Everyone has the power to create change, even on an individual level, as long as we are inclusive and lean on our communities, said a participant at a recent program organized by IU South Bend’s Alumni Association and its Civil Rights Heritage Center called Examining Power, Oppression, and Complicity: A Community Dialogue.
This community conversation one of the nearly one hundred IUSB programs and initiatives focused on Title IX and/or diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) during academic year 2020-2021invited people to consider racial injustice and our personal, interpersonal, institutional, and cultural responsibility to stand against it. During the event attendees were asked to share ideas from the discussion they can use to create a more inclusive environment at IU South Bend and in our communities. Participants suggested such thoughts as the importance of better understanding our history and learning more about the intersections of racism in education, housing, policing, incarceration and using the Civil Rights Heritage Center as a vessel toward change.
IU South Bend is living up to its mission to educate and increase awareness of Title IX and DEI issues. Despite the pandemic limiting traditional formats and educational offerings, these Title IX and/or DEI programs and initiatives impacted more than 3,700 individuals. The programming included engaging the community at the Civil Rights Heritage Center, through speak-outs for students who want to share their voices, and with our faculty’s and staff’s expertise in critical issues.
A strength of our campus is the strong infusion of this work at multiple levels, said Chancellor Susan Elrod. Whether it is through well-known series and lectures or innovative programs and responsive calls to action, IU South Bend is a community nexus for dialogue on important topics like equity and inclusion. We take our mission to lead in this area seriously.
In addition to the variety of program topics, IUSB ensured our students, faculty, and community members had opportunities for engagement year-round.
For highlights of this important work, check out stories on Seeing Systems and Racism is a Health Crisis
