February 22, 2021

IN THIS ISSUE

• Women’s Resilience Touted at ‘Race Matters’ Forum Focused on Long-Standing Gender-Based Violence
• Human Resource Development Practicum Designated as Service-Learning Course
• Community Engagement Awards: A Look Back at the List of Last Year’s Winners
• Service-Learning Faculty Fellowships Available for 2021–2022 Academic Year

Women’s Resilience Touted At ‘Race Matters’ Forum Focused On Long-Standing Gender-Based Violence

Third Forum In Deliberative Dialogue Series

By Glenn Bowen

In the face of long-standing violence against them, women of color have shown remarkable resilience. Dehumanized in society, treated as sexual objects, and “socialized to be silent,” they have had enough.

A small assemblage of community and university women conveyed those messages during a public forum earlier this month.

The women shared their experiences, and those of others, in navigating a society that has subjected Black women to state-sanctioned violence. Two talked about their encounters with the police, and all had something to say about the general marginalization of women of color.

It was the third forum in the 2020–2021 Deliberative Dialogue Series, “Race Matters.” The focus of the 90-minute forum—titled “Say Her Name! Working for Social Justice at the Intersection of Race and Gender”—was police violence experienced by women of color.

Serving on a panel of key participants were Tray Johns, a cofounder and the executive director of FedFam4life and Dignity Power; Alexandra Lavado, a Barry master’s student in clinical psychology; Dr. Sharron Singleton, an associate professor and the director of doctoral studies in the School of Social Work; and Barry alumna Quayneshia Smith, the South Florida regional organizer for Dream Defenders.

Dr. Laura Finley, a professor of sociology and criminology, and Dr. Pamela Hall, an associate professor of psychology, were the forum facilitators. Finley is an organizer of the College Brides Walk, an annual event that brings awareness to the impact of domestic violence. Hall is the new director of the Africana Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences. 

“We are socialized to be silent,” Singleton said as she and other panelists emphasized the need to “Say Her Name.” That’s an allusion to the national campaign that gathered more momentum last year in the wake of the killing of a 26-year-old Black woman named Breonna Taylor by police officers who raided her home.

The #SayHerName campaign seeks to raise awareness of police brutality against Black women and to highlight the gender-specific ways in which Black women are disproportionately affected by fatal acts of racial injustice. 

Near the start of the deliberative dialogue via Zoom, attendees viewed an excerpt of Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw’s TED Talk titled “The Urgency of Intersectionality.” Crewnshaw is a cofounder and the executive director of the African American Policy Forum, which created the #SayHerName campaign in 2014.

The notion that “resilience is part of [women’s] DNA,” as Singleton put it, resonated with forum participants.

The all-woman group of community and university representatives who brought their voices and views to the forum prompted dialogue among participants. There were some 600 attendees via Facebook Live. 

Participants left the forum with the understanding that there was urgent work to be done when it comes to understanding and combating racialized violence. They should educate themselves—there are some good books, such as Invisible No More: Police Violence Against Black Women and Women of Color, to help them do so. Barry students could get involved in the work of Dream Defenders—there is a service-learning/civic engagement module that draws on expertise from that activist organization. And social media can be used effectively to keep the fight for racial justice front and center.

Civic Learning and Engagement

The annual Deliberative Dialogue Series serves as a method of civic learning and engagement in addressing hot-button social issues. Organized by the CCSI (Center for Community Service Initiatives), the series brings together students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community partners to weigh perspectives on the issues and to work toward practical solutions.

The current series is designed to engage representatives of diverse social groups in productive and respectful dialogue about race. The four-part series began on September 24 with a forum titled “Why Race Matters.” The series continued on October 22, when campus and community stakeholders—asking “Did So Many Have to Die?”—explored the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on Black and Brown communities.

The final forum for this academic year will be on April 15, when attention will turn to climate change and its disproportionate effects on communities of color.

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Human Resource Development Practicum Designated As Service-Learning Course

HRD 678: Practicum in Human Resource Development has been approved for the service-learning designation. Last week, the Service-Learning Designation Committee informed Dr. Katsiaryna Matusevich that her application was successful.

The service-learning component of HRD 678 engages students in the role of human resource development/organizational development consultants to organizations in the community. Specifically, students are required to complete needs assessments and analyses, deliver appropriate interventions, and report results to the organization while helping to build organizational learning, talent, and leadership capabilities.

HRD 678 serves as a capstone experience for students pursuing the M.S. in human resource development (HRD). Matusevich, the course instructor, is an associate professor and the MSHRD program director. She is participating in the Service-Learning Faculty Fellows Program this academic year. 

The CCSI is inviting faculty members whose courses include a service-learning component to apply for the service-learning designation. Service-learning courses demonstrate the value of applied learning, student engagement with the community, and critical reflection. 

Sections of courses, internships, practicum assignments, field education, capstones, community-based research, and similar community-focused or community-based work may be designated as service-learning. Additional information and the application form are at the CCSI website.

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Community Engagement Awards: A Look Back At The List Of Last Year’s Winners

As the Community Engagement Awards Committee reviews this year’s nominations, here is a quick look back at last year’s award winners:

Two students and a student club, five faculty members, two community partners, and a department were among the winners of the major awards for community engagement. In addition, a student was recognized for service.

The recipients of awards in the Community Partnership category were New Florida Majority and PACT: People Acting for Community Together.

On behalf of the university, the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) presents awards annually for achievements in various areas of community engagement. The CCSI will host the eighth annual Community Engagement Awards on April 7, beginning at noon.

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Service-Learning Faculty Fellowships Available For 2021–2022 Academic Year

A small number of service-learning fellowships will be available for the 2021–2022 academic year. Full-time faculty members who teach undergraduate or graduate courses are urged to apply before the March 1 deadline.

The Service-Learning Faculty Fellows Program is designed primarily to enhance the quality of service-learning courses and to promote the scholarship of teaching and learning based on the pedagogy. Service-learning fellows attend professional development seminars and participate in the Faculty Learning Community for Engaged Scholarship. 

For further information on the Faculty Fellows Program, contact the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI).

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