\/span>, she says.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Breanna
Breanna McFarlane ’22 (CLAS). Courtesy photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But<\/span>\u00a0many<\/span>\u00a0young people often lack the training and education to\u00a0<\/span>amplify<\/span>\u00a0their voices during a social movement<\/span>, she says<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>P<\/span>art of her\u00a0<\/span>work<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in her capstone class\u00a0<\/span>centers on\u00a0<\/span>educating<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>students from as early as\u00a0<\/span>elementary school to be more socially aware<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At Kamora\u2019s Cultural Corner<\/span>, McFarlane w<\/span>atched<\/span>\u00a0m<\/span>edia<\/span>\u00a0made by Black people, for Black people<\/span>. While watching, she focused on conscious witnessing: people becoming aware of what society or the media wants them to see and understanding that they have control over what they see, interpret, and internalize.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>A lot of times we just consume the information in a movie or show scene for enjoyment,\u201d McFarlane says. \u201cBut i<\/span>nstead<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0I watched and listened to these forms of art and thought about why these Black artists and activists created this and what they were trying to convey through their art.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Back in class with her advisor Jason Chang, associate professor of history<\/span>\u00a0and director of the Asian and Asian American Studies Institute<\/span>, and Alexis Boylan,\u00a0<\/span>professor\u00a0<\/span>of art and art history, McFarlane discussed how choosing what\u00a0<\/span>people\u00a0<\/span>view, and how<\/span>\u00a0they<\/span>\u00a0witness it, is a conscious political act.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She<\/span>\u00a0developed a lesson plan for public school students to encourage them to be more conscious and involved citizens when\u00a0<\/span>viewing popular media.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you use conscious witnessing in an educational context,\u00a0<\/span>you can teach\u00a0<\/span>young students\u00a0<\/span>about what they\u2019re consuming and\u00a0<\/span>how that affects them<\/span>\u00a0and their perspective<\/span>,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Growing up,\u00a0<\/span>McFarlane loved learning, she says, and\u00a0<\/span>her teachers often encouraged her by telling her that she was\u00a0<\/span>smart<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>This made a difference in her education,\u00a0<\/span>compared to some of her peers,<\/span>\u00a0and sparked her\u00a0<\/span>interest<\/span>\u00a0social justice in education.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chang, her advisor for the minor, connected her with the Systemic Change Initiative magazine, where she is developing her voice and further acting on her social justice interests.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe information\u00a0<\/span>learned<\/span>\u00a0and opportunities given go beyond just the courses you take, but it gives you opportunities and connections to become more involved in grassroots organization afterwards as\u00a0<\/span>well,<\/span>\u201d<\/span> McFarlane says. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 After graduating, she wants to use her experience to work in educational policy or advocating for policy and practices that provide public school students with equality, equity and liberty in education.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/span>T<\/span>he way the public education system is set up, a lot of inner-city students don\u2019t have the options or encouragement to take opportunities that they\u2019re very much qualified for,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cI want to change that.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Women\u2019s Leadership Collective<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Maria\u00a0<\/span>Baratau<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>used to have to<\/span>\u00a0coach herself for several minutes befor<\/span>e speaking<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>up\u00a0<\/span>in class. She second-guessed her own voice and opinions for fear of judgement.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was very uncertain with my responses, and questioned, \u2018if I\u2019m going to say\u00a0<\/span>that,<\/span>\u00a0what will they think?\u00a0<\/span>Will it make sense?\u2019\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Maria
Maria Baratau ’21 (CLAS). Courtesy photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Baratau<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>immigrated with her parents from Ecuador when she was five<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>When I took advanced placement classes in high school there were only two people of color in my class. I was scared to raise my voice and speak up.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then she joined the CLAS Women\u2019s Leadership Collective<\/span>. The\u00a0<\/span>WLC\u00a0<\/span>addresses some of the unique\u00a0<\/span>challenges<\/span>\u00a0women face in the workforce and provides undergraduate students who have little leadership experience with an opportunity to discover their leadership style, with group mentorship from UConn alumnae.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the only child of parents who went to college in Ecuador,\u00a0<\/span>Baratau<\/span>\u00a0had been guiding herself through the college experience and\u00a0<\/span>learning<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was important that I could have mentors who would guide and empower me,\u201d she says.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Baratau<\/span>\u00a0was accepted into the inaugural year of the program<\/span>\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0was<\/span>\u00a0paired with\u00a0<\/span>Kerry\u00a0<\/span>DeBenedictis<\/span> ’91 (CLAS), ’95 MS, Miriam Katz ’19<\/span>\u00a0(CLAS),<\/span> ’20<\/span>\u00a0MPH<\/span>, and Odia Kane ’19 (CLAS), ’20 MPH, along with <\/span>a co-mentee.\u00a0<\/span>From the first meeting,\u00a0<\/span>her mentors<\/span>\u00a0encouraged her to lead the discussion and build her public speaking skills.\u00a0<\/span>They also provided positive feedback on her public speaking<\/span>, her resume, and applying to jobs and graduate programs<\/span>, she says.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Their virtual meetings led to discussions on topics such as\u00a0<\/span>what being a leader means, and how to overcome barriers women in the workforce face.\u00a0<\/span>She also learned about their own\u00a0<\/span>backgrounds and<\/span>\u00a0set\u00a0<\/span>goals for their meetings.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of her goals was to get into UConn\u2019s fast-track program for the Master\u2019s in Public Health (MPH).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now,\u00a0<\/span>Baratau<\/span>, who double majors in human development and family sciences and global health, has become more assertive and confident in sharing her voice.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/span>I became really proud to speak up, raise my hand and say what\u2019s on my mind. Because I know my voice deserves to be heard along with everyone else\u2019s.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In\u00a0<\/span>their virtual meetings,\u00a0<\/span>DeBenetictis<\/span>, Katz<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and Kane guided\u00a0<\/span>Baratau<\/span>\u00a0toward internships that suited her interest<\/span>\u00a0in\u00a0<\/span>exploring how conditions in the environment in underserved communities can impact their health and wellbeing.