New $3,000 Grant Will Support Racial Justice Workshops at SHU

Faculty sessions align with SHU’s mission, rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition

Sacred Heart University has received a $3,000 grant from the Lilly Fellows Program to support racial justice education on campus.

The grant’s goal is to develop a series of University-wide workshops and guest lecturers to deepen faculty’s awareness of and knowledge about racism and racial justice. This aligns with SHU’s mission, which is rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition, as well as the University’s core values, which “recognize the dignity and the worth of every human being” and strive for “the promotion of the common good.”

The assumption with this endeavor is that building a culture that embraces diversity and inclusion will best begin with faculty. This program’s goal is to demonstrate how racial justice and diversity fit into Sacred Heart’s core values and mission.

“This Lilly grant is consistent with our University’s mission and core values, which promote a culture of racial justice and inclusivity,” said Michelle Loris, chair of Catholic studies and associate dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at SHU. “Funds from this grant will be used for speakers and reading materials that will focus on deepening faculty awareness and knowledge about racism, white privilege, white rage, bias and prejudice as they address these topics in their teaching.”

“As a Black woman, there is a lived experience of racism, bias and prejudice that can be shared through conversation to address these problems and deepen the knowledge of our faculty on these topics,” said Julie Lawrence, chief diversity officer for diversity & inclusion. “Sacred Heart held a series of conversations and meetings with students and faculty. Through these discussions, we learned that as a University, SHU has to ‘do better’ and ‘do more’ to achieve the ideal of our mission and values.”

The first cohort is planned for the winter intersession, beginning with Teaching About Race and Racism in the College Classroom: Notes from a White Professor by Cyndi Kernahan. Sessions will be led by representatives from the Center for Excellence and Innovation in Teaching and the Office of Diversity & Inclusion. Participating faculty members will receive a copy of the book.

The grant organization’s website states the “Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and the Arts seeks to renew and enhance connections between Christianity and the academic vocation at church-related colleges and universities.”