Anti-Racism at NDNU
On November 18-20, 2005 18 faculty and staff members completed a 2 ½ day “Understanding and Dismantling Systemic Racism” workshop organized by Crossroads Ministry. The interactive workshop introduced an analysis of racism and the power that it has on all of us as individuals and how it resides in all of our institutions. The workshop addressed historical examples of racism and resistance to racism; the ways that the misuse of systemic power is critical to understanding racism; the ways that we are all unwittingly implicated in systemic racism and the ways institutions can work to dismantle such racism. There was great enthusiasm among the participants to continue working with Crossroads toward making NDNU a proudly and overtly anti-racist institution.
An 8-member Planning and Design Task Force was authorized by President Oblak in June 2006. This group is charged with the following responsibilities:
- Develop a project description stating the purpose, process and cost of creating an anti-racism team.
- Present the project description to the President, the Board of Trustees, and other constituencies for approval/endorsement.
- Develop a funding strategy for the team's training and initial years of existence.
- Recruit and select the Anti-Racism team
- Provide education and publicity within NDNU to ensure that knowledge and acceptance of the Anti-Racism team be as broad as possible.
Upon the conclusion of its work (perhaps by April 2007) the Planning and Design Task Force will formally present to the University a detailed proposal for the creation of a long-term NDNU Anti-Racism Team.
NDNU Planning and Design Task Force
Bobby Vaughn, Coordinator and Crossroads Liaison
Christine Bennett
MaryAnn Burman
Judith Greig
Mary Haesloop
Mary Oleksy
Joanne Rossi
Tina Samaniego
Joe Barndt, Crossroads Organizer