Joseph Barndt to conduct April 10 anti-racism workshop

Joseph Barndt to conduct April 10 anti-racism workshopApril 08, 2003Kelly Homan Rodoskikahoman@syr.edu

Joseph Barndt, former executive director of the Chicago-based Crossroads Ministry, an interfaith and community-based anti-racism training organization, will visit SU April 10 with colleague Pakou Her to conduct a workshop entitled “Understanding and Analyzing Systemic Racism.” The event, open to all interested faculty and staff, will be held from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. in Rooms 304A, B and C of the Schine Student Center. Registration for the workshop is required by April 8; contact Cynthia Fulford, associate director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, at 443-9676 or cnfulfor@syr.edu for more information.

Barndt and Her will also participate in a book signing and question-and-answer reception from 3-5 p.m. in Rooms 304A, B and C of the Schine Student Center that is open to the University community.

Barndt’s visit to campus is the culmination of the Diversity Brown Bag Discussion Series organized this semester by the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Barndt’s 1991 book “Dismantling Racism: The Continuing Challenge to White America” (Augsburg Press), was used to generate awareness and discussion about oppressive systems and empower participants to confront racism. Faculty, staff and students participated in discussion sessions based on the book throughout the semester. The series, which was developed with a 2002 Chancellor’s Feinstone Grant for Multicultural Initiatives, is co-sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and The Kaleidoscope Project, a diversity initiative between the Divisions of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs to broaden the understanding of diversity and promote healthy dialogue about related issues at Syracuse University. The series is consistent with priorities identified in both the Division of Student Affairs’ 2001-06 Strategic Plan and the University’s Academic Plan.

“The goal of hosting a semester-long dialogue on ‘Dismantling Racism’ was to articulate feelings about racism, an issue that impacts everyone but one that is often times difficult to address and understand,” says Fulford. “Accomplishing this objective is an on-going process that began with this dialogue. It is my hope the opinions that were shared and the ideas that were fostered will overflow into the work that we do as a University community and a community as a whole.”

According to Barry L. Wells, senior vice president and dean of student affairs, “attendants of these workshops learned about the roles students, faculty and staff can play in building an inclusive, supportive and welcoming environment here at Syracuse University; I hope the topics addressed will help to yield honest and candid conversations in the future that would positively impact life both on the campus and in the home.”

Barndt is an educator, trainer and organizer in the field of racial justice. For more than 30 years, his work has focused on dismantling racism and translating the understanding of community organizing into organizing within institutions for transformation and change. Barndt is the co-founder and director of Crossroads Ministry, and he has written a number of books and articles on racism and race relations. A Lutheran pastor, he has served parishes and worked in community and institutional organizing in Tucson, Ariz.; Oakland, Calif.; New York City and Chicago.

Pakou Her, a second-generation Asian American of Hmong descent, began anti-racism work as a college student organizer which led to the birth of the Dismantling Racism Group at Macalester College (St. Paul,Minn.), a collective student, faculty, staff, administrative and community organization designed to educate and organize against institutional racism in higher education. Additionally, Her developed a comprehensive English language curriculum with content rooted in Hmong culture and history, and has worked at the Minnesota Children’s Museum developing educational programming and advancing an early childhood anti-racism/anti-bias initiative. Currently, she is a Crossroads core trainer in training and coordinator.