Volume 6, Issue 4: February 10, 2022
R.I.S.E.* Up Newsletter
*Reinforcing Inclusion through Skill-building and Education
image of James Baldwin with quote - If I love you I have to make you conscious of what you don't see
Happy Black History Month!

At The Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion (CSDI), Black History Month is an opportunity to continue educating ourselves and our community on the past, present, and future. We invite our community members to continue to question the systemic injustices that were built years ago and how we are perpetuating these systems in our daily lives. It is essential to reflect on our implicit biases and how we can incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion on our campus through improved personal practices and collaborations. 

We must provide support and amplify our student voices, especially now more than ever. We asked Black Students in Action (BSA) members about their experiences in the organization, how it has helped them foster a sense of belonging, and promote an environment of activism now and for the future. 
"What does 'Black Students in Action' mean to you?"
“BSA is an organization that promotes and supports the identity of Black students here at John Carroll. It is an organization that allows for Black excellence to thrive and make it known here on campus. It's a family and one that I cherish more than anything!”

-Undergraduate Student, ‘22
“Students of color advocating for better duty of care with students of color at the school. BSA also means bringing issues of color in the community to the forefront of conversations for discussion.”

- Diversity Intern, ‘23

“What Black Students in Action means to me is having a voice. A voice to speak up for those who can't. A voice who never waivers to speak on what's right. To give Action to make change for their fellow African American students. That is what Black Students in Action means to me. Black History Month is a time to represent all of the Black beauty, History, Art, and the traditions of our ancestors.”

- Undergraduate Student ‘23
“Black Students in Action (BSA) means a unified community. BSA is a family, a safe space, and an organization that helps bring together Black students, minorities, and allies. We come together to uplift each other, plan how we can give back to the community, bring awareness, and host events on campus. Being a part of the board as Marketing Chair was a great experience. I hope BSA continues to take positive steps in the right direction to continue the growth and demands of our organization.”

- Undergraduate Student ‘22
We encourage our community members to continue to support BSA in their series of upcoming events for Black History Month, and encourage the entire JCU community to wear black attire on February 28th, to recognize that learning about Black History does not end in the month of February. 

Sincerely,
The Staff of the Center for Student Diversity & Inclusion
Read more from our University Newsroom: JCU Celebrates Black History Month
Division Announcements
Black History Month event:
Sankofa African-American Museum on Wheels
February 18 | 11 am - 4 pm | Dolan Science Center Atrium
Banner reads The Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion presents Sankofa African American History Exhibit on Wheels Friday February 18 2022 Dolan Science Center Atrium 11 am - 4 pm
The Center for Student Diversity & Inclusion will host the “Sankofa African-American Museum on Wheels” on Friday, February 18 from 11 am – 4 pm in the Dolan Science Center. This traveling exhibit features artifacts, pictures, paintings, articles, and more. All are invited to drop by during the day to walk through the exhibit. Light refreshments will be available during the lunch hour. Questions: contact Angela Aviquivil at aaviquivil@jcu.edu.

Faculty and staff members can receive 10 DEI Champions points for visiting this exhibit!
Black History Month event:
Second Annual African American Read-In
February 24 | 4:30 pm | virtual via Zoom
Image of a bookshelf with the words African American Read-in
JCU's Center for Student Diversity & Inclusion and the Office of Diversity at Ursuline College collaborate once more to host our 2nd Annual African American Read-In.

The African American Read-In was formed in 1990 by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English (www.ncte.org). This program is designed to make literacy an integral part of Black History Month.

Join us via Zoom to listen and share powerful pieces of spoken word poetry, excerpts from books, monologues from movies, and much more to honor past and current Black writers and artists.

Faculty and staff members can receive 20 DEI Champions points for participating in this event!
JCU joins the WKYC Community Read of The Sum of Us
Lunch-hour Zoom chats, Thursdays, Feb. 24-March 10, 12-1 pm
WKYC Community Read - the Sum of Us by Heather McGhee
This February, JCU joins the Greater Cleveland community of library patrons for the WKYC Community Read of Heather McGhee's 2021 New York Times bestseller, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together.

