Wellesley College Athletics - Faculty & Staff Anti-Racism Book Review and Discussion

collage of four book cover titles listed in article — PERA Faculty and Staff will be reading and discussing the following books throughout the 2020-21 Academic Year.

The systemic racism that plagues our country is a critical issue for PERA to grapple with as a department. Highlighted by the Black Lives Matter movement, we have an opportunity and obligation to meaningfully reflect on the message being shared and to work to educate ourselves and our department with a goal of creating a more inclusive department and world.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee is excited to take the lead in our ongoing professional development in this area. Our first step involves a required academic year-long initiative for all FT faculty and staff members. All PT faculty and staff members are welcome and encouraged to participate. The DEI committee has selected four books to be read over the course of this year. DEI committee members each recommended two books, and the student members of the committee polled SAAC for student-athlete input, and these four books rose to the top of the list:

How To Be An Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahzarin Banaji and Anthony Greenwald

Individuals can choose which book to read first and then rotate through the remaining three over the course of the year, based on availability. The goal is that roughly one fourth of the department will read each one of the books for each cycle. PERA will include small group discussions as part of department meetings throughout the course of the year.

This initiative was featured in the September 2020 edition of the PERA DEi newsletter.