Perspectives Against Racism: educational and socialization efforts at the departmental level.

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Public Health
• Education

Background:

• Heightened social awareness and anxiety due to violence against Black Americans necessitate safe academic spaces.
• There is a critical need to understand and address structural, social, educational, and health inequities impacting Black Americans.
• Existing approaches to addressing racism often fail to meet the need for comprehensive understanding and action.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide insight into a shared learning approach called Perspectives Against Racism (PAR).
• To create a forum for reflection, education, and civil discourse on racism within an academic setting.
• To move beyond didactics and identify actionable mechanisms for implementing change at individual, departmental, and institutional levels.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an existing 1-hour graduate elective seminar course.
• Engaged faculty, trainees, and staff in leading focused discussions.
• Explored concepts of unconscious bias, implicit bias, and individual/collective responsibilities in becoming antiracist.

Main Results:

• Established a safe space for learning, discussion, and exchange of ideas on racism.
• Facilitated examination of personal and institutional/systemic racism.
• Identified potential mechanisms for implementing antiracist change.

Conclusions:

• The Perspectives Against Racism (PAR) approach offers a unique, non-top-down model for academic institutions.
• This shared learning framework can be adapted for implementation at departmental, center, or institutional levels.
• The program aims to foster a more antiracist academic environment through collaborative dialogue and action.