Volume 6, Issue 9: April 21, 2022
R.I.S.E.* Up Newsletter
*Reinforcing Inclusion through Skill-building and Education
Desmond Tutu photo with quotation - If you are neutral in situations of injustice you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.
Photo of mug bearing the phrase -- I've got 99 problems and white heteronormative patriarchy is basically all of them.
I have a coffee mug that was given to me as a Christmas gift by a dear friend. It reads “I have 99 problems, and white heteronormative patriarchy is basically all of them.”

The mug is, of course, intended to be humorous, and like most humor, it is funny because there is more than a bit of truth to it. However, someone told me this week that they found the mug’s sentiments insufficiently inclusive for a person who works in a DEI office. This concern is worth examining, because it highlights a very important question about what it means to be a person committed to the work of inclusion.

Let’s start with the claim here about three major “problems”: heteronormativity, patriarchy, and whiteness. What makes them problems? 

  • Heteronormativity is the fundamental assumption of heterosexuality as a cultural norm. For those who care about human dignity, this system is a problem because it privileges heterosexual identity and relationships while rendering LGBTQ+ people invisible, or treating them as second-class citizens. 
  • Patriarchy is a hierarchical system that privileges men and masculinity, positioning them over women and femininity. For those who care about fairness, this system is a problem because it produces inequities and oppression based on gender. 
  • Whiteness is a social identity marker originally created to enforce and consolidate power among people of certain cultural groups in order to facilitate the oppression of all those labeled “non-white.” For those who care about human equality, the system of white dominance is a problem because it privileges white appearance and cultural practices as normative, while reinforcing inequities based on race. 

That most important point here is that the “problems” being called out are with systems, not with individual people. There are plenty of people (including me!) who identify as heterosexual and/or white and/or masculine, and who also care about dignity, fairness and equality. The problem is with the systems that produce unfair advantages for people with these identities, while actively harming those who don’t share them. Heteronormativity, patriarchy, and white dominance are only three examples of such harmful systems.

So the heart of the question here is: who feels excluded by our naming these three systems as problematic? It is likely true that some individuals do believe that it is acceptable (or even right and good) to attach cultural norms and privileges to whiteness, masculinity, or heterosexuality. There is a long history of how and why these beliefs have persisted over time. If a person embraces such a belief, then that person may well feel uncomfortable or excluded when someone else identifies those systems as problematic. 

Is that our intent in the DEI work that we do? Is it wrong to make some people feel uncomfortable or excluded?

Some people believe that the main goal of the DEI practitioner or department is to make everyone feel comfortable, and to ensure that all beliefs and viewpoints are equally included.  But universal comfort is not actually our first priority in DEI work. The primary goal of the DEI practitioner is, rather, to interrogate and dismantle systems that benefit some people by harming others. We cannot create truly equitable and inclusive spaces while also preserving harmful systems.  Neither can we truly value and appreciate (let alone improve) our diversity if these systems and beliefs remain unquestioned. Of course, questions can instigate change, and change feels uncomfortable. DEI work, when it is done properly, invites both change and discomfort.

Of course, the end goal of the work of inclusion really is universal well-being, because true inclusion ensures that ALL people feel welcome and safe where they work, live and study. However, the hard truth is that our workplaces, communities, and schools are not now (and never have been) equally safe or comfortable for all people. Our work in DEI is about asking why that is the case – and then changing the systems that keep it this way.  Correcting the problems of heteronormative, patriarchal, and white-dominant systems ultimately provides for everyone (including those who identify as heterosexual, masculine, and/or white, as well as those who do not) to feel truly included.

We have the moral responsibility to step forward and name the problems we face, honestly and with courage. It is only then that we can start the critical work of fixing the problems, in order to finally become the community we are charged with building: a place where all CAN feel equally safe, welcome, and that they belong.
Megan Wilson-Reitz

Sincerely,
Megan Wilson-Reitz
Interim Manager for DEI Programs
Division Announcements
Come celebrate our St. Martin de Porres Work-Study Students!
Friday, April 29 | 1:00 pm | O'Connell Reading Room
John Carroll has been fortunate this year to welcome a few excellent St. Martin de Porres students who have worked with us all year through the Corporate Work Study program. As we approach the end of the academic year, our CWSP students have been preparing presentations about their professional experience and growth this school year. 
 
