As part of efforts to build a welcoming culture supportive of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, the college offers resources and opportunities for all members of our community to learn about how to be more aware of and how to combat racism.
Message from the Dean
Dear students, faculty and staff of EMS,
I wanted to make sure that you all saw President Barron’s letter with his response to the tragic death of George Floyd, conveying a sense of solidarity with the PSU community members who are most impacted by racism, intolerance, and hatred. I share his sentiments, and was proud of those of you who peacefully demonstrated in downtown State College or elsewhere around the nation.
These are very trying times, with multiple challenges to our health and well-being. The killing of George Floyd in my hometown of Minneapolis, more so than the many other senseless and tragic deaths of the past, seems to be galvanizing people, both white and of color, to take action to end these sorts of injustices. We in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences have the basis to respond to this call to action, and I encourage all of us to be actively involved in that transformation. Acting locally through our ALLWE initiative, I ask you all to foster an inclusive and equitable environment within EMS, where all faculty, staff, and students can feel they truly belong.
Lee Kump
John Leone Dean in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
General Resources
- The Anti-Racist Revelations of Ibram X. Kendi
Meet the historian who’s asking America to rethink the very nature of bigotry — and how to fight it.
This Washington Post article gives an engaging overview of Kendi’s life and work and the concept of Anti-Racism. “First, he thinks “racist” should be treated as a plain, descriptive term for policies and ideas that create or justify racial inequities, not a personal attack. Someone is being racist when he or she endorses a racist idea or policy. Second, he doesn’t acknowledge “not racist” as a category. At all times, people are being either racist or anti-racist; in Kendi’s view, “there is no in-between safe space of ‘not racist.’ ” Through his scholarship, Kendi has traced nearly six centuries of racist and anti-racist ideas. He could not do the same for “not racist.” It’s an identity without content.” - Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University
Founded by Ibram X. Kendi
Recently moved to Boston University, Ibram X. Kendi’s Center focuses on antiracist research. “Whereas racist research historically has posed the question “What is wrong with people?” antiracist research now asks a different question, a better question: “What is wrong with policies?” Our belief is that framing research on race and racism around antiracist questions leads to antiracist narratives, effective policy solutions, and impactful advocacy campaigns that cut to the root of racial inequality: racist policy.” - White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
by Peggy McIntosh
Peggy McIntosh is associate director of the Wellesley Collage Center for Research on Women. This essay is excerpted from Working Paper 189. "White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming To See Correspondences through Work in Women's Studies"
“I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was "meant" to remain oblivious. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools , and blank checks.” - Black Geographies Reading List
Compiled by Dr. LaToya Eaves, assistant professor of Geography at Middle Tennessee University and Founder of the Black Geographies AAG specialty Group - ShutDownSTEM resources
On June 10, 2020, EMS participated in ShutDownSTEM, a grassroots movement which asked us to cancel all our meetings, classes, research and other “business as usual” activities for a day and instead to focus on becoming educated about racism and developing an action plan to address it in our institution. ShutDownSTEM provided a host of resources because “As scientists and academics, we know that in order to solve a problem, we first need to understand it. This is just as true for structural racism and anti-Blackness! It’s also important for non-Black folks to not rely on Black folks for this education.” - Smithsonian Scholars Recommend Books, Films and Podcasts About Race
“In this dynamic time, this list is offered for a nation grappling with its fraught history.” - At a Loss for Words After George Floyd: Three Actions in Lieu of Statements
Article from magazine Diverse: Issues In Higher Education - Five Books That Every White Ally Should Read on Black Lives
List from magazine Diverse: Issues In Higher Education - 12 Books For Adults About Anti-Racism And Activism
Compiled by HuffPost Life
“Academics share the books on anti-racism and activism that everyone should read.” “But it’s important to remember that just reading about race, racism and anti-racism isn’t enough — you should be working actively against racism and supporting Black-owned businesses.” - Diversity Training: You’re Doing It Wrong
“Overall, what our organizations need is appreciation for heterogeneity, a more nuanced understanding of what discrimination and harm look like, and an organizational commitment to dismantling structural inequality.” This article was written by EMS’s Angela Rogers. - TEDx Talks to Help Educate on Racism and Actions to eliminate it
- White Academia: Do Better
“Higher education has a problem. It’s called White supremacy” - Here’s how to teach Black Lives Matter: We’ve developed a short course
By Nadia E. Brown, Ray Block, Jr. and Christopher Stout
"We believe this is an opportunity to share research on the Black Lives Matter movement with anyone interested in learning more.” - Being a Black Academic in America
Chronicle of Higher Education
“No one escapes without the scars” - How Higher Ed Can Stop Affirmative Action for Rich White People
Chronicle of Higher Education
“Fixing academe’s race and class inequality must be at the top of the list” - NPR’s Scene on Radio Season 2: “Seeing White” series
Episodes include: “How Race Was Made,” “Made in America,” “Chenjerai’s Challenge,” “Citizen Thind,” “Danger” and more, in this 14 part series - UC Davis STEM Faculty Resource Guide - For Faculty Starting to Learn about Equity, Inclusion, Justice and Anti Racism
- Seven Podcasts to add to your playlist that talk diversity
From Diversity inc.
