A Note from the DEI Office
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Over the past couple of weeks I have been able to explore different facets within the School of Social Work thanks to my field placement at the DEI Office. From joining committees to participating in event coordination, I have been able to establish meaningful and professional relationships with folks who work arduously to create intentional spaces that allow others to thrive and feel empowered. Consequently, I have been reconnected with a drive to work towards transformative community building within the school and beyond.
Jasmin Aramburu
MSW Intern
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Jewish Community, Race, and Social Justice with Ilana Kaufman
Tuesday, November 5
7:00-9:00 PM
1840 SSWB (ECC)
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Jewish Community, Race, and Social Justice: Ilana Kaufman’s talk, “Jewish Community, Race, and Social Justice” will discuss the intersection of U.S. Jewish identity and race, as animated by modern movements for social justice. Informed by community pain-points such as Jewish communal reactions to the Women’s March and the Movement for Black Lives Platform, Kaufman will explore notions of anti-Semitism, community and movement-building, and how to effectively partner with groups despite some fundamental disagreements and tensions.
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Resume Swap for First Generations Students of Color
Thursday, November 7
6:30-8:00 PM
1636 SSWB
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Come together with your fellow peers to swap resumes and to give and receive feedbac
k. Dr.
Rogério
Pinto will be present to give feedback and share some tips. Bring your resumes. Food will be provided.
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Separated: Family and Community in the Aftermath of an Immigration Raid
Monday, November 18
12:00-1:30 PM
1840 SSWB (ECC)
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In Separated, William D. Lopez examines the lasting damage done by a daylong act of collaborative immigration enforcement in Washtenaw County, Michigan. Exploring the chaos of immigration enforcement through the lens of community health, Lopez discusses deportation's rippling negative effects and what it looks like from the perspective of the people who experience it. Focusing on those left behind, he reveals their efforts to cope with trauma, avoid homelessness, handle worsening health, and keep their families together. There will be an opportunity to purchase the book. Lunch will be served.
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Transgender Awareness Week Keynote: Kavi Ade
Monday, November 18
6:30-7:30 PM
1840 SSWB (ECC)
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Speaking on race, gender, sexuality, mental health, domestic violence and sexual assault, Kavi’s work grapples with being set at the throne of violence and exploring the ways a body can learn to survive. Using art as resistance they create transformative dialogue that aims to combat supremacist powers and heal communities that have been harmed. Kavi received the Leeway Foundation’s Transformation Award that honors “women and trans*artists and cultural producers who create art for social change, demonstrating a long-term commitment to social change work.”
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Professor Osvaldo “Ozzie” Rivera and RicanStruction
Wednesday, November 20
5:00-8:00 PM
1840 SSWB (ECC)
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Join the New Leaders in African Center Social Work as they explore the connection of African-Hispanic roots in American History by Detroit based ensemble RicanStruction.
This performance/lecture approach will transform us on an Afro Puerto Rican musical journey through the Spanish Speaking Caribbean highlighting the significance of African-Hispanic presence.
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DEI Impact Awards Ceremony
Monday, November 25
12:00 PM
1840 SSWB (ECC)
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The Impact Awards will honor and celebrate the award winners and nominees and will recognize individuals who have made contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion. Lunch will be provided.
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Celebrate Native American History Month!
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Although the first "American Indian Day" was celebrated in May 1916 in New York, a month-long recognition of Native Americans did not happen until 1990. That year, President George H.W. Bush signed a joint congressional resolution designating November as National American Indian Heritage Month. Since then, the title has expanded to celebrate the heritage, history, art, and traditions of American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Each year, we honor the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors had lived in North America for hundreds of years. MESA and the Native American Student Association (NASA) collaborate with campus partners to bring a wide range of events that celebrate Native American culture with the University of Michigan campus community.
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DEI Highlights for Fall 2019
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Social Work and Social Justice Dialogues
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The School of Social Work’s Social Justice Dialogue Program was a six-week, co-curricular program facilitated by MSW students that was developed in collaboration with the University of Michigan Intergroup Dialogue Program. The goal for this program was to develop a means for students to develop the knowledge and skills for engaging in productive transformational conversations around challenging, and often contentious topics.
For Fall 2019, there were four dialogue groups, focusing on the following topics: Mass Incarceration and Immigration.
We are also happy to announce that the Dialogue Program was featured under ‘Unit Spotlights’ in the University of Michigan's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategic Plan
Year Three Progress Report.
Thank you to our excellent MSW dialogue facilitators: Aseel Abulhab, Hawa Hassan, Emily Osan, Tiana Jones, Julia Magas, Becky Montes, and Jasmine Rahming!
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Common Roots Meet and Greet Fall 2019
Common Roots Meet and Greet was a social event that allowed students, faculty, and staff of color to build community and get to know each other beyond the classroom. This year the event also focused on welcoming new students of color and gauging their interest in Common Roots.
Common Roots is a committee consisting of representatives from the SSW’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office, the LatinX Social Work Coalition, the Black Radical Healing Pathways, Association of Black Social Workers, the Office of Student Services and SSW Student Representatives.
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Beyond White Social Work Part 3
The purpose of this event was to explore how Afrofuturism informs Our knowledge in Social Work/Social Science fields. How we can Go Beyond what Beyond White Social Work means and its destination to explore the impact on emphasizing, listening, centering Black voices, as often Black experiences/pain are utilized as tools for others’ learning. The community event was organized to present social work beyond a white professional framework.
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SSW Bystander Intervention Training
The bystander intervention training was organized by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, for the purpose of building practical skills to promote inclusive, respectful and safe communities.
The training was specifically catered to the social work profession and was co-facilitated by SSW staff member and SSW alum, Dillon Cathro, and the Director of the U-M Educational Theatre Company, Amanda Ewing. The training was co-sponsored by Clinical Assistant Professor Justin Hodge in coordination with the DEI Office.
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DEI Student Spotlight: Jacqueline Ramsey
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Jacqueline is a Program Assistant in the School of Social Work’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This provided her the opportunity to dive deeper into DEI topics as it pertains to higher education and opportunities to coordinate projects and events. This experience also allowed her to work under the direct supervision of Lauren Davis, learning and growing as a young professional and advocator of DEI initiatives.
Some of the initiatives and projects that she had worked on during her time in the DEI Office include; Lunch and Discuss, Open Houses, Social Work and Social Justice Dialogues, Common Roots, African American Prospective Student Lunch and more. She says, ‘I am proud and honored to have these experiences, however, most notably, I am grateful for my experience with Common Roots.’ Common Roots is a committee consisting of student leaders, student organizations, O.S.S., and DEI. Common Roots allowed her to collaborate with some of the best minds within the SSW. Her efforts as part of Common Roots committee, produced the 1st and 2nd Meet & Greet for Faculty, Staff, and Students of Color. As Jacqueline is preparing for transitioning out of the school, the committee is dedicated to handing Common Roots over to the next class of dedicated students of color.
In her own words, “While I am still on my journey for what is next post-graduation, I know that the experiences I have collected within the DEI office are embedded within my practice. The position has allowed me to see DEI in everything that I do, both personally and professionally. The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has provided me with a foundation of recognizing my various identities and how I navigate a variety of spaces. As a result, I am often critically thinking about DEI topics and how I will incorporate it within my work.”
Jacqueline Ramsey
Program Assistant
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Toolbox for Social Workers
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Michigan’s Story: The History of Race at U-M
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CAPS: Groups, Lunch Series, & Workshops
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