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Hundreds of students and administrators gathered in Portland this week to push colleges and universities across the nation to do a better job in addressing equity issues.

The National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE) has become the gathering place for student activists and administrators to strategize and brainstor ways to address some of the nation's most vexing social ills. This year's conference included presentations from well-known activists, scholars and authors including Tim Wise, Matika Wilbur, and the Reverend Dr. William J. Barber, who delivered a rousing speech on Wednesday, where he called for a "moral revival."

"There is a challenge in this moment, a challenge of a moral crisis and a crisis of civilization that grows out of how this nation began," said Barber, who is co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign. "The struggle is to make real the promises of America."Reverend Dr. William J. Barber

Barber challenged attendees to push back against a right-wing agenda that opposes gun control and refuses to protect a woman's right to choose.

"In an increasingly polarized world, the easy way out is to remain neutral outside of the debate," Barber told the participants. But telling the truth in a time of lies is revolutionary in and of itself.

The challenge, he said, is to engage in a "collective cry that ultimately yields progress over the long run. There must be prophetic tears, until we create a flood of transformation. As a nation, we have much to cry about."

Too many people in power have become "too comfortable with other peoples death," said Barber, who noted that he is dismayed by the failure to enact gun control in the wake of the mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas and chided political leaders for refusing the push for an increase in the minimum wage.

If we dont deal with this, its coming our way, Barber said, adding that the rhetoric of some conservatives has contributed to the increasing levels of violence throughout the nation.

"Weaponized language unleashes crazy folks," Barber said. "It gives them justification to carry out their meaness."

Continued here:
NCORE Tackles Equity Issues in Higher Education and Beyond - Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

Davey D speaks with American activist and writer Tim Wise about racism and white privilege in America. The conversation explores the insurrection, race war, and the deadly mass shooting in Buffalo, NY.

Tim Wise is among the most prominent anti-racist writers and educators in the United States. He has spent the past 25 years speaking to audiences in all 50 states, on over 1500 college and high school campuses, at hundreds of professional and academic conferences, and to community groups across the country.

Wise has also trained corporate, government, entertainment, media, law enforcement, military, and medical industry professionals on methods for dismantling racial inequity in their institutions, and has provided anti-racism training to educators and administrators nationwide and internationally, in Canada and Bermuda.

Wise is the author of nine books, including his latest,Dispatches from the Race War(City Lights Books).Other books includeUnder the Affluence,Dear White America: Letter to a New MinorityandColorblind(all from City Lights Books); his highly-acclaimed memoir,White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son, (recently updated and re-released by Soft Skull Press);Affirmative Action: Racial Preference in Black and White; Speaking Treason Fluently: Anti-Racist Reflections From an Angry White Male;andBetween Barack and a Hard Place: Racism and White Denial in the Age of Obama.

Named one of 25 Visionaries Who are Changing Your World, byUtne Reader, Wise has contributed chapters or essays to over 25 additional books and his writings are taught in colleges and universities across the nation. His essays have appeared on Alternet, Salon, Huffington Post, Counterpunch, The Root, Black Commentator, BK Nation and Z Magazine among other popular, professional and scholarly journals.

Excerpt from:
In Conversation with Tim Wise - KPFA - 94.1FM

I made a group called The Science Enthusiasts initially as a writers group for the page to help with content for the page. While the group is quite large now, at the time of the original post, it only had a few hundred people in it.

I posted this meme into The Science Enthusiasts group (which is a private, closed group) on Wednesday to encourage discussion as to if/why its racist. Followers of my page know very well that Im a huge fan of Neil deGrasse Tyson (and equality/civil rights in general), evidenced here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. Here, too. Oh, and I also did a blog post.

The graphic itself is a quote setting of something clearly Dr. Tyson never actually said himself.

The caption was something along the lines of Am I a horrible person for laughing at this?

Hold onto your rage there, Internet! Lets talk about the graphic itself first:

The but it do meme originated from Oscar Gamble, a former Major League Baseball player. Oscar was commenting on racism prevalent in MLB at the time. The putative meaning of the phrase is They incorrectly believe that this is an atypical state of affairs.

What the creator of the meme (Black Science Man not me as Tim led you to believe) did was take the original quote, They Dont Think It Be Like It Is, But It Do and put the universe in it. Intentional or not (its completely intentional), this exemplifies the central theme Dr. Tyson attempts to communicate.

A few quotes from Dr. Tyson:

The Universe doesnt care what you believe. The wonderful thing about science is that it doesnt ask for your faith, it just asks for your eyes.

The good thing about science is that its true whether or not you believe in it.

The Universe is under no obligation to make sense to you.

