In advance of the Feb.听13 Spring Diversity and Inclusion Summit, campus members are encouraged to dedicate 30 minutes to a听"One Read":听an article by Brian Arao and Kristi Clemens titled听"From Safe Spaces to Brave Spaces: A New Way to Frame Dialogue Around Diversity and Social Justice."
A Q&A on the campus "One Read"听with Alphonse Keasley,听associate vice chancellor for Office of Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement
What is a "One Read?"
A "One Read" is a concept for engaging a large community in a discussion about the same topic. Cities have used the concept (One City One Book) of听community reading projects as a way to get people in the city to all read the same book and discuss it. In this case, the article should take about 30 minutes to read:听a small amount of time to achieve a big impact on behalf of the campus. The discussions that follow will be a powerful and valuable piece of being open to new ways of being, thinking and doing.
Why do this particular reading?
I think it can help us come together as a campus to learn how to be brave enough to push a听challenging conversation forward. In this case, that conversation is about being an inclusive campus. I think the real goal is learning how to have that conversation, which is uncomfortable and quite frankly can be upsetting. It's not easy, and I think that is the main point here, being brave enough to take that first step.
How will the "One Read" work?
We hope to see the whole campus read this article and use the framework to have discussions about inclusion, not just at the summit, but in other spaces too. I would love to see discussions in听classrooms, but also have it take root on campus to the extent that we have an inviting听place to have these courageous conversations, with the goal of advancing our commitment to being a diverse and inclusive campus.
Will this be part of the summit?
Yes, there will be a facilitated discussion, and we encourage people to come and share their thoughts about the article and what it recommends for us as a campus. Full summit schedule.