During the Community Read, the Cuyahoga County Public Library is making the ebook (and e-audiobook) available for multiple patrons' simultaneous use through its Overdrive digital lending library.

ALL members of the JCU community (students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends) are invited to participate in this Community Read by borrowing the book from the Cuyahoga County Public Library website and joining us via Zoom to discuss the book as a community.

We will meet on three consecutive Thursdays during the lunch hour to discuss the following chapters:
  • Feb. 24, 12-1 pm: Chapters 1-3: "An Old Story: The Zero-Sum Hierarchy;" "Racism Drained the Pool;" and "Going Without"
  • Mar. 3, 12-1 pm: Chapters 4-7: "Ignoring the Canary;" "No One Fights Alone;" "Never a Real Democracy;" and "Living Apart"
  • Mar. 10, 12-1 pm: Chapters 8-10: "The Same Sky;" "The Hidden Wound;" and "The Solidarity Dividend."

This is a "virtual lunch" program, so please feel free to bring your lunch to your computer with you and eat with us as we discuss the book.


Faculty and staff members can receive up to 45 DEI Champions points for participating our book read discussions.
CSDI Book Discussion: The Sun is Also a Star
Monday, February 14 | 12 pm | CSDI Lounge
Cover image of Nicola Yoon's book The Sun is Also a Star
Join CSDI to read and discuss Nicola Yoon's popular book (and basis of the film by the same name),The Sun is Also a Star.

This book read is in preparation for our upcoming virtual event with the author on March 22 ("From Labs to Literature: An Exploration of Purpose, Identity, and Passion with Nicola Yoon.")

We will gather to discuss the book on Monday, February 14, 2022, at 12 pm in the CSDI Lounge (located in the Lombardo Student Center, near the Jardine Room). Click below to register and reserve your copy of the book.
Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum of Graduate School
February-May, 2022
Image of the cover of the book A Field Guide to Grad School
The Graduate School, along with Career Services and the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion, invites undergraduate students in their junior or senior year, along with first-year graduate students, to participate in our discussion group "Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum of Graduate School."

Topics include:
  • How to select and apply for a graduate program
  • How to develop a strong mentoring network
  • How to make the best of your graduate student experience

Discussion sessions will be held on the following dates:
  • Thursday, February 10th
  • Thursday, March 3rd
  • Thursday, April 7th
  • Wednesday, May 4th

All sessions will take place from 5PM – 6PM with the option to attend in-person or via Zoom. Our discussion will be based on topics from A Field Guide to Graduate School: Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum by Jessica McCrory Calarco. Your complimentary copy of the book can be picked up from the Graduate School office in Suite AD 126 between the hours of 8:30AM and 5PM Monday – Friday.

In addition to the discussion group sessions, the Graduate School will be partnering with various departments here at JCU, providing workshops that will benefit you as you navigate the graduate school process.

For any questions, please reach out to Natia McKnight, Graduate Student Experience Advisor, via email, nmcknight@jcu.edu or by phone, 216-397-4204.
Safe Zone Training Returns
March 14 and 21, 3-4 pm | virtual via Zoom
promo image for Trans 101
Back by popular demand! We are pleased to announce that our partners at the LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland and OutSupport Medina are returning to offering two of our most popular virtual Safe Zone training programs again this spring. Please join us - and encourage your students, colleagues, friends, and classmates to attend.
promo image for LGBT 101
Monday, March 14, 3-4 pm
Trans 101 - a workshop for allies
facilitated by OutSupport Medina

Monday, March 21, 3-4 pm
LGBT 101 - a workshop for allies
facilitated by the LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland

