(Name-mce) ListServ Race & Pedagogy National Conference

Fri Jul 21 16:21:16 EDT 2006

Colleagues!

(apologies if you receive duplicates of this message, some of you are on more than one of my lists)

As a member of the Community Involvement Partnership, I'm inviting you to attend the Race and Pedagogy National Conference at University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington on September 14-16, 2006.  

Join scholars, teachers, activists, and various other experts in the fields of education, humanities, and social sciences from our region and across the nation for a groundbreaking event. During the conference we will address issues related to teaching students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Your ideas and unique experiences will help us as we explore solutions for communities, so all young people receive the quality education they deserve.

Click here www.ups.edu/documents/RPCAgenda.pdf <https://gate1.evergreen.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.ups.edu/documents/RPCAgenda.pdf>  and browse the schedule. Nearly 60 different panels and 100 workshops presented by people from all over the country and even internationally, on an impressive range of topics.

In addition to attending the conference, there are a few other ways you can get involved in this effort:

1) Print and display the attached flyer in a visible location.  

2) Invite friends and colleagues to attend.

3) Email the website and the highlights below to listserves and other web based groups.

All events are open to the public, but conference registration or event tickets are required for admission. You can register to attend the entire conference or purchase tickets for select events at 253.879.3483 or www.ups.edu/rpc.xml <https://gate1.evergreen.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.ups.edu/rpc.xml> . However, you'll want to register early as we expect it to sell out quickly. We hope to see you in September at the conference!

________________________________

University of Puget Sound

Race & Pedagogy National Conference

September 14-16, 2006 

What is the conference about?

Experts in the fields of education, humanities, and social sciences from our region and across the nation will be on campus to discuss issues related to teaching students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, so all young people can receive the quality education they deserve.  

Who should attend?

The issue of student achievement affects us all. The conference is especially relevant to parents, students, social service agencies, business and civic leaders, as well as the religious community. 

Teachers and school administrators will definitely want to register. There are more than 56 sessions on issues related to teaching. In fact, some school districts are offering continuing education credits for those who attend. 

What events are being held?

Contact 253.879.3483 or www.ups.edu/rpc.xml <https://gate1.evergreen.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.ups.edu/rpc.xml>   to register to attend the conference or purchase tickets for specific events. In addition to workshops and seminars, the conference includes the following public lectures and events:

Friday, September 15

11:30 a.m.  Lucius Turner Outlaw is a professor of Philosophy and African American and Diaspora Studies and Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education at Vanderbilt University.

4:00 p.m.  Beverly Daniel Tatum, president of Spelman College, a clinical psychologist, and author of Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And other Conversations about Race.

Saturday, September 16

10:45 a.m. Robert P. Moses, president of the Algebra Project, an organization building math literacy across the country. Moses was also a pivotal organizer for the civil rights movement and former director of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee.

Other public events include an exhibit of original works by John Hall and Jacob Lawrence at the university's Kittredge Gallery and other exhibits at the Museum of Glass, Tacoma Art Museum, and Washington State History Museum as well. 

Also of note: The evening before the conference begins, noted author and professor Cornel West will give the Susan Resneck Pierce Lecture on Public Affairs and the Arts. His talk, Democracy Matters, will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 14. West is a professor of religion and the director of the Afro-American Studies program at Princeton. His best-selling book, Race Matters, touched a nerve in the American public and triggered a national debate on race issues. Tickets for this separate event are $10 and may be obtained by calling 253.879.3419.

Why is the conference important? Why should I/we care? 

1.      This is not just an academic conference. The event was originally planned as an academic conference, but has expanded to include the broader community due to high interest in the topic of race and teaching. 

A Community Partnership Forum now meets biweekly on the Puget Sound campus. During these lively meetings, we have addressed issues such as standardized testing requirements, the growing achievement gap between white students and students of color, and access to resources.   

2.      All Americans deserve a high-quality education. A high-quality education is part of the American Dream. A high-quality education that acknowledges the nation's and the world's diversity is a necessity in order for students to survive and thrive in an increasingly global marketplace. 

 In some parts of the greater Tacoma area, black males are graduating from high school at rates as low as 50%. 

According to a report prepared by the Center for Civic Innovation at the Manhattan Institute in April of 2002, Washington state has a high school graduation rate of 70%, ranking 33rd in the nation. 

A study commissioned by the Gates Foundation confirms that only one-third of U.S. students graduate from high school college-ready.

3.      The conference provides a forum for finding solutions. The university has held community forums on some of the issues related to race and education in our nation's high schools, including standardized testing requirements, the growing achievement gap between white students and students of color, and access to resources. The Race and Pedagogy National Conference will bring more attention and emphasis to problem solving by the entire community. The conference is an opportunity to understand the problems and define the way forward.

4.      Inequalities in education are part of a larger social picture. Inequalities in education impact other areas of our communities including access to quality health care. A large body of research shows that people of color have less access to health care, poorer quality health care, and worse health care outcomes.  This situation has been a stated concern of the American Medical Association since 1990.  Even when economic factors such as salary, benefits, or insurance are taken into account, racial disparities in health care are still apparent.  Current research tries to tease apart the aspects of this disparity that are interpersonal and those that are structural.  The question remains whether what students learn about race and racism -- throughout institutionalized factors like curriculum --influences how those who enter the medical field eventually practice once employed in the health professions.

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