ECC's Black Lives Matter series explores racial inequities in the educational system
Elgin Community College's Multicultural and Global Initiatives Committee (MAGIC) presents Part XI of the "Black Lives Matter" series on Tuesday, Nov. 1. The discussion, "Why Are Some Students Being Left Behind? What Can We Do About It?," will begin at 2 p.m. via Zoom. To join, go to bit.ly/3Srsgux. The event is open to the public.
"A quality of education is vital for communities and their citizens to thrive," shares Clark Hallpike, MBA, professor of business and MAGIC co-chair. The program will begin with a historical perspective to understand why some students are being left behind, why there are few faculty and administrators of color, and why those we do have are often excluded.
The panelists will share their insights into what their institutions are doing to combat inequalities.
They include:
• David Castro, Ph.D., director of partnership sustainability, Grow Your Own Teachers, Illinois;
• Norma De La Rosa, manager of recruitment and scholar support, Golden Apple Scholars Program;
• Vernese Edghill-Walden, Ph.D., vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and chief diversity officer, Northern Illinois University;
• Teresa Lance, Ed.D., assistant superintendent of equity and innovation, Elgin aRea School District U-46;
• Anthony Ramos, Ed.D., executive director of equity, diversity, and inclusion, ECC;
• Parul Raval, Ed.D., professor of education, ECC;
• Lt. Jim Roscher, community engagement, Elgin Police Department;
• April Wells, gifted coordinator, U-46, and CEO and founder of Well Suited Solutions, an educational equity firm; and
• Charles Wells, MSW, social worker, U-46, and co-founder of Well Suited Solutions.
"Since I have served in almost every position at educational institutions (student, graduate student, faculty, staff, and administrator), I know that many have been in this equity struggle for a long time," said Susan Timm, Ed.D., professor of business and MAGIC co-chair. "We are excited to see a renewed interest in assuring that sustainable systemic changes are made for the betterment of all."
MAGIC is asking participants to simply listen out of respect for the voices of those who will be sharing.
Throughout the event, comments and questions can be made in the virtual chat room. At the end of the program, some of the questions from the chat will be answered.
After that point, there will be opportunities for those who want to share their experiences.
The MAGIC Black Lives Matters series is presented in partnership with BEST (Black Employee Support Team), ECC Police Department, ECC Renner Academic Library, Student Life, and TIDE (Teaching/Learning Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity), along with the Elgin Police Department and Gail Borden Public Library.
The session will be recorded and made available to the public afterward.
ECC's Multicultural and Global Initiatives Committee aims to prepare individuals to succeed in a diverse society by providing and supporting multicultural learning experiences at Elgin Community College and within District 509 with the ultimate goal of creating an inclusive environment at the college.
For additional information, contact Dr. Susan Timm at (847) 214-7916 or stimm@elgin.edu or Clark Hallpike at (847) 214-7542 or challpike@elgin.edu.