October 5, 2020
IN THIS ISSUE
- Deliberative Dialogue on Race Matters Draws Record Participation, High Traffic on Social Media
- Accreditation Body Accepts Impact Report on Barry’s Quality Enhancement Plan
- Faculty Member Developing Curriculum for Tutoring Program Serving Recently Resettled Refugees
- Emphasis on Civic Learning and Leadership: Meet the 2020–2021 Barry Service Corps Fellows
- Students Urged to Register for Service-Learning Modules, Contact Facilitators for Guidance
- Barry Urban Garden Provides Collaborative Service Opportunities Addressing Food Insecurity
- Bread for the World’s Racial Wealth Gap Simulation Slated for Next Saturday, October 17
Deliberative Dialogue on Race Matters Draws Record Participation, High Traffic on Social Media
Participants Emphasize Need To Intensify Antiracism Education
By Glenn Bowen
The primary purpose of the first forum in the academic year’s Deliberative Dialogue Series was to clarify key concepts and provide a common language for engaging in conversations about race.
A five-member panel and two facilitators contributed to the dialogue. Clockwise from top, left: Ron E. Miles, T. Nikki Watkins, Dr. Fabio Naranjo, Dr. Pawena Sirimangkala, Charles Bell, Courtney Berrien, and Amanda Knight.
Race does matter. That is the main takeaway from the first forum in this academic year’s Deliberative Dialogue Series, which drew record participation and high traffic on social media.
Race matters because people of color matter, forum participants suggested. Race matters because it remains a primary basis for social and economic inequalities in society.
More than 150 students, faculty, staff, and community members attended the forum titled “Why Race Matters.” Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the public forum was held remotely (on Zoom, the video conferencing cloud platform) for the first time since Barry University’s Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) created its own brand of deliberative dialogue in 2012.
Five university and community stakeholders formed a panel to help the CCSI kick off the “Race Matters” series of moderated forums. They unpacked the concept of race and related terms, and then they delved into manifestations of racism in society. Toward the end of the 100-minute forum, the panelists and other participants emphasized the need to intensify antiracism education as well as to plan appropriate action to combat structural racism.
The panelists were Charles Bell, a graduate assistant in Barry’s Department of Campus Recreation and Wellness; Ron E. Miles, the diversity, equity, and inclusion facilitator and communications director for South Florida People of Color; Dr. Fabio A. Naranjo, an assistant professor of social work; Dr. Pawena Sirimangkala, an associate professor of communication and the director of Barry’s Honors Program; and T. Nikki Watkins, the program director at MCCJ (founded as the Miami Coalition of Christians and Jews).
Bell was only 7 when he first felt the impact of racism. The little Black boy was not invited to his White friend’s birthday party.
The current grad student would later stress that Black students need to look out for one another. “We need to educate ourselves. … When we stand together, we are powerful,” he declared during the forum on September 24.
Miles shed light on some of the negative effects of race relations and, in answer to a question, explained “white supremacy” and “white privilege.” For his part, Naranjo explained the connections between race and ethnicity and how race affects social identity.
Sirimangkala shared her experience as a Thai woman learning to navigate implicit racial rules in the United States. She also talked about “social constructionism” from a communication perspective, indicating how people share assumptions and jointly construct understandings of the world.
Watkins defined racism as “prejudice plus power to negatively impact someone’s life.” She pointed out that racism, particularly for people of color, was difficult to articulate before it was experienced.
“You [have] the experience of racism many times … before you can explain it or [before] you can express the fact that it is racism,” Watkins said. “You feel it first.”
Participating in the lively discussion on the topic of racism was Dr. Karen Callaghan, dean of Barry’s College of Arts and Sciences. Both she and Naranjo, the social work faculty member, advocated adherence to the example set by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose modus operandi was nonviolence and who envisioned “the Beloved Community.”
A sociologist and self-described activist for 40 years, Callaghan called racism “institutional oppression.” She added that white supremacy and various kinds of inequalities were institutionalized as part of an “insidious system.” Earlier, she said, “There is no scientific, genetic, or biological basis to racial identity.”