Faculty and staff members will receive 15 DEI Champions points per SafeZone workshop they attend.
The Management and Human Resources Major at JCU presents:
Mental Illness and Friends
Tuesday, March 15 | 8:00 pm
Donahue Auditorium, Dolan Science Center
promo flyer for Mental Illness and Friends program
Mental Illness and Friends, created and hosted by Deena Nyer Mendlowitz, is a live comedy talk-show combining stand-up, improv, and open, honest dialogue with other artists dealing with mental health issues. Nyer Mendlowitz, who lives with anxiety and suicidal ideation, begins each performance with a new opening monologue, seamlessly weaving mental illness, real life, and laughter together. Each month she invites other comedians, improv artists, actors, and often a musical guest to perform and share a bit of their own mental health history. The hour-long show closes with an improv set based on topics discussed that evening. The results are hilarious, honest, enlightening, empowering, inspiring and leave both the performers and audience feeling a little more connected and understood. The show has played all around Cleveland and has been featured in USA Today and on NPR.

This program is presented as part of Disability Awareness Month and is co-sponsored by the The Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion; Ginn Institute for Corporate Social Responsibility; The Office of Student Accessibility Services; The Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; The Counseling Center; and the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), with support from the Mandel Fund for Conversation and Inclusion.

Faculty and staff members can receive 20 DEI Champions points for attending this program.
Three new DEI Champion badges this week!
Banner with photos of Amy Wainwright - Sherri Crahen - Laura Atkins - reads - Congratulations to our new DEI Champion Badge recipients!
We are very proud to announce several new DEI Champion badges among our JCU staff this week!

Earning both a BLUE and a GOLD badge this week:
  • Amy Wainwright, Head of Research, Learning, and Outreach - Associate Librarian, Grasselli Library

Earning BLUE badges this week:
  • Laura Atkins, Assistant Provost for Academic Success
  • Sherri Crahen, Vice President for Student Affairs

Are you a member of the DEI Champions program? Have you updated your participation points lately? Log on to the Canvas page and let us know what initiatives and programs you've been part of lately, so we can recognize you publicly for your efforts!

Our DEI Champion Badges recognize our faculty and staff members for their participation in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts here at JCU (and beyond). All members of the JCU faculty and staff, including part-time and temporary staff and graduate assistants, are eligible to become DEI Champions.
In other university news...
Student program: "Stereotypical" Get Together:
Knowledge, Action and Accountability
February 16, 5-7 pm | O'Dea Room
promo flyer for Stereotypical Get Together
Three seniors in the Arrupe Social Justice program will host a program on Wednesday, Feb. 16 covering the history of racial stereotypes and microaggressions and raising awareness of these issues at John Carroll. The program will feature a panel, workshop activity, and food from Chipotle. Open to students, faculty and staff.

Questions: contact Uche Ike (uike22@jcu.edu), Shania Johnson (sdjohnson22@jcu.edu) or Bradford Eason (beason22@jcu.edu).

Faculty and staff members will receive 30 DEI Champions points for attending this program.
JCU signs on to "Journey to Become a Laudato Si' Campus"
logo of the Laudato Si' action platform
Last Monday, in celebration of Mission Week 2022, University President Dr. Al Miciak signed a commitment letter for JCU to accept Pope Francis’s invitation to join the Journey to become a Laudato Si’ Campus.

JCU is one of over 100 universities that has committed to take concrete steps over the next seven years to promote the seven Laudato Si’ goals that flow from the Pope’s encyclical on integral ecology.
Campus Ministry Celebrates Black Catholics
Image of Sr Thea Bowman standing smiling before a group with her arms raised in prayer
In celebration of February being Black History Month, banners honoring four different Black Catholics are on display in Saint Francis Chapel. Campus Ministry will share the stories of these inspiring individuals during the four Sundays in February.

On Sunday, Feb. 6, Campus Ministry shared the story of Sister Thea Bowman and her inspiring work as an educator, evangelizer, and inclusive voice for Black Catholics and African-American culture in the Church. If you would like to learn more about Sister Thea Bowman click here. If you would like to learn more about the Thea Bowman Center right here in Cleveland, click here.
R.I.S.E. Higher: Featured Article of the Week
When a sudden, small expense threatens an entire college career
Some schools and nonprofits target the surprise hurdles — dorm deposits, rides to campus — that cause low-income students to drop out.
Karen Weese, The Washington Post, January 30, 2022

All he needed was a bus ticket. A single, one-way ticket to get from his home in Upstate New York to his first day of class at a college barely an hour away. It would have cost about $25.