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During one conversation,\u00a0<\/span>Baratau<\/span>\u00a0mentioned she wanted to complete her bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degree in five years, like Katz and Kane had. But already in her fourth year of u<\/span>ndergraduate study<\/span>, she feared she had missed the opportunity to apply for\u00a0<\/span>the fast-track<\/span>\u00a0program.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Recently,\u00a0Baratau\u00a0was accepted into UConn\u2019s Master of Public Health Fall 2021 cohort.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf not for their mentorship, I don\u2019t think I would have applied to the MPH<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0program because I was very unsure,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Baratau<\/span>\u00a0says.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey are the most amazing mentors that I’ve had,\u201d she says. \u201c<\/span>This program<\/span>\u00a0showed me if they could do it<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0I c<\/span>an<\/span>\u00a0too.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Addressing Institutional Racism\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Since its inception last Spring, the #BlackintheIvory hashtag has surfaced stories of racism and discrimination against Black faculty and other members of\u00a0<\/span>academic in<\/span>stitutions\u00a0<\/span>across the\u00a0<\/span>country, and<\/span>\u00a0heightened the call for higher education institutions to address systemic racism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Shard\u00e9
Shard\u00e9 M. Davis, assistant professor of communication and creator of #BlackintheIvory. Courtesy Photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Now, the UConn Humanities Institute is working to address some of the obstacles facing faculty of color with the help of a three-year, $750,000 Mellon Foundation grant that expands the New England Humanities Consortium (NEHC) Faculty of Color Working Group (FOCWG).\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Recently, they named\u00a0<\/span>Shard\u00e9<\/span>\u00a0M. Davis, assistant professor of\u00a0<\/span>communication<\/span>\u00a0and creator of #BlackintheIvory, as the first Faculty of Color Working Group Residential Fellow, funded jointly by the College, the Provost\u2019s Office<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and the grant.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am honored to receive this fellowship to work on my newest project, which is a book that responds to my Twitter hashtag, #BlackintheIvory,\u201d Davis says. The new book is titled Being #BlackintheIvory: Contending with Racism in the American University.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Davis is one of three faculty<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>at NEHC member institutes<\/span>\u00a0to receive the Mellon Faculty of Color\u00a0<\/span>Fellowship in<\/span>\u00a0the coming year. It was established by Melina\u00a0<\/span>Pappademos<\/span>, Co-Principal Investigator of the grant, Executive Director of the FOCWG, and Director of the Africana Studies Institute; Alexis Boylan, Director of Academic Affairs for UCHI and Co-<\/span>PrincipaI<\/span>\u00a0Investigator of the grant; and\u00a0<\/span>Michael Lynch, professor of philosophy and Principal Investigator of the grant, to enable junior faculty to spend a year as a research fellow at another institution\u2019s humanities center, furthering their research while connecting with other researchers in the Consortium.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith a year away from teaching, I will have the intellectual and emotional space to curate a book that addresses critical needs among\u00a0Blackademics, which includes an opportunity to have one\u2019s story heard (and perhaps even believed), to receive validation that individuals are not culpable for anti-Black racism, and to learn how to maneuver racism in the academy, fight back, or walk away from academia altogether,\u201d Davis says.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nikki A. Green, assistant professor of art at Wellesley College, Massachusetts, and Anaiis Cisco, assistant professor of film and media studies at Smith College, Massachusetts, were\u00a0<\/span>named<\/span>\u00a0as 2021-22 Mellon Faculty of Color Fellows.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The FOCWG\u00a0<\/span>focuses<\/span>\u00a0on three main initiatives specific to faculty of color: the fellowship program, a mentoring program, and a Faculty of Color Working Group Symposium in May with the 13 other NEHC member institutes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFaculty of color in the humanities face obstacles in their pathways to career advancement and leadership, such as having their research devalued or their contributions, ignored<\/span>,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Pappademos<\/span>\u00a0says. \u201c<\/span>Compounding these obstacles are the historically low, often minute percentages of FOC represented at predominately white institutions–including among\u00a0<\/span>administrators<\/span>.”<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) often overlook these disadvantages and provide unfocused or too few supports to help FOC surmount them, she says. In turn, faculty of color tend toward high levels of stress, overwork, and attrition, and career advancement happens at a slower pace than it does for their white peers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe FOCWG seeks to attend to this spate of circumstances and improve the long-term trajectory of success among faculty of color at PWIs,\u201d\u00a0Pappademos\u00a0says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a process of discovery, of identifying and understanding the full range of needs among faculty of color, of taking immediate steps to remedy areas that need greatest attention while also working to build out several crucial\u00a0faculty\u00a0supports,\u201d she says. \u201cWe want to be proactive in understanding and addressing these needs.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is part of a series of articles highlighting the breadth of opportunities for experiential learning, research, one-on-one guidance, or mentorship between students and faculty in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Explore more under the hashtag #DiscoverUConnCLAS.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Students and faculty in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences share the experiences that empowered them to raise their voices, pursue social justice, and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion at UConn<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":140,"featured_media":172869,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2226,2235,2306,2227],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[2214],"class_list":["post-172866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-clas","category-today-homepage","category-uconn-voices","category-uconn-edu-homepage"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-14 05:08:50","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/140"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=172866"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172866\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":172943,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172866\/revisions\/172943"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/172869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=172866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=172866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=172866"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=172866"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=172866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}