The film Dear White People takes place at the fictional primarily white institution Winchester University. The cast of Caucasian American, African American, and biracial students reflect the increasing racial tensions plaguing colleges and universities throughout the United States. Incidents such as the racist chants of Ohio University’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity members and the assault of Martese Johnson at the University of Virginia are blatant exemplars of the pervasive nature of institutionalized racism that is present in higher education yet remains rarely discussed. This chapter involves a critique of student reaction papers to the film and its efforts to promote awareness and understanding of race in the context of higher education. Colleges and universities are environments where students are encouraged to deliberate more critically about abstract thoughts and ideas, which oftentimes is assumed to result in a more liberal and open-minded way of thinking. Unfortunately, the myth that increased education naturally translates into acceptance of racial, ethnic, and cultural difference is a fallacy for many people.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges and opportunities to higher education, including a renewed focus on efforts to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. This chapter highlights some of the challenges made worse or highlighted by the pandemic, including unequal internet access, mental health disparities, teaching challenges, and barriers to student belonging. However, the authors also provide possible solutions for how to begin addressing these problems practically through community, institution, and individual instructor efforts, including practical course design and classroom strategies. The chapter ends with a discussion of future directions and conclusions for fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the higher education setting during the ongoing pandemic and beyond.
The pandemic caused a sudden shift to virtual learning for K-12 students. It also pointed out the inequities that online teaching produced for students without online access, students with unique needs, and vulnerable students without predictable or safe home environments. The consequences of the pandemic included decreased student enrollment and attendance, learning loss, and mental health issues. This chapter explores the possibility of seeing the silver lining within the dark cloud the pandemic brought by an examination of the issues of inequity that arose during the pandemic and an exploration of realistic and manageable solutions. Stronger efforts to meet all individual student needs through more individualized and student sensitive approaches and openness to innovative learning environments are solutions that are possible. The chapter concludes by imagining future transformations through educational reform, enhanced educator preparation, and the development of communities of practice so that no future crisis leaves any child behind.
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