Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
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| Dear Community,
Welcome to the Fall 2023 semester! As we share the resources and information outlined in the newsletter, the fight for social justice, democracy, and freedom to learn and love continues across the nation. The DEI newsletter serves as a north star and moral compass to continue this critical social justice work through reflective praxis and community engagement. To that end, Silver's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) office remains firmly committed to working with faculty, students, staff, and other liberatory practitioners to address inequitable outcomes and drive transformational culture change for a more inclusive and welcoming community to learn and work. I hope these resources guide your approach to work and learning through the reflective pillars (Accountability, Community, Transparency, and Trust) embedded throughout the DEI Newsletter.
The DEI Office will continue to:
- Amplify Diversity: Build institutional capacity and align diversity efforts with Silver's mission, social work professional code of ethics, social justice theory, and praxis.
- Inclusive Policies and Practices: Review and propose changes to promote inclusivity, equity, and freedom from all structural oppression.
- Build Education Programs: Conduct educational programs on restorative justice, antiracism dialogue and praxis, microaggression/bias, and other relevant topics.
- Offer Climate Support: Cultivate a climate that values the dignity and worth of individuals and communities through respect, inclusivity, accountability, and engagement.
- Elevate a Diversity Accountability Analysis: Research identifying disparities and biases, and contributing to social justice progress at Silver.
- Collaborate with Departments and Units: Partner with various groups to build and sustain an ecosystem of belonging, access, accountability, and innovation that prioritizes equitable outcomes for all.
I offer three reflections that drive my commitment to this work:
- Change brings the opportunity for reimagination, innovation, opportunities, and outcomes responsive to the needs of the most vulnerable communities.
- Daily mindfulness practices impact our behavior, mental health, and wellness, which honors all and empowers the communities we serve. The path forward will include accountability, community, trust, and transparency (ACTT Pillars).
- Creating inclusive environments will require two strategies: reflection and meaningful engagement, by individuals and departments to advance social justice at Silver.
Above all, our mission remains steadfast and reminds us to be transformational equity-minded leaders willing to explore self and institutional biases and blindspots in everyday work and praxis. I welcome your comments, feedback, ideas, and strategies.
Restoratively Yours,
Dr. Richeleen Dashield
Director, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion/Chief Diversity Officer
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| | ACCOUNTABILITYHow are we holding each other accountable for antiracism?
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ACTIONS AGAINST RACISM UPDATES The Silver School is committed to addressing the challenges of racism in society and building more inclusive and equitable practices that are in alignment with best practices and standards of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Report to the Profession on Racial Justice and Action. The School recognizes that addressing systemic racism requires changes at multiple levels—personal, interpersonal, and structural—and that actions must be ongoing. Over the past decade, NYU Silver has established an array of processes, systems, and resources to promote and embed an anti-racist ethos and approach.
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WHITE ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP for Faculty and StaffEstablished in 2020, the White Accountability Group (WAG) at Silver meets on the fourth Tuesday of every month during the Fall and Spring semesters to hold white faculty and staff accountable to realize, share about, and ultimately interrupt racism internally at the School and in society. This year, we will dive into how we contribute to these characteristics individually and within our organization through our collective discussion of Tema Okum’s work on white supremacy culture/organizational characteristics. To learn more and attend a meeting, contact us at silver.fs.whiteaccountability@nyu.edu.
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| | COMMUNITYHow are we creating an environment for healing and working together? Are we resisting isolation and allowing ourselves to be seen?
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NYU OFFICE OF GLOBAL INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, & STRATEGIC INNOVATION
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| The Office of Global Inclusion, Diversity, and Strategic Innovation (OGI) at NYU is committed to fostering a university-wide culture of global inclusion, diversity, belonging, equity, and access (GIDBEA). OGI offers various avenues for online Learning and Development Opportunities. We invite you to attend a session.
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THE EQUITY FRONT LINE: WHERE THE MOVEMENT GOES FROM HERE
Join the McSilver Institute for a fireside chat on the struggle for institutional and social equity with Deborah N. Archer, JD, associate dean for experiential education and clinical programs, the Margaret B. Hoppin professor of clinical law, faculty director of the Community Equity Lab at New York University School of Law, and president of the American Civil Liberties Union; Lisa M. Coleman, Ph.D. is New York University’s inaugural senior vice president for global inclusion and strategic innovation; and Ifeoma Ike, Esq. is an award-winning advocate, writer, founder and Chief Equity Weaver at Pink Cornrows, and 2022–2023 Fellow-in-Residence at the NYU McSilver Institute.
October 3, 2023 at 6:00 pm Doors Open
Rosenthal Pavilion at NYU Kimmel CenterSeating capacity is limited, and registration through Eventbrite is required.
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HOLA Presents: Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration
HOLA strives to share the diverse Latinx culture and experience by engaging the NYU Community through communications, social gatherings, and professional events. Join the NYU Affinity Group, HOLA on
Wednesday, October 11, 2023, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM ET to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at Gonzalez y Gonzalez!