Penn State Resources
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Resources
- Diversity Equity and Inclusion Resources
Curated by Penn State’s Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity, this site contains readings, videos, pod casts, and other materials on a variety of topics such as DE&I research, equity-minded assessment, implicit bias, anti-racism, and more for those who want to use evidence-based findings to think more critically about DE&I. - Black Lives Matter Resources
A centralized resource compilied by the Penn State Libraries for information about historical and current discrimination of African Americans in the United States, Pennsylvania, and the Greater Philadelphia Region. - Roundtable with Black University leadership explores race and campus climate
“In the first event of a three-part series titled “Toward Racial Equity at Penn State: Social Difference, Social Equity and Social Change,” Black members of University leadership explored the experiences of people of color and members of underrepresented racial and ethnic communities within predominately white classrooms.” View the archived recording of the roundtable at https://www.watch.psu.edu/toward-racial-equity/ - June 29 town hall on diversity, inclusion (archived to view online)
"President Eric Barron hosted a virtual Town Hall event on June 29, to highlight the University’s planned efforts to fight ignorance and intolerance, model inclusivity and embrace diversity. The town hall is now archived and available to view online at https://liveevents.psu.edu/ - Penn State offers match for scholarships supporting diversity
“Amid a national reckoning with questions of race and justice, spurred by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Penn State has made a $10 million commitment to scholarships that will support diversity across the institution.” - A message from Penn State President Eric J. Barron
“I write to you today to say that we are committed to making changes at Penn State that address these issues. I believe that together we can make significant progress. As a first step, I plan the following actions:” - Addressing Bias: Rights, Responsibilities and Responses
Current students identified critical issues around rights and responsibilities related to bias and free expression. This site will help you learn about these issues, access resources, and test your knowledge of common situations. Our goal is for Penn State students, faculty, and staff to use their voices thoughtfully and responsibly to demonstrate respect and model excellence.”
National Organizations' Resources
- Anti-Defamation League
“ADL is a leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion.” ADL resources include materials on racial justice, criminal justice reform, educational equity and more, as well as their Hate Symbols Database. - Center for Antiracist Research
Recently moved to Boston University, Ibram X. Kendi’s Center focuses on antiracist research. “Whereas racist research historically has posed the question “What is wrong with people?” antiracist research now asks a different question, a better question: “What is wrong with policies?” Our belief is that framing research on race and racism around antiracist questions leads to antiracist narratives, effective policy solutions, and impactful advocacy campaigns that cut to the root of racial inequality: racist policy.” - NAACP
Federal Advocacy, 2. Education, 3. Economic Opportunity, 4. Criminal Justice, 5. Health, 6. Environmental & Climate Justice - Pen American Campus Free Speech Guide
“Free speech has become a flashpoint for controversy on campuses across the U.S. This go-to resource for faculty, staff, and students provides practical, principled guidance for how campuses can best remain open to all voices.” The Campus Free Speech Guide contains sections around academic freedom, campus climate, diversity and inclusion, hate expressions, freedom of speech, and more, as well as links to additional resources - Teaching Tolerance
The Teaching Tolerance mission “is to help teachers and schools educate children and youth to be active participants in a diverse democracy.” Programs focus on social justice and anti-bias. Resources include classroom resources, professional development, and publications on topics of race/ethnicity, ability, class, religion, immigration, gender and sexual identity, bullying and bias, and rights and activism.
Black/African-American Resources
- Liberal Arts dean examines the history of civil rights and civil unrest
“Clarence Lang, Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts and professor of African American Studies, recently joined the Democracy Works podcast to discuss his research on social movements among African American communities and how to think about current protests in light of the Civil Rights era. Listen to the podcast episode at wpsu.org/democracy or by searching “Democracy Works” in Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any podcast app.” - Libraries marks Juneteenth with resources for historical, present context
“Penn State University Libraries has compiled a listing of resources, including books, articles, films, artifacts and more, that uplift those voices — throughout history and today ¬— who document the systemic racism that plagues African Americans and People of Color, with the intention of education and working toward anti-racism. “ - Juneteenth: Our Other Independence Day
“Two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, American slavery came to an end and a celebration of freedom was born…. Americans have even more reasons to continue learning about the roots of racism in American history and how all Americans must confront the great contradiction in our past —that a “nation conceived in liberty” was also born in shackles.” - Juneteenth” Friday, June 19th episode of the New York Times Podcast The Daily
Listen and subscribe to The Daily podcast from your mobile device:Via Apple Podcasts | Via Spotify | Via Stitcher Also available through other podcast apps - The Life of a Black Academic: Tired and Terrorized
“What has not been acknowledged is the world of terror enveloping many black academics that has changed feeling tired to absolute exhaustion, Henrika McCoy writes.” - A short history of black women and police violence
“Although the majority of black people killed by police in the United States are young men, black women and girls are also vulnerable to state-sanctioned violence.” - The African American Chronicles
Compiled by Alumnus Darryl Daisey, this historical timeline is a wealth of information about black history at Penn State. - From 1967 to 2020: A history of the racism Black students have faced at Penn State
This article was written by one of our own EMS undergraduates, Andrea Garcia, who is a Geography major and a Millennium Scholar, and provides historical background and context at Penn State. - Black community members at Penn State share frustrations with university's administration
Also by EMS student Andrea Garcia - Penn Staters give advice on becoming better allies of Black Lives Matter movement
Advice from Penn State's black community on how to be allies to the Black Lives Matter movement