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CONFERENCE >
RACE & PEDAGOGY CONFERENCE
by Sierra Smith
RACE & PEDAGOGY CONFERENCE
University of Puget Sound hosts landmark event to help educators
understand connection between race inquality and poor educational outcomes
F
or University of Puget Sound’s Dexter
of the conference after many discussions
Gordon, students who are educated
with faculty and staff since in his arrival
in high school and college on race
in 2001.
“It is true that public education, espe-
and racial issues will be better equipped to
deal with the world outside of campus.
cially higher education, has been the
“To help students know about what ques-
gateway to progress for poor and work-
tions to ask in the real world is important
ing-class folks and the primary means by
because without highlighting race and
which people advance socially and eco-
pedagogy, for example, students of color
nomically,” Gordon says. “And that was
feel that there are questions that cannot
the motivation for the conference.”
be asked about race and history,” Gordon
Gordon says that connecting academia
says. “What does slavery have to do with
with the rest of the community is critical.
the making of the U.S., the economy, the
“The community element is very impor-
moral conscious of the nation, the present
tant,” Gordon says. “The initiative began
statistics about dropout rates in high schools
out of African American Studies, which
in the state and in the Tacoma region?”
has a discipline that focuses on academic
46
work with a community component.
the University of Puget Sound (UPS) has
There is the commitment that what we do
taken the initiative to host the first Race
inside the academy should have a direct
and Pedagogy National Conference in
September. The mission of the event is to
impact on marginalized communities,
Dexter Gordon
mount a sophisticated and credible discus-
communities of color, working-class and
low-income communities. Academics are
sion of what has always been a sensitive and
diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. More than
difficult topic in the United States: the issues of
50 sessions will be held on issues related to stu-
race and education.
dent achievement.
The groundbreaking national conference will
Gordon, the director of the African American
discuss best practices for teaching students from
Studies Program at the Tacoma school, conceived
not distinct and separate from real life.”
While many influential scholars will attend and
speak at the conference, the weekend-long event
will begin with Cornel West, a noted professor
at Princeton and author of acclaimed works such
Coutesy of UPS
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To begin to answer these questions,
as “Race Matters” and “Democracy
high-school students as the right to
Now.” West will present the 2006
vote was to political access and citi-
Susan Resneck Pierce Lecture in
zenship for sharecroppers and day
Public Affairs and the Arts, which is
laborers in Mississippi in the 1960s.
Black scholars and writers have
of UPS. After earning degrees from
been grappling with these types
both Princeton and Harvard univer-
of issues for long periods of time.
sities, West has spend more than
Before, white institutions wouldn’t
20 years researching and teaching
even acknowledge that the black
issues of race, philosophy, and
community was worthy of study,
religion. West is a former professor
adding to the tension of the subject.
of African-American studies and
Though positive changes have been
philosophy of religion at Harvard
made in terms of race and educa-
University.
tion and no official legal stipulations
In addition to West, three plenary
are blocking people of color from
speakers will be featured through-
any institution, Gordon says there
out the conference: Lucius Turner
are still hidden barriers.
Outlaw, Beverly Daniel Tatum and
“Cost and recruitment practices
Robert (Bob) P. Moses. Outlaw is
are some of the hidden barriers
a professor of philosophy and of
to college entry among people of
African American and diaspora stud-
color. So that’s why if you are
ies and associate provost for under-
going to study race in higher edu-
graduate education at Vanderbilt
cation, you must consider race in
University. He also teaches,
grades K-12,” he says. “If you ask,
researches and writes about African
‘why are there so few black men
philosophy, African-American phi-
in college?’ you must ask ‘why are
losophy, Marx, critical social theory,
there so few graduating from high
social and political philosophy, and
Transgender
(GLBT)
Today’s
Empowering
the history of philosophy in the
West.
Scholar, teacher, author, administrator and race-relations expert
Girls to be Tomorrow’s
World Leaders
Tatum is the ninth president of
Spelman College. Tatum is also a
clinical psychologist whose areas
of research interest include black
families in white communities, racial
identity in teens, and the role of
race in the classroom.
Moses has his own unique
approach to teaching. As a young
adult, Moses was a pivotal organizer
for the civil rights movement as a
field secretary for the Student NonViolent Coordinating Committee.
at a school in Tanzania, Moses used
his fellowship with the MacArthur
Information session
& activities begin at 3 pm
tours:
Foundation to develop the concept
Every Thursday at 10:45 am
October – February
for the Algebra Project. This project
(RSVP required)
mation age as important to educational access and citizenship for U.S.
urban and rural poor middle- and
seattle girls’ school
2706 S. Jackson St. 206-709-2228
admissions@seattlegirlsschool.org
www.seattlegirlsschool.org
On September 9th and the 30th,
from 8:30am -1:30pm Safeco,
CADA and community volunteers
will be performing exterior
improvements on two homes in
the Squire Park neighborhood.
