Nov. 28 Panel Discussion: A critical conversation about systemic racism throughout the education system

The University Senate and Office of Diversity & Inclusion are hosting a panel on Monday, Nov. 28, at 3 p.m. in the Memorial Union titled “Can we talk about this? A critical conversation about systemic racism throughout the education system.”

Registration for the panel is available here. Please register by Nov. 14 to attend.

The panel will be moderated by Robert Newman, professor and director of graduate studies in biology, and a full list of panelists will soon be available. Currently included are Tamba-Kuii Bailey, special assistant to the president for diversity & inclusion, Beth Klemetsrud, assistant professor of chemical engineering and Anne Kelsch, director of faculty development for TTaDA.

For questions about registration, please contact Sarah Green at 701.777.2438 or sarah.m.green@und.edu.

For questions about the panel, please contact Robert Newman or Tamba-Kuii Bailey.

About the panel

Education sometimes involves encounters with truths that challenge how we see the world, ourselves, and each other. Teaching about systemic racism is a controversial subject, but failing to help students understand the issues makes it more difficult to implement solutions. The goal of this event is to share perspectives on the role of the education system (K-12, Higher Ed) in providing an evidence-based education at all levels, in an age/grade appropriate way, to inform citizens about the history and ongoing challenges connected to systemic racism.

By extension, we have to acknowledge that racism and avoidance of difficult conversations may also be embedded in our current education system, both in curriculum and policies. To move from words to actions and achieve our stated vision for diversity, equity, inclusion and justice, we must reflect on how racism is manifested in the education system and how we can make necessary changes. Our panel of education scholars and practitioners will discuss these issues, with time reserved for audience participation.