Addressing institutionalized racism is a way to share Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of “the Beloved Community,” Dr. Karen Callaghan, a sociologist, told forum participants. The live-streamed forum was viewed more than 2,000 times within 24 hours.
Callaghan ended her contribution to the forum by quoting from a 1970 letter from one activist to another. James Baldwin told the imprisoned Angela Davis that Black people should acknowledge the great price already paid in the fight against an oppressive system. And Black people should fight for her life as though it were their own—“For, if they take you in the morning, they will be coming for us that night.”
CCSI Associate Director Courtney Berrien co-facilitated the forum with Amanda Knight, a Barry Athletics associate director and the senior woman administrator. Both are members of the university’s Antiracism and Equity Coalition.
Dr. Phyllis Scott, dean of Barry’s School of Social Work, attended the forum. Scott is special advisor to the president for equity and social justice.
The forum was streamed to Facebook Live, the real-time video broadcast system. Within 24 hours, the live-stream was viewed more than 2,000 times.
The “Why Race Matters” forum was the first in a series drawing attention to race as a salient societal factor. Forums to come will examine the intersections of race and health, race and gender, and race and the environment.
Berrien said the primary purpose of the first forum was to clarify key concepts and provide a common language for engaging in conversations about race. She contextualized the deliberative dialogue by mentioning the value of diverse perspectives on issues that affect the community and by referring to recent racial unrest across the United States.
“People need a place [where] they can talk about race without the topic being contentious,” Berrien told forum participants. “They want to learn, understand different perspectives, and hear each other’s stories.”
Promotion and Facilitation Support
Deliberative Dialogue at Barry is a series of facilitated forums eliciting “voices and views from campus and community.” Students and alumni, faculty and staff, and community representatives take part in the forums, working toward a shared understanding of specific social issues and practical solutions to those issues.
The CCSI has thanked members of Barry’s Premier Events and Marketing teams who supported the academic year’s first forum, a virtual event. Team members include Keva Boone, project manager for the Department of Information Technology; and Guillermo Dopico, director of conferencing, media and learning spaces. Support by the Enrollment Marketing Strategy team came from Victor Santiago, social media coordinator; Martin “Marty” Hamilton, art director; and Karen Subran, account manager.
Stephanie Wong, the CCSI’s administrative coordinator, assisted with facilitation of the event.
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Fall Semester Thursday, September 24 Thursday, October 22 | Spring Semester Thursday, February 11 Thursday, April 15 |
Center for Community Service Initiatives | |
The series will continue on Thursday, October 22, at 4 p.m., with a forum titled “The Impact of COVID-19 on Black and Brown Communities—Did So Many Have to Die?”
For further information, contact Courtney Berrien, coordinator of the Deliberative Dialogue Series, at cberrien@barry.edu.
Accreditation Body Accepts Impact Report on Barry’s Quality Enhancement Plan
Barry University has institutionalized “personal and social responsibility” as an integral component of its undergraduate curriculum. This is the most significant outcome of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), as reported to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
The regional accreditation body for the Southern states, SACSCOC has accepted the QEP Impact Report.
Dr. Glenn Bowen, Barry’s QEP director, said: “We anticipated that the SACSCOC Committee on Fifth-Year Interim Reports would accept our QEP Impact Report ‘with comment’—and that’s what happened. It means that no additional report on the QEP will be required.”
Barry submitted its Fifth-Year Interim Report to SACSCOC in March. The QEP Impact Report was Part V of the Fifth-Year Interim Report.
“Through the QEP,” the QEP Impact Report says, “students have begun to demonstrate significant learning focused on elements of personal and social responsibility, which have been embedded in the core curriculum and in some major areas of study. Also as a result of the QEP, the quality of community engagement activities and related experiences has improved.”
Dr. Karen Callaghan, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, chaired the QEP Implementation Committee.