Surrounding neighbors are invited
to join in.Volunteers, yard tools and
beauty bark will be available so that
you can spruce up your yard.
Please join us! For event details
or to volunteer, please call Erica at
(206) 328-6987.
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makes math literacy in today’s infor-
Safeco Insurance and Central Area
Development Association (CADA),
a Neighborworks® America
affiliate, are working to support and
strengthen the Central Area.
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Chairman of the math department
open house:
November 5, 2006 &
January 6, 2007
3–5 pm
Working
Together
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URING OUR COMMUNITY
STREETNSC
ENTER
named after the president emerita
47
about that, most times it is worse.”
school?’”
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However, Gordon has had opposite
The history of the issue is
immense. Race relations can affect
experiences at other universities.
students’ learning as well as teach-
“I had the experience of having a
ing. “In some instances, this issue
white student come to the door
happens in obvious ways,” Gordon
on the first day of class and turned
says. “A student of color walks
away because that could not be her
into a classroom of 28 and she is
class,” Gordon says. “She told her
the only student of color and there
friend who chased after her that
is an immediate culture shock and
she had never had a black professor
cultural adjustment.”
before.”
On average, most students at UPS
These experiences are not con-
would prefer to see more diversity
fined to the classroom. Gordon says
in their classes. “The biggest chal-
the greatest diversity on campus
lenge with UPS is that the minority
is often in athletics. “That is a
enrollment continues to be rela-
dynamic challenge that small liberal
tively low,” says Gordon. “Between
arts colleges have to confront,”
14-17 percent, a large portion,
Gordon says. “On the one hand,
are Asian American and Pacific
the university does an excellent job
Islander. African American students
of highlighting the fact that it has
are slightly more than 1 percent,
student athletes and that student
Native American students less than
status comes first to their athletics,
1 percent and others are just about
so their education is stretched.”
the same. White students are con-
Outside of athletics, diversity
sistently around 86 percent. That
still lacks in social clubs on cam-
is the major challenge we face and
pus. Recruitment efforts at the
the faculty percentages are best
university are embracing the issue
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49
of racial diversity more and more
and recruiting students in groups
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The Puget Sound community
as well as faculty, so that people do
plays an important role in the con-
not feel isolated on campus. “It’s
ference. An array of organizations
different experience for students
and institutions are involved with
when you are the only Latino or
the conference to help ensure that
Native American women,” Gordon
it has local, regional and social
says. “Then, you don’t have the
implications. Also involved are local
mass of friends that share your
art museums that will have coincid-
concerns so that you can influence
ing exhibits. Works by John Hall
the programs to reflect your culture
and Jacob Lawrence will grace the
on campus and ask questions about
halls of Kittredge Gallery, public
that. The question of faculty role
events will be held at the Museum
models is important as well, stu-
of Glass, Tacoma Art Museum, and
dents need to see minority faculty.”
Washington State History Museum.
Since December 2005, faculty,
50
quality educations.
The organizers also have invited
students, community members,
300 community leaders, scholars
civic leaders, business leaders, state
and educators from the community,
employees and other affiliates have
the region and across the country
been addressing the state of educa-
to present papers, which will help
tion for communities of color and
the community consider how to
found that there was an urgent
improve the racial-cultural experi-
need for common interests across
ence of all students in our diverse
the greater Puget Sound region, to
world.
begin an open dialogue about the
The Race and Pedagogy
importance of race and education
Conference is affiliated with
to ensure that all children receive
University of Puget Sound’s Civic
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51
Scholarship Initiative. CSI supports
Race & Pedagogy Conferece
programs that join together the
Sept. 14-16
local region and the university’s
253/879-3483
faculty and students in projects of
www.ups.edu/rpc.xml
mutual concern, partnering with
local organizations to solve prob-
resentative showings in all levels of
lems, develop policy, and educate
education.
the public on issues of regional and
national significance.
“It’s here now,” says Gordon
of the first Race and Pedagogy
In each area, people of color are
National Conference. The Race and
underrepresented in institutions of
Pedagogy Conference is not an end
higher learning. The conference is
point, but the beginning of a new
a way to bring together the various
age.
groups across the nation that are
“Race remains a central issue that
making efforts to have this conver-
all of us need to explore and educa-
sation and encourage collaboration
tion remains the primary gateway
to start programs of research in this
for success or failure, Gordon says.
area.
“If the students of poor and work-
Another important objective is
ing-class families of color do not
to maintain the momentum long
gain access to the great benefits of
after the conference. Gordon,
higher education, we will replicate
Bristow and others would like to
the injustices of the past.” n
see continuing conversations on this
topic, curriculum changes, increased
recruitment and retention efforts
for people of color and more rep-
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