Office of Multicultural Affairs holds summer events on race and racism

The Office of Multicultural Affairs held two special events to promote dialogue about race and racism in July. These events were fully virtual and open to the public, and saw strong attendance.
 
The first was a discussion on race and faith facilitated by Assistant Director of Multicultural Affairs Stephania Rodriguez and College Chaplain Rev. Eric Doolittle. Doolittle said, "Racism in the United Sates is deeply intertwined, with racism from slavery-promoting church leaders in colonial time to today's calls from faith leaders coordinating marches and rallies for justice and equality. Faith and racism is a place to reflect on our beliefs and discuss our faith connections to the moral challenge of racism and the possibilities we have to combat it."

The second was the launching of Project Re-Connect. Project Re-Connect was created by the Department of Education and Health Sciences as an informal book and movie club with a focus on racism towards the Black community. It gives North Central students, faculty, and staff a chance to come together and use media to start conversation. The first event in the project was a viewing of the film "Just Mercy," an adaptation of Bryan Stevenson's book about injustice toward Black Americans in the legal system. Assistant Professor of Education Jennifer Shah is the faculty advisor for the Project.