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RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROGRAM
Restorative Justice (RJ) is a powerful approach grounded in Indigenous practices that focuses on rebuilding relationships, encouraging empathy, and preventing and resolving conflicts through inclusive and collaborative processes. It builds a community care model that validates the dignity and worth of every person and is steeped in core values of the social work profession as outlined in the NASW Code of Ethics, such as social justice, the importance of human relationships, and integrity. Last spring, we hosted three-week training for 32 students as they explored their roles as healing warriors and the necessity of valuing lived experiences daily. We further amplify this impact by extending our training this fall to 23 staff, faculty, and doctoral students in September, to create a more empathetic and connected community within and beyond NYU. NYU Silver has built a community of over 177 faculty, students, and staff restorative justice (RJ) practitioners.
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| | TRUSTHow are we following through on our responsibility to antiracism? What actions are we taking to ensure all members of the Silver community are protected against bias?
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REAL CONVERSATIONS"Real Conversations" provides a wellness and supportive space for BIPOC students to come together and discuss important topics, fostering a sense of belonging, respect, and celebration within a predominately white institution (PWI). The monthly sessions facilitated by Dr. Tiffany Llewellyn, Wellness Counselor, and Silver Climate Peer Liasions, Gerri Connaught, and Fatima Mabrouk, focus on affirmations, joy, reclaiming narratives, and strategies for self-care. The program is hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
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ANTIRACISM FOR STAFF WORKING GROUPThe Antiracism for Staff Working Group was convened in the Fall of 2020 and established an employee (un)learning community to explore issues of accountability, community, transparency, and trust in building an inclusive and belonging culture and practicing restorative justice in the workplace. Seminars topics included: Who We Are?, Caring - How Do We Help?, Contribute - How Do We Take Action?, Staff Days of (un)Learning: Indigenous Solidarity and Decolonization, Reimagining Justice, Individual and Community Wellness Circle, and community book read: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, and How We Show Up by Mia Birdsong and Author Talk. Together, we can create positive change. Contact: silver.action.stafflearning@nyu.edu to learn more.
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| | TRANSPARENCYHow, when, and to whom are we communicating important information? Are we only communicating when it is easy or also when it is not?
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BIAS RESPONSE LINE
To promote transparency, inclusivity, and equity, we encourage the Silver community to review the NYU Office of Equal Opportunity 2023 Summary Report on the Bias Response Line, highlighting significant findings from 2021-2022. These findings include a 36% increase in bias reports, with 79% coming from students. Notably, 37% of the bias reports were against faculty, and the most common categories of bias incidents were race (41%), sex (11%), and religion/creed (8%). The BLR report underscores the importance of addressing bias, discrimination, harassment and commitment to embrace inclusive practices and equity-focused approaches. To share or report experiences or concerns to the Bias Response Line (BRL), contact bias.response@nyu.edu and learn more.
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SILVER CLIMATE SUPPORT PROTOCAL For Students
At Silver, we take a human-centered approach to advancing social justice, working collaboratively with the Bias Response Line (BRL), Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO), departments, faculty, staff, and students. The Silver Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) not only provides resources and emotional support to students who may experience harm in the classroom or at their practicum placements through the Climate Peer Advocates, and we also provide guidance to faculty and staff, monitor patterns and trends to make recommendations and implement changes in policies that align with the Silver mission and social work professional code of ethics. As a social work community, we center wellness, offer care, and are committed to restoring dignity and responding to oppressive practices. Conact us at silver.dei@nyu.edu.
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U.S. NATIONAL STRATEGY TO COUNTER ANTI-SEMITISM
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The Biden-Harris Administration unveiled the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Anti-Semitism on May 25, 2023. This strategy outlines a comprehensive plan foccused on four pillars:
Pillar 1: Awareness of antisemitism's threat to American democracy.
Pillar 2: Data, law enforcement engagement, and prevention efforts.
Pillar 3: Reversing the normalization of antisemitism
Pillar 4: Seeks to build cross-community solidarity.
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Podcast: Making Gay History
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Making Gay History is an oral history of key figures from the LGBTQ+ movement from 1945-1990. Author and historian Eric Marcus’s rare interviews create intimate, personal portraits of known and long-forgotten champions, heroes, and witnesses to history.
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Podcast: Disability Matters
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Disability Matters, hosted by Joyce Bender, a disability employment consultant, talks with experts about recruitment, mentoring, and accessibility in the workplace.
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Asian Enough hosted by Jen Yamato, Johana Bhuiyan, Tracy Brown, and
Suhauna Hussain of the Los Angeles Times invites guests to share personal stories, unpack identity, and explore cultures, backgrounds, and generations as they expand on how being Asian American is defined.
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| INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine
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Left to right: Richeleen Dashield (Director/CDO, Office of DEI), Fatima Mabrouk (Silver Climate Peer Advocate), Fatima Camara (DEI Intern), Gerri Connaught (Silver Climate Peer Advocate)
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| Share Antiracism Resources!If you have antiracism resources you would like to share for the next edition of the newsletter we have limited spots available. Please email silver.DEI@nyu.edu with the subject "DEI Newsletter Submission."
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