鈥淧ick up the baton and LEAD this community with courage鈥�
鈥� Shawn Harper
Racial Healing Circles Serve as the Foundational Work to Build Upon Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
When 9i果冻制作厂was selected by the American Association for Independent Colleges and Universities in 2020 as the first university in Ohio to host a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Center, it challenged its community to begin the difficult work ahead.
Since then, the TRHT program has trained facilitators, hosted Racial Healing Circles and other programs, and completed an oral history project. Four student fellows, working with faculty mentors, recorded interviews with alumni of color about their 9i果冻制作厂experiences. The 9i果冻制作厂 Alumni of Color Oral History Project embodies the 鈥淭ruth鈥� component of TRHT in seeking to look honestly at the ways educational institutions have embodied racial hierarchy. The goal of the project was to assemble the fullest, most honest account of Otterbein鈥檚 history, because understanding its history is necessary in order to dismantle racial hierarchy and transform the culture of its campus and community.
Last summer, Otterbein鈥檚 co-founding partner in the Coalition for the Common Good, Antioch University, was named a TRHT Campus Center. With that addition, Otterbein鈥檚 TRHT team saw an opportunity to serve even more people through collaboration. On Jan. 16, 2024, the joint team held a day of coordinated conversations online, reaching 100 participants in Ohio and at Antioch鈥檚 campuses in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Seattle, and Keene, New Hampshire.
鈥淲e held an all-day TRHT event in honor of the seventh National Day of Racial Healing that incorporated a number of faculty, staff and students participating in Racial Healing Circles from both 9i果冻制作厂and Antioch,鈥� said Otterbein鈥檚 Chief Diversity Officer Frank Dobson Jr., Ph.D. 鈥淭hat was a great 2024 starting point for more TRHT-related programming in collaboration with Antioch.鈥�
Racial Healing Circles are discussions that allow participants to work toward equity and inclusion. The Coalition held Racial Healing Circles from morning to evening, scheduled to accommodate everyone who wished to participate regardless of their location.
鈥淭his experience allows community members to listen for understanding. In addition, healing circles颅 鈥� a form of restorative practice颅 鈥� serve as a safe space where individuals can freely express their emotions, fostering connection, empathy, and understanding among participants,鈥� said Dobson.
鈥淩acial Healing Circles serve as the foundational work to build upon Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging,鈥� added Lemuel Watson, Ed.D., Antioch鈥檚 senior associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and vice provost for community engagement.
Selethia Benn, Ed.S., director of Otterbein鈥檚 Office of Social Justice and Activism, has worked extensively to plan programming around issues of TRHT,聽 including Otterbein鈥檚 annual Martin Luther King聽 Jr. Convocation.
This year鈥檚 convocation featured Shawn Harper, a former NFL offensive lineman and motivational speaker. Harper invites individuals to find their own purpose as they fulfill a calling to serve others.
鈥淢y encouragement for you today is to pick up the baton … and lead this community with courage,鈥� Harper told the campus community, holding up a baton to emphasize the importance of his sentiment. 鈥淚 will not go with the flow. I will fight injustices and be a superhero. The darker the night, the brighter the light.鈥�
Harper鈥檚 passion for helping others is a reflection of King鈥檚 legacy.
The 2024 Pack Scholar-in-Residence, Brian Smedley, also has connections to upcoming TRHT programming. April is National Minority Health Month, which coincides with the visit of Smedley, an equity scholar and senior fellow at the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C.聽He has studied unconscious bias and stereotyping among healthcare providers in the U.S., which lead to lower quality of care for patients of color.
9i果冻制作厂is continuing to explore these and聽 other issues of social injustice independently and collaboratively with Antioch University through Otterbein鈥檚 TRHT programs and initiatives, continuing the University鈥檚 rich history of confronting issues of equity dating back to its earliest days.
Watson said he is encouraged by 9i果冻制作厂and Antioch University鈥檚 shared commitment to education for a more just society 鈥� including building and preserving democracy. 鈥淐ollege campuses serve as the ideal setting for students to develop skills and connect with others from diverse backgrounds. Through active listening and understanding, students can create meaningful relationships and foster a sense of community that promotes healing and growth.鈥