Equity and Inclusion

“Black Men in Social Work” panelists share insights at the Coalition of Black Social Workers’ inaugural conference.

Moving from Theory to Action

The College of Social Work made great strides in addressing the strategic priority of equity and inclusion during 2020, despite the pandemic.

The goal of the college’s Office of Equity and Inclusion is to implement awareness and change in the college through a series of programs and events, all of which fall under the direction and leadership of Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion Camille Hall.

Critical Conversations training for 12 faculty members took place during the summer, allowing them to then train the remaining faculty and staff over two additional sessions. The college’s diversity action plan was submitted to the Division of Diversity and Engagement, laying out strategies for the coming years. “While there is still work to be done, I am energized by the progress we have made and inspired by the promise of its outcome,” said Hall.

The college’s Generating Justice Speaker Series took place through Facebook Live. Guest speakers Caroline Randall Williams and Peniel Joseph attracted large audiences and engaged viewers with interesting and relevant topics. Internally, more than 40 faculty and staff members participated in the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) or White Accountability Group. The groups met monthly for members to discuss important works on anti-Black racism and hold one another accountable in their work to improve social justice.

The Coalition of Black Social Workers, under the leadership of Assistant Professor Carmen Reese Foster, had a stellar 2020, with programs, events, awards, and official status as a registered nonprofit agency. “I am so grateful for this gift and very thankful for our Board of Directors and their hard work to make the 501(c)3 a reality,” said Foster.

The coalition exists to engage, connect, and empower Black social work students and professionals in the community, with the goal of increasing awareness about issues specific to the Black community and cultivating a network of support. “My hope is that this coalition continues to provide a channel so we may all be encouraged to always fight for justice, even when we are alone and even when it is hard,” said Foster.

The coalition sponsored a social justice field trip to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute for all students in early 2020 and a conference in the spring, followed by panel discussions and antiracism talks through the summer and fall, including “How to Be an Ally: A Panel Discussion

SOCIAL JUSTICE INNOVATION INITIATIVE

10

projects proposed in 2020

7

projects funded in 2020

$63,500

in total funding in 2020

Camille Hall

with Black Social Workers” and “Is Antiracism Enough?” The group capped off the year by receiving the university’s Student Organization of the Year award.

Also attaining new heights in 2020 was the Social Justice Innovation Initiative. Made possible through a gift by longtime college supporter Susan Cooper, the initiative offers a unique framework for understanding many of society’s most pressing issues around education, health care, and social justice and for developing avenues to address those issues.

The program was able to fund seven of the 10 projects proposed in 2020, with a total funding amount of $63,500. Two projects received grants of $15,000, the highest amount awarded.

The first, Increasing Computer Science Skills and Academic Self-Efficacy among Girls to Address Social Issues that Matter to Women (Girls Who Code), is working to increase computer science education, skills, and academic selfefficacy among girls—disproportionately of minority race and lower income—in Knox County. The project team is made up of Associate Professor Courtney Cronley, Social Work Office of Research and Public Service Director of Information Technology Deidre Ford, Knoxville–Knox County Community Action Committee Director of Special Projects Lisa Higginbotham, and doctoral student Melody Huslage.

The second program to receive a $15,000 grant, Examining the Disproportional Suspension of Black and Brown Girls in Tennessee, is creating a university–community partnership to support awareness about the disproportional suspension of girls of color, examine the problem through an intersectional lens, create a community-centered action plan, and report on the disproportional exclusion of girls of color across Nashville schools with recommendations for practices and policies to mitigate inequitable discipline. Project team members are Assistant Professor Andrea Joseph; Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion Camille Hall; Teralyn Hobbs (DSW ’21), a clinical social worker practicing in Honolulu, Hawaii; and MSSW students Kelsey Cardin, Ashley Honeycutt, and Sarah Link.

As the College of Social Work strives for excellence, its professional values, ethics, history, and future demand that social work educators, researchers, and practitioners be culturally competent and vested in responding to oppressive institutional, societal, and political trends. The college therefore seeks diversity in its faculty, field instructors, students, and staff. Cultural relevance and sensitivity to the personal, social, economic, and political needs of vulnerable high-risk groups are emphasized in the education, research, and service of students and faculty. The college continued to implement awareness and change in 2020 and is committed to doing so in 2021 and beyond. While there is still work to be done, I am energized by the progress we have made and inspired by the promise of its outcome.” — Camille Hall