UK College of Public Health Hosts RaceWorks
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 21, 2020) — The University of Kentucky College of Public Health and the UK Office for Institutional Diversity are committed to creating an environment of inclusivity on campus. Together, they are hosting “RaceWorks: Bridging Research and Practice to Foster Racial Literacy.”
RaceWorks is an open access modular resource developed by the SPARQ “do tank” at Stanford University to help educators, professionals and facilitators enhance their teaching and conversations about race. The webinar, presented by MarYam Hamedani, Ph.D., of Stanford, will take place via Zoom on Oct. 22 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Kathryn Cardarelli, Ph.D., senior assistant provost for faculty affairs and professional development and associate professor in the College of Public Health, is one of the faculty coordinators for the event. She says this kind of education is important not only at UK, but in every educational setting.
“Scientific evidence demonstrates the robust role of systemic and interpersonal racism on one's wellbeing and life opportunities in the United States,” said Cardarelli. “Understanding how to engage in civil, productive conversations in an academic environment about race and ethnicity is critical to undoing racism.”
The RaceWorks program includes a series of videos that explore different avenues for “undoing racism,” and a digital toolkit with discussion questions and activities to accompany the videos. The event is open to faculty members, staff, students and any other members of the academic community. It is sponsored by the College of Public Health, the Office for Institutional Diversity, the Center for Health Equity Transformation, the Center for Equity and Social Justice and the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching.
Dr. Rafael E. Pérez-Figueroa, assistant professor in the College of Public Health and another faculty coordinator for this event, is looking forward to this educational opportunity for the UK community.
"This event will invite us to reflect on how we can actively engage in undoing racism by promoting racial literacy and the most effective ways of doing that based on scientific evidence,” said Pérez-Figueroa.
To register for the event, click here. Once registered, participants will receive an email with the Zoom link. After the event, all registrants will receive a link to view the recorded webinar.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.