PROVIDENCE – Washington, D.C.-based Association of American Colleges & Universities announced in August Brown University is among 10 schools chosen across the nation to host sites for its Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation pilot program.
Funded by Newman’s Own Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, these schools will participate in programming aimed at educating, preparing and inspiring the next generation of leaders who will, according to the AAC&U statement, “advance justice and build equitable communities.”
The 10 schools chosen out of 125 applicant institutions are:
- Austin Community College in Austin, Texas
- Brown University in Providence
- Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn.
- Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss.
- Rutgers University in Newark, N.J.
- Spelman College in Atlanta
- The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in Charleston, S.C.
- University of Hawaii at Mānoain Honolulu
- University of Maryland Baltimore County in Baltimore
“The high level of interest and commitment from higher education institutions to engage in the difficult, yet deeply necessary work to address racism within our communities is, in itself, a hopeful step in the process of transforming our country’s racial narrative and preparing students to be change agents,” AAC&U Vice President Tia Brown McNair said in a statement.
Schools were chosen in a competitive application process based on their ability to create positive narratives about race, identity and their implications within the community. Each institution will receive an initial $30,000 award to develop and implement strategies, which engage and empower campus and community stakeholders, “to uproot the conscious and unconscious biases and misbeliefs that have exacerbated racial violence and tension in American society,” according to the announcement.
An advisory board – made up of national experts and advisers – will act as a support mechanism to the schools throughout this multiyear program.
Emily Gowdey-Backus is a staff writer for PBN. You can follow her on Twitter @FlashGowdey or contact her via email, gowdey-backus@pbn.com.