Faculty Member Developing Curriculum For Tutoring Program Serving Recently Resettled Refugees
Church World Service (CWS) is a U.S. refugee resettlement agency. CWS South Florida has made arrangements for the resettling refugees to receive various forms of assistance. A Barry faculty member, Dr. Jennie Ricketts-Duncan, is putting the finishing touches to an English language and reading curriculum for the new Americans.
Church World Service (CWS) South Florida will have its own English language and reading proficiency curriculum for recently resettled refugees, thanks to a faculty member in Barry’s School of Education.
Dr. Jennie Ricketts-Duncan, an assistant professor, is putting the finishing touches to the curriculum. It will cover English language and reading lessons geared to speakers of other languages.
During a recent service-learning orientation session for faculty, Ricketts-Duncan's ears perked up when she learned that there was a void in providing English language and reading lessons to new Americans who arrived in the country as refugees.
CWS South Florida Volunteer Coordinator Renata Bresciani-Ruiz said resettled refugees have not been able to attend in-person English language classes since the coronavirus pandemic-related shutdowns in March. Since then, she said, volunteers have been giving piecemeal lessons via remote sessions with resettled refugees.
A former subject matter expert for the Florida Department of Education, Ricketts-Duncan responded to this need by developing a curriculum titled Reading/Tutoring Curriculum for Migrant Families. She shared her initial plan at a recent planning meeting with Bresciani-Ruiz and CCSI staff.
Ricketts-Duncan will be rolling out the curriculum with new volunteers. She will use their feedback to make any necessary changes.
Expressing enthusiasm for the CWS South Florida project, Ricketts-Duncan said: “As one who heeded the call of teaching so many years ago, I believe that my purpose is to help every learner achieve their fullest potential. When they succeed, I succeed as well. This is simply who I am; one who is willing to assist anyone who needs my help.”
Church World Service describes itself as “a faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster.” CWS South Florida says it "welcomes, feeds, and clothes newcomers; reunites and strengthens families, and enables resettled immigrants to become self-sufficient and integrated members of US society."
For information on CWS South Florida tutoring opportunities, contact Liz James, experiential learning coordinator, at ljames@barry.edu.
Emphasis on Civic Learning and Leadership:
Meet The 2020–2021 Barry Service Corps Fellows
At the start of the academic year, 10 students resumed their roles as Barry Service Corps (BSC) Fellows. The students form the civic leadership cohort in a program designed to foster civic-mindedness.
They are Javier Bracho Muñoz, Erica Cruz, Joulinsa Jean-Charles, Minani Joseph, Luca McLeod, Martina Muñoz Chalan, Isaly Ortiz, Dai’Jonnai Smith, Alexis Toussaint, and Tatyana Wimbley
“The BSC Fellows cohort provides students who are passionate about social change with a vehicle for reaching their potential as community leaders,” explained Courtney Berrien, associate director of the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI).
Javier Bracho Muñoz
An international student from Venezuela, Javier Bracho Muñoz is majoring in psychology. He is in his second year as a BSC Fellow.
“I joined the BSC Fellows because I have a burning passion to ensure there is an even playing field for everyone—academically and economically,” Bracho Muñoz said.
By working with PACT last year, he supported community-driven policy changes in the areas of gun control and affordable housing. This year, Bracho Muñoz is supporting service projects in the Barry Urban Garden.
After completing his Barry degree, he hopes to attend graduate school and develop a career that helps others so that “they can live more functional and fulfilling lives.”
Erica Cruz
Erica Cruz is a commuter student majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry. She has contributed to social justice in Miami-Dade County through her participation on the Faith in Action team, working closely with PACT (People Acting for Community Together).
As a BSC Fellow, Cruz developed a project that blended animal rights work with advocacy for children with developmental challenges.
“I am passionate about animal rights,” she said.
After graduating next spring, Cruz hopes to attend veterinary school to prepare for a career as a small-animal veterinarian.
Joulinsa Jean-Charles
Now a senior, Joulinsa Jean-Charles is majoring in psychology with a specialization in forensics.