Please join us on Friday, April 29, 2022 at 1:00 pm in the Reading Room of the Dolan Science Center to view these students' brief presentations, and celebrate them with light refreshments at a reception immediately following. All students, faculty and staff are invited to join us.  (Please RSVP to allow an accurate count for catering.)
Multicultural Recognition Program promotional image
This year the Center for Student Diversity & Inclusion will celebrate our 10th Annual Multicultural Recognition Program on May 5, 2022, at 6 pm.

This year's event will be in person after having the program for virtually the last two years. We are absolutely thrilled to celebrate our 120 undergraduate and graduate students who come from historically marginalized backgrounds!

This year, our seniors will receive first-generation cords (first in their family to attend a college) and lavender cords (graduating LGBTQIA+ community members and their allies) at the event and the Kente Cloth, a Graduation Stole.

This highly popular event is by invitation only, but there is some standing room available for a limited number of faculty and staff. If you would like to attend in order to celebrate these amazing students, please contact Selen at azarrelli@jcu.edu.
Eid al-Fitr is coming up!
Image of fireworks with the words Eid Mubarak and DEI Division logo
On Monday, May 2, the Muslim community will celebrate the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, the Feast of the Breaking of the Fast. This feast marks the end of the month-long Ramadan fast. It is a major holiday celebrated by gathering with family and friends.

We wish all of our Muslim colleagues, friends, family and community members a very happy and blessed Eid!

(Students, faculty and staff: mark your calendars now for Tower Time on Wednesday, May 4, which will feature some extra Eid flavor!)
Announcing three new DEI Champions!
Banner reads Congratulations to our new DEI Champion Badge Recipients with image of blue badge
We are very proud to congratulate three more members of the JCU staff who have received blue DEI Champions badges this week:

  • Christine Horwath, Administrative Assistant, Dept. of Math and Computer Science and Data Science
  • Mary Ann Hanicak, Manager of Student Life Programs, Division of Student Affairs
  • Julia Arnold-Hess, Administrative Assistant, Arrupe & Honors Programs

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.

SAVE THE DATE now for our DEI Champions Luncheon on Thursday, May 19! All participants in the DEI Champions program are invited to join us. Watch for an event RSVP coming soon!
Other events across the University...
The Dept of Political Science presents
the Annual Woelfl Seminar in Public Policy:
Moving Beyond the Rhetoric:
Moving Toward Safer and Fairer Policing in the U.S.
Thursday, April 21 | 5:30 pm | Donahue Auditorium
Flyer for Police Reform talk April 21
This year's Woelfl lecture will feature Dr. Natasha Johnson and Dr. Thaddeus Johnson, both professors at Georgia State University, on the topic of police reform in the United States.

Dr. Thaddeus L. Johnson, a former ranking law enforcement official in Memphis, TN, is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice & Criminology at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. His research and publications focus on police policy and innovations, urban violence, crime control, and racially disparate justice outcomes.

Dr. Natasha Johnson is a faculty member in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Georgia State University. She also serves as the director of the M.I.S. program in Criminal Justice Administration. A career educator since 2001, her research is focused on critical theory, equity, and social justice leadership, particularly within the K-20+ sector. Her other research areas include intersectionality, educational law, policy, and governance, and curriculum development.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Andreas Sobisch at sobisch@jcu.edu.
The Panhellenic Council and Take Back the Night present:
Denim Day service event for survivors of sexual assault
Wednesday, April 27 | 5:00-7:00 pm | LSC Conference Room
Promotional flyer for Denim Day service program
Take Back the Night and the Panhellenic Council will host a service event for survivors of sexual assault on Denim Day, April 27th, from 5-7 in the LSC.

Participants will be assembling bags with essentials for survivors living in a local shelter. Spaces are limited, so sign up in advance!

