Richmond Promise’s Post

This is the type of leadership we need in higher education.

Greetings from BMC '97. Your Jewish alumni, parents of Jewish students, Jewish faculty, and staff have been through a year of incredible trauma at Bryn Mawr and Haverford, as a result of decisions, actions and complicit inactions by school administrators as a result of a hostile antisemitic environment on both campuses, in response to the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7. While this recent lawsuit filed by the Deborah Project is against Haverford, Bryn Mawr's complicity is also implicated - allowing an "encampment" and permitting Haverford students who had committed antisemitic acts of violence to come to Bryn Mawr and terrorize the women there. Recently, the BiCo News published an article by a visiting professor, which advocated for armed "revolution" against Israel (i.e., Jews), which contradicts every tenant of Bryn Mawr's Quaker tradition of nonviolence. Yet, when alumni posted a comment in response, her comment was deleted by BiCo editorial staff (twice). These aggressions, overt and micro, are but some recent examples of ongoing an unaddressed trauma and harm, for which there has been no acknowledgement, much less remediation and accountability. As far as I know, you are not a BMC graduate, so while your sentiments here about BMC's history and culture are nice, I was educated there, and have very memories of Bryn Mawr, so much so that I have contributed to the institution in innumerable ways since graduation. Memories that are now tarnished by the betrayal of watching an institution I loved turn on me like a snake, and betray every ideal it espoused in the process - logic, reason, tolerance and respect. Other alumni feel the same. So forgive me if your breezy post about Bryn Mawr's storied past and ice cream socials don't quite land. We look forward to engaging with you on these issues.

📣📣Often wonder what you can do to be a champion for Black folks? Guess what: here's an action step you can take right now! Follow the link below to send a letter to your legislators to ask them to focus on and prioritize Black student success. As the mother of a former Black student and a future Black graduate student, we need you to take action. Do something!

Black Student Success Week is just the beginning. If you care about continuing this movement and taking this discussion seriously, join me in signing this letter and contacting your state legislator today. Here’s the action plan: 1) SIGN the letter (linked below) 2) SHARE this post on social media and ask your networks to sign too. 3) KEEP TALKING about Black Student Success every day - in your colleges, communities, families, and professional networks. #BlackStudentSuccessWeek #BSSW2024

How are we preparing children with special needs for their future? A great discussion about next practices for our babies with special needs…..Future Focused Schools.

Say it loud! 📣The arts are essential and a human right! To limit students access to arts education is to deny critical opportunities for social emotional development as well as other critical aptitudes: Confidence, creative problem-solving, cultural awareness, communication, conflict resolution, collaborative empathy and self-awareness. Decreasing support for arts education limits the ability for low-income communities to envision the many possible pathways that exist in both arts and non-arts professions. The proposed cuts disproportionately impact students in those communities.

I am excited to share this upcoming webinar based on my colleague Jennifer Poole, Ph.D. research on October 1st. Join us as she shares timely and important insights for navigating today’s DEI landscape. #DEI #equity #webinar #equitymessaging #DEIstrategy

"Although political polarization is among the major factors behind declining confidence [in #HigherEd], the steps that colleges can take toward mitigating it are less obvious." https://lnkd.in/eg84MXQM There is a way. The program we have forged with Braver Angels, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, and BridgeUSA is a tried and proven method for building bridges of understanding and reducing negative feelings toward opposing viewpoints, all in the context of a collective search for truth. As the new academic year gets underway, we're ready to work with anyone and everyone, on- and off-campus, to restore constructive debate and confidence for the future. Interested in collaborating with us? Download our curricular toolkit today. https://lnkd.in/eWrb2TU7

The world is witnessing a loss of faith in both capitalism and democracy, which seemed nearly unimaginable just a generation ago. Both are under attack by a decline in civic virtue, in the form of honesty and civility, in politics, the media, academia, and other institutions. The reestablishment of civic virtue should be our priority. Glad to see this group of College and University presidents dedicating themselves to advancing critical inquiry, free expression, and civil discourse on campus. https://lnkd.in/eJRuS2xZ

We see the power of endowments when supporting the longevity of museums and higher education, NOW is the time to invest in endowments to power and sustain racial justice and education justice. #EndowNow