During her time as a BSC Fellow, Jean-Charles has traveled to Tallahassee twice with New Florida Majority to advocate criminal justice reform, particularly reform of the industrial prison complex.
After college, she aspires to work in helping, holistic, and therapeutic professions while also having her own private practice.
Finding ways to contribute to democratic engagement when she is not in school, Jean-Charles spent the 2020 summer encouraging others to complete the Census.
Minani Joseph
Minani Joseph is a computer science major from Stone Mountain, Georgia. He is passionate about contributing to the reduction, if not elimination, of food insecurity and hunger.
A former refugee from Rwanda, Joseph is the author of The Mindset of a Refugee: Understanding the Human Potential for Current and Former Refugees to Change Our Planet (New Degree Press, 2020).
Commenting on the BSC program, Joseph said, “I love leading schoolmates in community service while also learning about their social justice passions.”
Before he graduates next May, Joseph will continue to work closely with Church World Service South Florida as an advocate for refugees.
Luca McLeod
A senior studying computer information systems and psychology, Luca McLeod was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He spent his childhood living in London, England; Barcelona, Spain; and Koblenz, Germany.
McLeod has been an active participant in Barry’s Alternative Breaks program. As part of Alternative Spring Break 2019, he took part in the Tallahassee/Alabama immersion focused on racial justice. For Spring Break 2020, he was a member of the Barry group who went to The Bahamas to provide post-hurricane relief assistance.
McLeod plans to continue living as a global citizen, teaching and “being of assistance to humanity all over the world.”
Martina Muñoz Chalan
Martina Muñoz Chalan is a senior studying finance and international business.
“I was born and raised in La Paz, Bolivia, a country that is considered the poorest in South America. Growing up, I realized the difference between the privileges I had compared to the experiences of 39% of Bolivians who were living in poverty. Being exposed to that type of inequality has influenced my perspective about the powerful role money plays in the world. This is why I believe that ethical business models are important in global economies.”
As a BSC Fellow, Muñoz Chalan is applying this ethos in her support of Barry’s partnership with the Atelye Thevenet artisan cooperative. The cooperative, based in Jean-Rabel, Haiti, trains women in traditional Haitian arts while providing them with employment.
Isaly Ortiz
Isaly Ortiz currently serves as a co-chair of Barry’s Campus Democracy Project (CDP) Committee, which works to promote voter registration, voter education, and get-out-the-vote activities.
Ortiz has served in various roles in Barry College Democrats and Florida College Democrats as well as at the national level. She has also worked on several political campaigns in Miami-Dade County.
The Chicago native and fourth-year political science major is actively involved on the BSC Civic Health team and in BucsVote as part of the CDP.
Dai’Jonnai Smith
Dai’Jonnai (“D.J.”) Smith is the daughter of a military family. She grew up in communities across the globe, including her family home of Montgomery, Alabama. A senior studying athletic training, Smith has traveled to Haiti as part of Barry’s Alternative Breaks program, and she helped lead the Alternative Breaks program to Montgomery and Tallahassee in Spring 2019. Smith is passionate about women’s health issues. Through her role as a Fellow, she worked with Fanm Saj. Inc., to conduct research addressing the maternal mortality rate of women of color in South Florida. After graduation, Smith plans to attend graduate school to study occupational therapy.
Alexis Toussaint
Alexis Toussaint is a general studies major with a concentration in biology and is currently in her senior year.
A third-year BSC Fellow, Toussaint has contributed to the development of the Barry Urban Garden and served as a facilitator in more than 10 major Days of Service projects.
This academic year, as a member of the social justice team called Faith in Action, Toussaint is working with PACT (People Acting for Community Together). She is support PACT’s work on immigration reform because she is especially passionate about fighting negative stereotypes regarding immigration that are rooted in misinformation.
Tatyana Wimbley
Tatyana Wimbley is expected to graduate this December with a degree in athletic training and a minor in sports, exercise, and performance psychology.