The meme posted above, paired with the original but it do quote, exactly describes these thoughts. The Universe does not care about you or what you believe in; the Universe exists and does not owe you anything.

The meme itself was created by a personwho runs the Facebook page Black Science Man. Black Science Mans page makes fun of people that are racist in a satirical manner. It is the antithesis of racist. Thats what the humor is the ridiculousness of racism, mocking how racists think about non-white people. Were laughing at racists. Satire isnt always easy for some to understand.

Finally, the absolute absurdity of the statement itself in the graphic clearly identifies it as a joke. The graphic is funny. Its making fun of racists.

Tim Wise is an anti-racist author who touts that he has done over 600 speeches about methods for addressing and dismantling White racism in their institutions. Tim has written eight books on the subject and made a DVD about it as well.

Tim also has YouTube videos, where he sounds more like a televangelist than an informative speaker.

Tim attempts to present himself as a moral entrepreneur- an apologist for white people. And I agree with him on many of these ideas. Racism is still an issue in the US. There are countless stories from just this year (like the ones here here here here and here ) that illustrate this.

Tim is a social justice warrior (or SJW). He thrives on the opportunity to make somebody look bad in an attempt to self-promote himself and make himself look good so he can sell more books.

Doxing is when you broadcast someones personal identifying information over the internet. Basically, its cyberbullying.

The noble Tim Wise decided to dox me last night. I dont think he knew I had a page and a website (though one click on my profile on the A Science Enthusiast link would have given that away). At the time, Tim had about 138,000 followers on his page.

Unbeknownst to me (as it went to my other inbox on Facebook), prior to the doxing, Tim issued a stern warning to me:

Tim let me know that I am a pathetic fuck. He also thought I was a child at the time, and not even that could hold him back.

i [sic] hope black folks run your ass off of FB.

So Tim, a self-proclaimed champion of people of color (POC), has called upon his followers to do his bidding, and he refers to them as black folks. How ironic.

His followers weighed in on that thought.

The backpedalling began by Tim almost immediately. So Tims message is now run him off of Facebook with knowledge, insight, and clarity (after the very first thing I said to him was to call him a pathetic fuck). Got it.

And then it becomes evident that this is not actually about racism to Tim its about his ego.

I had quite a few people leaving comments on a post that was public on my personal page. I deleted the post, leaving only these two posts showing publicly:

And to my surprise, the comments on my personal page stopped. Interesting what context can do, no? The post on the left is on my site here.

A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can get its pants on.

This isnt the first time Tim has behaved in this manner. He has done similar things in the past.

A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can get its pants on. Im not saying Tim is a fraud, but he sure as hell seems like a fraud.

In life, knee-jerk reactions are often not the most intelligent ones. Take note, Tim.

(And as a little side bar here, can we address the marching band shaming that Tim and a select few of his followers engaged in? Whats the attempt to ostracize me for an activity I was involved in about here? Doesnt that seem a bit ironic, engaging in talk about a stereotype for musicians? Tim, youre a hypocrite. Im a former music educator. Tim, do you really not know the countless benefits of music education? Its well documented. Also Tim, that is an ad hominem attack.)

For one, youre trying to represent yourself as a moral entrepreneur, which youve clearly demonstrated youre not.

As a self professed expert on dismantling the institutions of white racism, you are precisely the sort of person who should know better than make use of its most terrifying tool of maintaining power: mob violence.

Beyond the sheer overreaction on your part, it is the very fact that you, in the name of fighting white racism, immediately and without reservation reached for the tool that it has most effectively used to silence its victims and detractors.

Tim, you cant hear 5% of a conversation and fill in the blank with the rest of your imagination. You cant attempt to start a dialogue with insults and a threat, then expect to have a constructive discussion. You cant try to be a keyboard warrior against some marching band kid (but youre willing to go after and dox a child? Good on you, Tim).

I had quite a few of Tims followers message me on my personal page, and I made it a point to respond to every single one. The ones that replied to me were all calm and apologetic for you, Tim. You have good followers. They deserve better than to be manipulated like this.

In science, we form opinions based on evidence. If we do not have sufficient evidence to support our opinion, or especially if we know we have incomplete evidence, we dont form an opinion. My favorite part about science is its willingness to change based on new evidence.

You formed your opinion with 5% of the evidence. Thats not how intelligent people conduct themselves.

You were a bully while trying to champion against bullying.

Youre better than this, Tim.

Here are some other comments left on Tims page hosted on Imgur.

Related

Read the original post:
Tim Wise: Doxer and Internet Bully. - A Science Enthusiast

Tim Wise, anti-racist author and keynote speaker at the University of Phoenix's Inclusive Leadership SummitOn Tuesday, the University of Phoenix launched a free, online inclusive leadership summit withDiverseasa co-sponsor.

