Office of the Vice President for Diversity | Diversity Newsletter
February 2021 Issue
Black History Month
We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For!

The Black/African American Cultural Center is excited to invite you to be a part of Black History Month 2021. Join us in community, education, enlightenment, and celebration as we engage in our theme We are the ones we have been waiting for – Alice Walker! In collaboration with various campus partners and student organizations, we have a range of events we would love for you to join us in.

Join us Wednesday, February 17 at 6:00p for our Keynote Speaker, Wesley Hamilton, in partnership with RamEvents and the Student Disability Center.

For more questions, please visit our website at baacc.colostate.edu or contact us at baacc_email@mail.colostate.edu or 970-491-5781.

Visit B/AACC's event website for a full list of programs and information.
Black/African American Cultural Center launches fund to support Black history, culture at CSU

The killing of 46-year-old George Floyd by Minneapolis Police on May 25 reignited the nationwide Black Lives Matter movement and related protests in the U.S. and globally throughout the summer of 2020. As a result, a generous donor has provided funds to Colorado State University’s Black/African American Cultural Center (B/AACC) to formally establish the University’s first Black Empowerment and Equity Fund.

The new fund will support two of the B/AACC’s programs. A new week-long Civil Rights Alternative Spring Break trip is designed to bring Black and African American CSU students to historic sites of events that shaped the U.S. Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, and GPS (Giving Back, Empowering, Strengthening Our Culture) will provide Black and African American youth in grades 3-12 in Fort Collins a pre-college mentorship facilitated by CSU students. Continue reading

“There are several ways to support Black and African American students at Colorado State University,” said Bridgette Johnson, managing director of diversity, equity, inclusion and student success with CSU’s Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and former director of B/AACC. “This is one that would impact several students at one time and that will continue to give back to our community.”
Federal executive actions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion
Tracking Equity-Focused Federal Actions
After a difficult several years in the realm of federal support for equity and socially just actions and initiatives, we are taking time to celebrate the exciting announcements that have been made by the current administration. While there is much anxiety and stress still weighing heavy on our communities, especially as the pandemic continues spreading, it is important to find little moments of joy in order to fill our cups with the resolve we need to continue on the road ahead.

The systemic and pervasive injustice in our systems and society will not simply be solved by a series of Executive Actions. However, these actions signal support and understanding of equity and racial justice at the highest level in our country and that signaling enables an expansion of further work and efforts. Without fear of retribution for centering diversity, equity, and inclusion education, our work can continue to improve and invite others in.

This list of actions will be edited as more news is released and resources are created as they relate to DEI work, efforts, and initiatives. We invite you to join us in educating yourself and celebrating these milestones


College of Health & Human Sciences Social Justice Speaker Series
Dr. Nolan Cabrera, associate professor at the University of Arizona, will present “White Immunity: Working Through the Pedagogical Pitfalls of Privilege.”

Coordinated by the CHHS Diversity and Equity Advisory Committee

Virtual Lecture
Wednesday, February 3, 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
Free and open to all!

Dr. Nolan Cabrera is an associate professor at the University of Arizona’s College of Education. His area of study is focused on racial dynamics on college campuses, with a particular focus on Whiteness.
Community Activism and Racial Equity Initiatives
Exploring local initiatives and what you can do to support people of color in our Fort Collins community.

Monday, February 8
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

A Dialogues Around Difference event from the Committee for Social Justice in the School of Social Work

Recognizing that intersectionality—how race, class, gender, and other individual characteristics “intersect” with one another and overlap—impacts social justice and human rights issues, this dialogue will explain how one local community organization has used data on intersectionality in the Fort Collins area to advance their mission for racial equity.

About the Presenter: Sabrina Santos is one of the founding members and the Volunteer Coordinator for the People's Initiative for Equity (also known as FoCo P.I.E.), a Fort Collins community group. Sabrina has been a community organizer and activist for over 5 years, who began by organizing small rallies as a college student. Sabrina is passionate about building community and a greater understanding of the intersections between a wide variety of humanitarian issues.
GROC Writes
Designed for graduate students and researchers of color to support their manuscript and proposal writing as we build a community of writers at CSU. Writing is easier when done among a community.
 
write. early. often. better. together.
 
This suite of offerings includes: 2 workshops, 2 retreats, weekly group-writing sessions, and an end-of-semester celebration of writing accomplished. All events will be held remotely on either MSTeams or Zoom.

Research and Assessment Dialogues Spring 2021
Hosted by the Division of Student Affairs

Mark your calendars for five research and assessment presentations on a range of topics, offered during the spring 2021 semester. All are welcome.

February 25 “Confluences of Student Leadership and White Privilege”

March 11 “Unpacking White College-Students’ Experiences in Serving as Social-Justice Allies”

March 23 “The Impact of Health and Well-being on CSU Student Academic Performance”

April 1 “Strolling & Straddling Academic Boundaries: A Critical Feminista Study on Motherscholars in Higher Education”. 

May 5 “Relationships between working-class, first-generation college students and their parent(s)/guardian(s): A phenomenological study on the impacts of middle-class socialization”

­­­­­­­­­­Please RSVP to david.mckelfresh@colostate.edu to receive a Zoom invite.

Colorado State in pursuit of ‘Age-Friendly University’ status
Colorado State University is making headway toward its goal of becoming an “Age-Friendly University,” a designation that recognizes a culture of lifelong learning and age-inclusivity across programs and practices in institutions of higher education.

To aid in the pursuit of AFU status, the Center for Healthy Aging is working on a gap analysis to better understand the current climate and culture of age-friendliness and age-inclusivity in the campus community. Those affiliated with CSU are invited to take part in a survey to identify current gaps and opportunities for growth.

All survey responses are anonymous and only group summary data will be analyzed. The survey will be open until Feb. 22, and is available at this link.

Student Demands Updates
The Student Demands website has been updated with various actions and progress made across the university.

Thank you!
Thank you for staying engaged and making it to the end of a very full issue of the Diversity Newsletter! We appreciate your support.