“I have had the opportunity to work in various youth development, environmental relief, and social justice organizations,” Wimbley said as she reflected on her BSC fellowship experience. “This experience has helped me find my passion for educational equity.”
Wimbley enjoys watching young people develop character and confidence. Her passion for youth development led Wimbley to create a project to help adolescents interact with collegiate student-athletes.
She plans to attend the University of St. Augustine to pursue a doctoral degree in physical therapy.
Berrien provided further details: “Fellows work within teams to collaborate with community organizations, support community engagement programs, and develop civic leadership skills. Fellows practice advocacy, activism, community organizing, and other pathways to social change while addressing issues such as globalization, educational equity, civic health, and food security.”
The CCSI plans to expand the BSC cohort by the start of the spring 2021 semester. For additional information, contact Berrien at cberrien@barry.edu.
Students Urged To Register For Service-Learning Modules, Contact Facilitators For Guidance
Students will participate in service-learning remotely this semester because of the coronavirus pandemic. Service-learning and other civic engagement opportunities have been organized in modules.
The Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) is urging students to register for service-learning modules and to contact the module facilitators for guidance.
The modules address seven specific social issues—from civic health concerns to youth development issues. The others modules are listed as Fair Housing, Food Security, the Prison–Industrial Complex, Refugees and Displaced Peoples, and Urban Gun Violence.
| Service-Learning Modules |
| Civic Health Facilitator: Courtney Berrien – cberrien@barry.edu |
| Fair Housing Facilitator: Liz James – ljames@barry.edu |
| Food Security Facilitator: Kaitlyn Gallagher – kgallagher@barry.edu |
| Prison–Industrial Complex Facilitator: Gabriel Bouani – gbouani@barry.edu |
| Refugees and Displaced Peoples Facilitator: Liz James – ljames@barry.edu |
| Urban Gun Violence Facilitator: Liz James – ljames@barry.edu |
| Youth Development Facilitator: Gabriel Bouani – gbouani@barry.edu |
All current opportunities for service-learning from a distance are posted on a webpage, and further information is available from the CCSI via email at service@barry.edu or from Dr. Heather Johnson-Desiral, the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) project assistant, at qep@barry.edu.
Barry Urban Garden Provides Collaborative Service Opportunities Addressing Food Insecurity
The Barry Urban Garden (aka the BUG) continues to provide collaborative service opportunities that address food insecurity. Opportunities are available for students taking service-learning courses as well as for students who simply want to volunteer.
Students can carry out general maintenance tasks in the physical space outside Powers Hall on Barry’s main campus on Fridays from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
The BUG is a community agriculture initiative that provides produce to low-income residents of Miami neighborhoods that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has categorized as urban food deserts. The initiative is an institutional response to food insecurity.
Barry’s main community partner for this initiative is Urban GreenWorks, a local environmental and food-access organization whose Cerasee Farm is located in Liberty City.
For further information on the BUG, contact CCSI Program Facilitator Kaitlyn Gallagher at kgallagher@barry.edu.
Bread For The World’s Racial Wealth Gap Simulation Slated For Next Saturday, October 17
Bread for the World will present its Racial Wealth Gap Simulation on Saturday, October 17, for the benefit of Barry students, faculty, and staff.
“The simulation exposes the structural inequalities in federal policies and how these policies have impacted communities of color,” the organizers say. “Participants leave with a better understanding of the connections between racial equity, poverty, and hunger.”
Florence French Fagan, a Bread for the World regional organizer, will be the lead facilitator of the simulation. CCSI Program Facilitator Kaitlyn Gallagher and several Barry Service Corps Fellows will provide assistance.
Bread for the World uses “a collective Christian voice” to promote the elimination of hunger in the United States and other countries. The organization facilitates the writing of letters to officials, meetings with members of Congress, and work with others to end poverty and hunger.
Next Saturday’s event is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Registration is required. For additional information, contact Gallagher at kgallagher@barry.edu.
Contact Brittney Morales, Barry Service Corps program facilitator, at BriMorales@barry.edu.
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