Wingspan, Fall 2020
In the wake of nationwide protests around racial inequality, AACC recommitted to combat systemic racism through its strategic plan that places equity at the center. Throughout the summer, faculty and staff came together to listen, learn and educate one another.
At the heart of these efforts was a summer professional development series, “Let’s Talk About Race,” that offered participants the opportunity to engage in challenging conversations and gain new perspectives on eight topics: Historical Foundations of Race, Being Anti-Racist, Bias, Community Building, Race and Racial Identity, Social Identities and Systems of Oppression, Whiteness, and Self- Care. By mid-June, nearly 300 faculty and staff had attended 17 workshops.
The learning sessions will culminate in the reading of “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism” and an Aug. 17 virtual presentation to AACC, AACPS employees and members of the community by its author, Robin DiAngelo, Ph.D. The event was planned more than a year ago as part of AACC’s focus on inclusivity and equity.
DiAngelo will speak about whiteness and white fragility and offer suggestions for dismantling racial inequality and addressing behaviors that prevent cross-racial dialogue. DiAngelo has been a consultant on issues of racial and social justice for more than 20 years. Her book, published in 2018, has been on the New York Times Best Sellers list for more than 90 weeks.
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