“I am perpetually heartbroken and enraged to live in a society that welcomes sanctions and the erasure of black bodies, spirits and minds…silence at this point can be seen as complicity and more specifically, as a form of violence itself.”
This quote from Lauren Black, a graduate student in the School Psychology Program at LMU School of Education, voiced her concerns at the lack of a direct formal communication from the School of Education in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder and subsequent protests. Black checked-in with students and faculty within her immediate network, but based on the scale of this issue, she knew that would not be enough. She knew action was required. When Black connected with Dr. Emily Fisher, one of her professors in the Department of Specialized Programs in Professional Psychology within LMU School of Education, they discussed what they could do together and the idea of facilitated forums for all students at the School of Education was proposed.
Student forums were suggested to a safe space to voice and process personal feelings that have arisen following the broadcasted murder of George Floyd. “The forums are meant to provide students with an opportunity to share emotions, learn from others about their lived experiences of these historic times, and for students to feel heard, validated, and acknowledged. We will see what develops organically,” said Dr. William Parham, Professor of Counseling and Interim Associate Dean for Faculty, who along with Dr. Terese Aceves and Dr. Emily Fisher are moderating the forums.
All SOE students are invited to participate during any of the forum offering, the first of which took place on Friday, June 12 and discussions there helped identify themes and concerns among students of SOE, including:
- sustaining action and finding ways to keep momentum going forward
- asking what actions LMU School of Education is going to take
- incorporating a variety of ways for students to give feedback on program and course content at the School
- having the School host safe space for discussion in class, and
- ensuring faculty/staff have cultural competence and are accountable for learning and growth.
Two further SOE student forums are planned for Friday, June 19 at 3pm and Thursday, June 25 at 12:30pm, they will be held via Zoom.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is important and arguably, caught most people off guard. RACISM is a long-standing pandemic that has been ignored. And we have been down this road many times. I am hopeful that this time we will work to make significant changes. We need to capitalize on the energy of the moment,” said Professor Parham.
SOE’s Lauren Black said: “I am choosing to no longer be among those who remain silent.”