West Chester U Prompting Public Conversation On Race Issues

WEST CHESTER, PA — West Chester University is hosting a virtual public conversation about race on Saturday.

The university said it wants to "act as a catalyst for U.S. social change at a time when a plethora of racial injustices fester on humankind amid another fatal pandemic."

The event, Courageous Conversations About Race, happens Sept. 26, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., and will gather the WCU community with neighbors from across the state. Topics "that have fractured society — bystander intervention, healing and restoration, implicit bias, race relations in the workforce, and white fragility — are on the day's agenda.

The live, open discussion is sponsored by West Chester University, the WCU Alumni Association, the WCU Frederick Douglass Institute, and St. Paul’s Baptist Church in West Chester.

During the discussion, participants will be divided into one of five groups led by a moderator who is prepared to guide a conversation that will explore uncomfortable issues. As each group reflects on material assigned at the time of registration, participants will be asked to engage openly and honestly with each another.

Upon the conclusion of the group discussions, participants will rejoin the larger group, share what they have learned, and develop action steps that each will "own" to activate social change. A second conversation is expected to be coordinated following the 2020 presidential election.

"Our nation has reached its tipping point and an exhausted generation has evoked a call to action," said WCU President Chris Fiorentino, Ph.D.

"For civil rights, this is not a moment. It is a movement that requires engagement in critical thinking and problem solving to address systemic racism and inequities. The time is more than right for us to foster meaningful conversations about guaranteeing, protecting, and practicing civil rights. It is the right thing to do," Fiorentino said.

West Chester University said it "stands aligned in its fight for equality for all and has been nationally recognized for its continuing efforts."

On September 1, the University received the 2020 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. The HEED Award is a prestigious honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion, and that weave the essential principals into the everyday work being done on some campuses.

Community members who wish to attend the virtual event may register here.