RICHLAND, Wash. – Washington State University Tri-Cities will host a series of “Community Classroom” learning opportunities on the topics of race, equity and engaged citizenship beginning Sept. 30.

The series will feature both presentations and opportunities for discussion. The events are free and open to the public and will be presented online via Zoom.

“We believe that together, we can become a community that is more empowered to lead anti-racist efforts,” said Kristine Cody, coordinator for the ���سԹ� MOSAIC Center for Student Inclusion. “We commit to doing this by investing in and establishing a shared understanding of who we have been and who we want to be around race relations in our community.”

The Community Classroom presentations and discussions will focus on the following topics:

History of Civil Rights in the Tri-Cities – Past and Present

4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, via Zoom

Robert Bauman and Robert Franklin, both history faculty at ���سԹ�, will give a presentation on the history of African-American activism in the Tri-Cities from the 1940s-1970s. The presentation will highlight efforts to end racial segregation in the Tri-Cities, including civil rights marches in Kennewick and Pasco in the 1960s and 1970s. The presentation is based on material from their forthcoming book, “Echoes of Exclusion and Resistance: Voices from the Hanford Region,” which will be published by WSU Press in November.

This event will also welcome the following panelists: Reka Robinson, life coach and 99.1 radio personality; Daishaundra Loving-Hearne, co-CEO of the Urban Poets Society and organizer with the Black Lives Matter Coalition: Tri-Cities; and Naima Chambers-Smith, CEO of the Tri-Cities Diversity and Inclusion Council. They will talk about the advocacy efforts they are spearheading within the regional community around racial justice and how others can be a part of supporting the work.

Digital Dissensus: Discovering Truth in an Era of Misinformation

4 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, via Zoom

Are conspiracy theorists and anti-maskers anti-fact? Or is there a deeper dynamic at play? Mike Caulfield, director of blended and networked learning at WSU Vancouver and nationally recognized digital literacy expert, will discuss the roots of current “digital dissensus” and explain how approaches to education may be making the problem worse. How do we design education for a world where information is plentiful, and attention is the scarcity? How do we encourage analysis and engagement in our students without having those same impulses gamed by bad actors? What epistemic stances and heuristics serve the public in a world where expertise is niche and very little is directly verifiable, and where facts are atomized, separated from analysis, and reassembled in bizarre and dangerous ways?

Dismantling Racism: The Game of Change

11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, via Zoom

This workshop/discussion will offer individuals the language and practices to shift view points from a majority group’s perspective to that of the marginalized group or groups. Discussions will be led by Thabiti Lewis, professor of English and interim associate vice chancellor for academic affairs at WSU Vancouver, and Dr. Marie Theard, director of neuroanesthesia in the department of anesthesiology at Oregon Health and Science University.

Strategies will be provided to faculty on identifying issues of bias and structural racism. Ways will be identified to reduce the systemic impact on resident and other faculty evaluations. Utilizing principles presented in work by Dr. Robert R. Gaiser on teaching professionalism focusing on subjects like reflective thinking, metacognition, and transformational learning in a small group interactive environment, individuals will learn to translate practices that are applicable to things like sports culture and daily life. Through the lens of medical education and popular culture, this presentation will explore how to address issues in academia and society.

The ���سԹ� Community Classroom events are presented by the MOSAIC Center for Student Inclusion, Office of Academic Affairs, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee at ���سԹ�.

For more information, visit .

 

Media contacts:

Kristine Cody, ���سԹ� coordinator for MOSAIC Center for Student Inclusion, 509-372-7600, kristine.cody@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, ���سԹ� assistant director of marketing and communication, 619-403-3617, maegan_murray@wsu.edu

Dear ���سԹ� campus community,

Last week, the nation once again witnessed the death of an African American man in police custody.  This tragic event triggered worldwide demonstrations and protests as people came together to express their concern, their compassion, their sadness, and yes, their anger. George Floyd’s death was one of three alarming deaths over the past two weeks and countless others in our history. To comprehend the reaction to his death, we must remember the empathetic words of Martin Luther King, Jr., who, while committed to nonviolent tactics to addressing issues of inequity and injustice, understood the painful reality that, “a riot is the language of the unheard.”

We, at Washington State University Tri-Cities, are committed to doing our part to stand up for social justice by engaging in difficult discussions and participating in critical community efforts around equity and inclusion. Now, more than ever, we believe in the power of education and the advancement of knowledge to teach us critical awareness and appreciation for differences, to be thoughtful and compassionate human beings, to build inclusive communities, and to empower and challenge our students and each other to work toward the transformation of a better, more just and inclusive world.

At this time, we understand that our students, faculty and staff, like others throughout the world, are experiencing a complex array of emotions. As we all struggle to navigate our thoughts and feelings, we want you to know that we will continue to provide support and care for you and we will continue to create spaces to engage around topics of injustice, racism, and the pursuit of an equitable society.

We encourage ���سԹ� students to utilize the campus resources available to them and to engage with university staff and their fellow students for support. The MOSIAC Center for Student Inclusion is open virtually while we work and study from home, but will also be readily available when we return to in-person operations. For more information, visit tricities.wsu.edu/mosaic-center.

We also encourage students to utilize our one-on-one telecounseling services that are available via a platform called ProtoCall through our WSU Spokane campus. Individuals staffed through this platform are well-versed in locally available resources in our regional community. To speak to a mental health provider available 24/7, call 509-554-5684. If you need immediate assistance or are in crisis, call the WSU Health Sciences Crisis line at 509-368-6500, which is also available 24/7.

As we have conversations with you, we are reminded of the hope that is born out of adversity. As educators and community leaders, it is our responsibility to move the bar forward for civic engagement and strategic action toward a more free and just society.

Sincerely,

Sandra Haynes, Ph.D.
Chancellor of ���سԹ