Community Engagement News

Final Forum in Academic Year’s Deliberative Dialogue Series to Address Climate Change

The academic year’s Deliberative Dialogue Series is designed to foster “resiliency in times of uncertainty.” On April 13, participants will “consider creative approaches to building a sustainable future for South Florida’s people and environment.”

The academic year’s Deliberative Dialogue Series will continue next month with a forum aimed at “building resiliency in the face of climate change.” Participants will “consider creative approaches to building a sustainable future for South Florida’s people and environment.” 

Scheduled for April 13, the forum will be the fourth and final in the series titled “Fostering Resiliency in Times of Uncertainty.”

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. The United Nations (UN) says these shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. However, according to the UN, “since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.”

Participants in the deliberative dialogue will “consider creative approaches to building a sustainable future for South Florida’s people and environment,” the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) said in a statement. “Among the forum participants will be a small panel contributing to the exploration of the topic from the standpoints of public health, diversity and equity, environmental well-being, and economic impacts.”

As part of Barry’s commitment to social justice, university administrators, staff, faculty, and students are expected “to recognize the sacredness of Earth, and to engage in meaningful efforts toward social change.”

The most recent forum, titled “Race Talk in Florida: Bridging the Political Divide,” brought stakeholders together on campus. Among the participants were community partners, students, alumni, and faculty. – Photos by Glenn Bowen

The April 13 forum, which is the fourth in the series, is scheduled for 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. in Room 112 of the Andreas Building on Barry’s Miami Shores campus. Students are encouraged to register for the event via the Corq app.

The most recent forum in the Deliberative Dialogue Series, which brought stakeholders together on campus, drew attention to race relations in a diverse community experiencing significant political divide.

Florida has become a hotbed of controversial legislative actions that, as some forum participants intimated, reflect racial bias and discrimination against minority population groups. Participants felt that political party adherence had caused some state lawmakers to abandon principle and concern for equitable education.

Two forums in this year’s series took place in the fall semester. One focused on the situation in Haiti; the other addressed “learning losses” in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organized by the CCSI, each year’s Deliberative Dialogue Series consists of four facilitated forums that elicit “voices and views from campus and community.” Students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community partners take part in each of the 90-minute forums, which are also aimed at generating suggestions for workable public policies and effective action.

Alumna Makes Special Presentation on ‘Black Resistance’ at Black History Month Celebration in Hollywood

At the event hosted by the African American Advisory Council of the City of Hollywood, Dr. Brittany Lee-Wright singles out rest as a form of resistance. – Photo by Glenn Bowen

Before and since emancipation, African Americans have offered resistance in a variety of ways—from belting out Negro spirituals to telling their own stories, from getting educated to taking part in public protests.

Education, music, and sports—and even fashion—are among the forms of resistance that have shaped the history and lives of Black people over the decades, a Barry University alumna told a community celebrating the struggles and triumphs of African Americans last month.

Dr. Brittany S. Lee-Wright was making a special presentation at a Black History Month celebration in Hollywood (Broward County). The focus of her presentation was “Black Resistance,” the national theme of Black History Month this year.

The Barry alumna highlighted various forms of resistance by Blacks, including activism. She also commented on the roles of the Black church and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Dr. Lee-Wright, a Broward County Public Schools literacy coach at Dillard High 6–12, ended with “rest as resistance.” She quoted performance artist and activist Tricia Hersey, who, declaring that rest was a form of resistance to white supremacy and capitalism, famously asked: “How can we access pleasure and joy and liberation if we are too tired to experience it?”

Left: Dr. Heather Johnson Desiral, an adjunct faculty member at Barry, gives an enthusiastic rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Right: Dr. Brittany Lee-Wright comments on “education as resistance,” highlighting the role of HBCUs. – Photos by Glenn Bowen

The theme of Black History Month was “Black Resistance.” Dr. Lee-Wright’s presentation included an illustration of “fashion as resistance.”

At the Black History Month event, Dr. Heather Johnson Desiral, an adjunct faculty member and Ph.D. student in the School of Education, Leadership, and Human Development (ADSOE–LHD), led the singing of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (aka the “Black National Anthem”).

Hosted by the African American Advisory Council of the City of Hollywood, the Black History Month event took place on February 23 at the Washington Park Community Center. The event was organized with support from Barry’s Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI).

Mayor Josh Levy spoke at the event, noting that the City of Hollywood was proud of its African American citizens. He mentioned the November 2017 renaming of three streets that bore the names of Confederate generals and a member of the Ku Klux Klan. The streets were renamed Liberty, Hope, and Freedom.

The mayor also noted the city’s celebration of Juneteenth, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, even before it became a federal holiday.

City Commissioners Linda Hill Anderson, Kevin Biederman, and Idelma Quintena attended the Black History Month celebration.

Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities Calls for Conference Proposals

The Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) has called for proposals for its 28th annual conference, which will take place in Washington, D.C., on October 15–18.

The theme of the 2023 CUMU Annual Conference is “Resilient Campuses, Resilient Cities.”
According to CUMU, participants will “critically examine how our campuses and cities embrace shared understandings and a commitment to fostering greater resilience.”

Proposals should be based on at least one of six tracks: anchor collaborations and strategies; racial equity and justice; hyperlocal, place-based community engagement; social and economic mobility; policy and change; and student success and well-being.

Presentation formats include “community conversation,” mini workshop, panel presentation, “research and impact” presentation, poster session, roundtable, and pre-conference workshop.

The deadline for the submission of proposals is April 3, and the conference organizers are expected to send acceptance notifications by May 15.

ANTIHUNGER ADVOCACY: After learning about the “racial wealth gap,” a group of students engaged in antihunger advocacy recently.

CAMPUS DEMOCRACY PROJECT: As part of the Campus Democracy Project, a “Legislative Forum” will take place later this month and a “Democracy Forum” next month.