He’d beaten the odds just to get accepted, filling out all the paperwork and meeting all the deadlines, despite growing up in a family in which no one had ever gone to college and attending a high school where a quarter of his peers wouldn’t make it to graduation. He’d earned several scholarships and registered for his courses. His bags were packed.

There was only one problem: He had no way to get there.

... Eighteen-year-old Giovanni Harvey had done everything right, but it wasn’t enough. His dreams of a degree were about to end before they started.
Announcements from our network...
Celebrate Black History Month at Cleveland Public Library
During the month of February, the Cleveland Public Library system will host a series of educational and family fun programs and activities about the Black experience. This year’s theme is "The Legacy, The Culture, and The Movement."

Programs include:
  • Honest Conversations, a speaker series examining the real experiences of Black women entrepreneurs
  • The Morning Grind, a three-part series about the Black experience
  • Uncovering Our Roots, A Three-Part African American Genealogy Workshop Series
  • Book reads, teen programs, family programs, and much more.
FutureChurch presents:
Black Catholic Women Religious: Agency and Obstacles
February 15 | 8:00 pm | virtual via Zoom
Diane Bates Morrow
Professor Diane Batts Morrow, author of Persons of Color and Religious at the Same Time: The Oblate Sisters of Providence, will offer a presentation on the accomplishments and trials of Black Women Religious in honor of Black History Month. 

While white society viewed women of color as lacking in moral standing, their standing as religious -- their vows of celibacy as an alternative to the skewed and corrupted views of black women's sexuality; their communal sense of spritual fervor; and their hard won agency and power proved both liberating and empowering. The Oblate sisters defied the inferior social status white society ascribed to them and the antagonism of the Catholic Church toward their emerging community. They successfully persevered in dedicating themselves to spiritual practice in the Roman Catholic tradition and their mission to educate black children during the era of slavery.
The YWCA of Greater Cleveland presents:
Jane Elliott - Go LIVE for Equity keynote
Friday, March 4 | 11:00 am | virtual via Zoom
Distinguished teacher and diversity trainer, Jane Elliot, will be joining YWCA Greater Cleveland and local students for Go LIVE for Equity Keynote Discussion this March!

At a time when political, cultural, and racial divides are on full display, we acknowledge that structural and institutional racism is often at the root. These divides have made it necessary for social justice organizations to work diligently to bring truth to today's divisive environment.

With that in mind, we are delighted to present a virtual student town hall on Friday, March 4th at 11 AM. Diversity expert and adapter of the "Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes" experiment, Jane Elliot, will present a keynote speech around issues of race, power, and privilege, specifically addressing today's hot button topic of Critical Race Theory. Then, Jane will answer questions from those who this topic affects most directly: local students. 

Join us for this powerful discussion and register for the Go LIVE for Equity Student Town Hall with Jane Elliot today!
The InterReligious Task Force on Central America and
the Social Justice Institute at Case Western Reserve University present
Liberation Lab:
A Social Justice Teach-In on Abolition & Environmental Justice
Sat., March 19 | 11:00 am - 3:00 pm | virtual via Zoom
Banner shows an image of a chain being broken apart by a sprouting plant. Words read Liberation Lab - A social justice teach-in on abolition and environmental justice - Sunday March 19 11-3 pm
The 22nd Annual Social Justice Teach-In is a great opportunity for high school and college students--as well as people of all ages-- to learn about critical human rights issues and to practice hands-on organizing and communication skills to work for peace, justice and human rights—here and across the hemisphere.

In pre-pandemic times, this annual event attracts up to 850 attendees per year, mostly from area high schools and colleges, providing participants with information, practical skills, and resources to support social justice programming at their schools, places of worship, and other community groups. Many JCU students, faculty and staff have attended and benefited from this annual event over the past two decades!

This year's event is VIRTUAL, allowing participants from all over the world. Click below to register now. Students are always free!
Other articles we're reading this week ...