Privilege, Power, and Difference Workshops August 17
From the Diversity and Multiculturalism Office:
Workshop with Dr. Allan Johnson
Friday, August 17
9—noon or 1–4 p.m.
Mabel Brown Room
“Our goal is to create a beloved community and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
Many people at Keene State have actively worked to create what we are calling an “Inclusive Excellence” plan. The plan will be available in September for additional feedback and reflection. The plan is intended to create a structure on campus that is sustainable and not person-specific. In order to continue our progress towards achieving one of our stated strategic goals, a workshop has been scheduled for Friday, August 17.
It’s essential for colleges and universities to examine their structures; in order to do this we must talk about power and privilege and examine how “business as usual” can act as a barrier to achieving our goals and aspirations associated with creating a more diverse, welcoming and inclusive environment. Public liberal arts colleges and universities, especially, have a responsibility to look at how the ways we do things reinforce the status quo. Dr. Johnson will use race as a frame to understand privilege so we can begin the essential conversations on how we do the work we do.
Allan G. Johnson is a writer, novelist, and public speaker who has worked on issues of privilege, oppression, and social inequality since receiving his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Michigan in 1972. He began this work in the 1970s with a focus on men’s violence against women. After 30 years of college teaching, he now devotes himself entirely to writing and public speaking. He has worked with more than 200 schools and organizations in 36 states.
We are told that there’s still room in the sessions, though copies of Dr. Johnson’s book (Privilege, Power, and Difference) may be limited. If you’re interested in attending, please RSVP for a specific session.