Anti-racist author and activist Tim Wise was among the day's speakers.

Our theme for today is leading through tumultuous times, said Peter Cohen, the University of Phoenixs president emeritus. We must have courageous, honest, even raw conversations if we are to change any of this. Banning books in schools is not the path to enlightenment. Banning the discussion of sexual orientation in schools is not going to make us more inclusive.

Cohen added that the University of Phoenix is an open access university where more than 60% of students are people of color. Many students are also over the age of 35.

Given the institutions large population of historically underrepresented students, Cohen and colleagues noted the importance of this inaugural, multi-day event focusing on how people can impact diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the workplace.

We want this summit to begin the action that you all will take in your own sphere of influence, said Tondra Richardson, director of student diversity and inclusion at the University of Phoenix.

Anti-racist author and activist Wise echoed Cohen in his keynote when referring to several state legislators working to outlaw books discuss slavery or anti-Black racism in K-12 schools. He added that the racial justice uprisings in the wake of George Floyd drew national attention to systemic racism.

And with that attention, a very predictable backlash from people fearful of change has now arrived, Wise said.

Once the narrative shifts and people start to use language like systemic injustice, that makes this moment very dangerous with two forces at play, one pulling forward and the other pulling backward. The question remains: who will prevail? said Wise, whose writings also focuses on white privilege. That is the question Im going to address today. How do we remain focused and resolute in the face of this backlash that is encompassing not only education but also the corporate world?

To do so, Wise emphasized depersonalizing the blame and personalizing the issue." He said equity work means showing radical humility to help people see that systemic injustices, not individual bad actors, at the greatest fault. This approach can foster more open, constructive dialogue with those resistant to change.

In addition, Wise encouraged talking about ones own racialization and how it has not only hurt others but has affected you. In other words, personalize the issue.

For me, the beginning of this real deliberative process was sitting down in the early 90s with a pad and paper and thinking about how race has shaped my life, my parents, my families, for as far back as I could remember, said Wise, who touched on how his identities as white, male, and Jewish have impacted his life.

Yet Wise closed the keynote with encouragement.

Know it is partly because we are winning that we are getting this pushback," said Wise. "There is no neutral. Youre either actively pushing against this system or you are acceding to it.

The Summit continues through Friday and will include a closing keynote on Thursday from Dr. J. Luke Wood, vice president of student affairs and campus diversity and Dean's Distinguished Professor of Education at San Diego State University.

Rebecca Kelliher can be reached at rkelliher@diverseeducation.com.

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University of Phoenix Kicks Off Inaugural Inclusive Leadership Summit - Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

Dr. John Woods, provost and chief academic officer, University of PhoenixFrom April 12 to 15, the University of Phoenix is launching an inaugural inclusive leadership summit and career fair that is free, virtual, and open to the public.

Diverse is one of the summits co-sponsors.

We have an increasingly diverse workforce today, and so I hope that the organizations and people that participate in this summit come away with an even greater belief in the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within their organizations, said Dr. John Woods, provost and chief academic officer at the University of Phoenix. "We want to help organizations make people feel more valued."

Titled Creating the Intentional Leader of Today, Tomorrow and Beyond, the four-day summit will include workshops, research presentations, and industry-focused tracks in leadership and management, health care, and education. The Universitys president emeritus, Peter Cohen, will kick off the event.

As the University of Phoenix primarily educates working adults and serves a diverse student base, Woods added that the institution seeks to become a thought leader in the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging space.

Tondra Richardson, director of diversity and inclusion at the University of Phoenix, agrees.

We want all registered participants to come in to learn and to stretch and to grow, said Richardson, who is also an alumna of the institution. We hope that people will leave the summit ready to lead with empathy and change some practices that are not about inclusive leadership.

Tondra Richardson, director of diversity and inclusion, University of PhoenixThe summit will feature talks by antiracism scholars and leaders, such as writer and activist Tim Wise, as well as bring together several University of Phoenix alumni who work on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Dr. J. Luke Wood, whois the vice president for student affairs & campus diversity and distinguished professor of education at San Diego State University is scheduled to also deliver a keynote.

Leadership to me means someone who leads with empathy, added Richardson. They model the type of work ethic, purpose, and passion they want in those they lead. I think empathy is the most important leadership quality.

Participants can register online to join the summit. Richardson said that more than 2,400 people have registered so far.

Rebecca Kelliher can be reached at rkelliher@diverseeducation.com

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University of Phoenix to Host Inaugural Inclusive Leadership Summit and Career Fair - Diverse: Issues in Higher Education