Real Talk Series - Centering the Black Experience in Higher Education

Friday, February 26th, Queen Cornish led an event in the “Real Talk” series called “Centering the Black Experience in Higher Education. “Real Talk” represents recognizing, engaging, being aware, and learning throughout the process. A powerpoint recalled some history, like the coining of the term “institutional racism” in 1967 by Stokely Carmichae, and other social movements such as the #BlackInTheIvory hashtag which was used to center Black voices in academia. Several professors were in attendance and chipped in to the conversation around diversifying curriculum. The Black Student Union president, Destiny Harris, also facilitated some questions throughout the presentation, like “What are some of your experiences with systemic racism in higher education?” These questions allowed for students of color to share some of their own experiences, and everyone to participate in the larger conversation of racism on college campuses.