Throughout the past year, Propel families, scholars and the Propel team have witnessed so much that has impacted us in many ways. We experience trauma as we continue working through a life-changing global pandemic, as we witness unimaginable acts of violence and the unjustifiable deaths of Black people. Social unrest is gripping our country. This confluence of events swirls around us and we must confront each element to find positive and sustainable solutions.
As an organization, we have a voice and the opportunity to make change. We too must ensure we are educated on all things impacting the communities that Propel serves. We have to use our authentic voice and our active listening skills through these courageous conversations as we aim to be an anti-racist organization. We will purposefully work toward bringing about lasting change and a deeper understanding.
Watch Jeffrey Dessources, a dynamic public educator, author, and emcee of Haitian descent, depict the importance of being culturally responsive in the field of student development and what we need to do to better recognize how to do so: