College introduces Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion workshop series this spring

This semester, PCA&D presents a three-part Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Spring Workshop Series: An Inclusive PCA&D Begins with You. It features three programs open to the greater College community:

• The first in the series was held earlier this month. Antiracism 101: Being an Ally, Accomplice, and Co-Conspirator at PCA&D was a presentation by Justin Brown, who leads the College’s orientation program about diversity, equity, and inclusion each fall. What is antiracism, what does it mean to be antiracist, and how can we be antiracist in class, in the studio, in Lancaster, and in the world?
• The next program on the agenda, Calling Our Whiteness In: Exploring White Privilege & Committing to Racial Justice, is scheduled for Tuesday, March 23, 6-7:30 pm. It features Andy Cofino, Director of the UCLA LGBTQ Campus Resource Center.

This interactive session is intended for white students, staff, and faculty members to explore their white racial identity and their role in disrupting racism and committing to racial justice. Concepts such as white privilege, institutional racism, white guilt/shame, and ways white people can “show up” more productively in conversations about race and racism will be discussed. Cofino will define these terms and discuss practices that can be used for internal and professional work towards racial justice. Note: while all students, staff, and faculty are welcome to attend this session, it will be focused on personal reflections and experiences of white racial identity and white privilege, including unpacking racist thoughts, views, and behaviors.

• The series concludes Thursday, April 1, with a Virtual Artist Talk by Andy Chen and Waqas Jawaid, partners in Isometric Studios. They will speak about their recent spatial graphic design work in the context of the studio’s new report, Spaces of Belonging.

If college campuses are a microcosm for what the country is — and an incubator for what the global community can be — then Isometric’s work is to discover a new discourse that is grounded in sound conceptual frameworks and that examines the ways in which these ideas make their way into the narratives and spaces we design. Shared spaces such as dormitories, classrooms, lecture halls, and gathering spaces communicate explicit and implicit signals. This public conversation will explore how college campuses can ensure equity in representation and equal dignity in campus spaces.

This final program is open to the general public. To register for the online program’s link, email Jennifer Kopf at jkopf@pcad.edu.

The series is sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in partnership with Student Life and the Graphic Design Department.