Questions: contact atimm24@jcu.edu or dortiz22@jcu.edu.
Sexual Violence Awareness Panel
Wednesday, April 27 | 7:30-8:30 pm | Donahue Auditorium
For this Arrupe Program senior project, invited panelists from different organizations will be sharing stories and information about sexual violence and its prevention.

Invited panelists include:
  • Gabriella Kreuz '14, Founder, Love Doesn't Shove
  • Marina Giannirakis, '17, Victim Advocate at the Journey Center for Safety and Healing
  • Jamie Greenwolf, Coordinator of Student Wellness, JCU

Questions: contact aheishman22@jcu.edu.
The Writers in Residence Program presents:
Creating a New Story: Reentry Writers and Poets
Thursday, April 28 | 7:00 pm | Rodman A
How can poetry help free incarcerated voices and change lives?

Join us for this poetry reading and a panel discussion focused on the reentry community–those who have recently left incarceration. We will have readings from the words of Writers in Residence writers, JCU student panelists, Writers in Residence alums, and Teaching Artist Latisha Ellis, proceeded by a panel discussion about creative expression and the challenges of reentry.

Sponsored by the Peace, Justice, and Human Rights program and the Department of English at John Carroll University, and Writers in Residence, in association with the Cuyahoga County Reentry Advocacy and Policy Committee’s 2022 Reentry Week.
R.I.S.E. Higher: Featured Article of the Week
Pronouncing Students' Names Correctly is Important. Here's How.
Fernanda Zamudio-Suarez, The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 12, 2022

At Prince George’s Community College, in Maryland, there are two distinct looks that students often give when they cross the graduation stage.
Some will stop and look back, disappointed if their names weren’t said correctly. When the speaker gets their names right, it’s the opposite. A student’s face will light up with an expression that says, “That’s me.”

... People’s names are tied to their cultural identity. Learning how to pronounce someone’s name is the first of many steps that one can take to convey respect. It also makes students feel more comfortable and fosters a more inclusive learning environment.
Announcements from our network...
The Karson Institute at Loyola University Maryland presents:
Race, Peace, and the Pursuit of Social Justice
a one-day symposium
April 30 | 9 am - 4:30 pm | in person and virtual
Promotional image for Race Peace and Social Justice Symposium on April 30
The Karson Institute for Race, Peace & Social Justice at Loyola University Maryland will host a one-day symposium, “Race, Peace, and the Pursuit of Social Justice,” on Saturday, April 30, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Knott Hall. Parts of the symposium will also be available virtually.

The symposium is designed to create spaces for high school and college students, professors, activists, and community members to examine and discuss the ways in which race and peace can be used as a lens to understand social justice, from our communities to our campuses.
Richard W. Pogue Fellowship Program Now Accepting Applications for 2021-2022
Cleveland Council on World Affairs logo
The Richard W. Pogue Fellowship will cultivate the next generation of globally-minded leaders in Cleveland. Our 2021-2022 fellows will have the opportunity to participate in exclusive members-only speaker forums and other programs about the most pressing international topics of our time, and network with other internationally-minded business and civic leaders in our community through participation in the Cleveland Committee on Foreign Relations (CCFR).

The fellowship is intended to engage early to mid-career professionals in world affairs. CCWA will select up to five fellows for the 2021-2022 program season. Applicants must be under 40 at the time of the application deadline. Applicants must have the ability to attend fellowship programming in downtown Cleveland. Program dates will be announced at a later date, but will typically take place on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening once a month September through May.
The God of Us All: Praying with Black Spirituality
An 8-day Ignatian Retreat
August 3-12, 2022 | Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Image of a young Black man praying. Words read The God of Us All - Praying with Black Spirituality. Small print contains retreat dates and details.
This August, the Jesuit Antiracism Sodality (JARS) will present an 8-day Ignatian retreat to enter into prayer with and through Black Spirituality. This individually directed retreat, designed by and with the Black Jesuits of the United States, offers participants an opportunity to spend time in song, prayer, and community to experience the transformative nature of the Spirit moving through two deep traditions: Black Spirituality and Ignatian Spirituality. Both Jesuits and laypeople are invited to attend. Space is limited to 15 participants.
Other articles we're reading this week ...