Anti-Racism

Communications

• June 19, 2020 - Rev. Philip L. Boroughs, S.J. - Anti-Racism Action Plan
• June 3, 2020 -  Rev. Philip L. Boroughs, S.J. - Following Up
• May 30, 2020 - Rev. Philip L. Boroughs, S.J. -  Important Message

Anti-Racism Action Plan

• June 19, 2020 - Today, the College of the Holy Cross affirms our commitment to be an actively anti-racist organization. We join the voices around the country and globe to proclaim that Black Lives Matter. View the full plan »

Anti-Racism Strategic Initiatives

In addition to the College’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Planning Group (initial plan issued April 2019 (PDF) with updates on the work done by February 2020) (PDF) the College is currently developing additional strategic initiatives to bolster its commitments to anti-racism. Details will be announced by June 19. 

Opportunities for Engagement

We will continue to update this website to provide information on ongoing programs around race, racism and anti-racism. 

Ongoing Programs for Summer 2020

• Community Gatherings for Students
  • Open to Holy Cross students and alumni
  • Tuesdays at 7 p.m.
  • The Office of Multicultural Education will continue to hold their community hour and podcast, 6 feet. 20 seconds., every Tuesday at 7pm. This space is open for students to gather in community. This space will center the experiences of Black students in particular, along with voices of students of color. If you would like to participate in this community gathering, please sign up to receive Zoom login credentials.
• Watch Wednesdays
  • Open to all students, alumni, faculty, and staff
  • Each Wednesday from 6 - 8 p.m. ET come together to watch and discuss a film that highlights the need for justice, equity, and access. Each week the Office of Multicultural Education will announce the title of the next film via email. If you are interested in participating, complete the registration form by 9 a.m. each Wednesday.
  • I Am Somebody
    July 1, 2020 (Wednesday), 5:00 - 6:00 p m
    In 1969, 400 poorly paid Black women - hospital workers in Charleston, South Carolina - went on strike to demand union recognition and a wage increase, only to find themselves in confrontation with the National Guard and the state government. Complete the registration form to receive log in credentials to the viewing and discussion.

Forthcoming Programs

How to write an anti-racism action plan (webinar)
July 15, 2020 (Wednesday), 1-2 p.m. 
July 21, 2020 (Tuesday), 11 a.m. -12 p.m.

All students, faculty, and staff are invited to a webinar on how to write an anti-racism action plan. This webinar is intended for those who want to translate their personal values into commitments towards concrete anti-racist action plans, and will center strategies to challenge anti-Black racism - both at the interpersonal and structural levels. The webinar will be offered twice, so please register for either session here: July 15 registration here & July 21 registration here. 

6 Feet. 20 seconds. OME Podcast - Faculty and Staff Hiring 
July 6, 2020 (Monday), 6:00 - 7:00pm

Each session of this podcast, OME invites guests to meet with students and answer their questions. On this date, the conversation will focus on faculty and staff hiring led by Amit Taneja, Associate Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Holy Cross students, alumni, staff, and faculty are invited to join. Complete the registration form to receive log in credentials for the discussion.

Book Read: Nobody: Casualties of America's War on the Vulnerable, from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond by Marc Lamont Hill
Daily, July 6-10 & 13-17, 2020

In this “thought-provoking and important” analysis of state-sanctioned violence, Marc Lamont Hill carefully considers a string of high-profile deaths in America—Sandra Bland, Freddie Gray, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, and others—and incidents of gross negligence by government, such as the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. He digs underneath these events to uncover patterns and policies of authority that allow some citizens to become disempowered, disenfranchised, poor, uneducated, exploited, vulnerable, and disposable. To register, please visit bit.ly/listenlearnregister

Becoming a White Ally for Racial Justice (5 week series)
Weekly: Starting July 15 (Wednesday), 3:45 p.m. - 5 p.m. for 5 weeks

All current enrolled students (including students from the Class of 2024) are invited to join this five week discussion group. We will discuss interpersonal, structural and community strategies to work towards racial justice, particularly centering responses to anti-black racism. Participants will be invited to write their own anti-racism action plan as well. Students can register here. Deadline for registration is Friday, July 10.

Civitas - Community Engagement & Leadership Institute - Summer 2020!
Weekly on Sunday nights, 8-9:30 p.m. EST, July 19-August 16  

Join us for Civitas - Community Engagement Leadership Institute!  In Civitas you will have the chance to 

• Connect with other HC students in small and large student led groups   
• Discuss questions related to racial & economic justice, mission, and service   
• Access resources to assist you with finding opportunities to get involved in service and social justice work in your local community

Can’t make the weekly meeting time? Sign up and we will pair you with another student so you can stay connected to the program! Questions?  Contact Marty Kelly and Michelle Sterk Barrett at civitas@holycross.edu 

Register for Civitas here

Past Programs

• “Healing to Action in Community”
  • Thursday, June 4 at 4:30 p.m.
  • This event was an opportunity for social solidarity in a time of physical distancing. The goals for this virtual space were to foster healing for those in pain, learn and grow from each other's lived-experiences, and to find ways to create positive change in our Holy Cross community and beyond. Thanks for the 150+ participants who engaged in this dialogue.
• Listen and Learn Book Club
  • Starting June 15
  • Open to all students, faculty, and staff
  • This audio book club will start on June 15 with the book So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo. The book club will offer an opportunity to listen to chapters each day with 30 minute discussions in the evening for two weeks. The book club will conclude with a session to discuss the book and debrief individual learning. If you are interested in participating in this book club, please complete the registration form.
• Reflection and Prayer for Racial Justice
  • Open to students, faculty, and staff
  • 4 week series, Starting Monday, June 8 at 4:30 p.m.
  • Each week we will gather to listen to voices from the Holy Cross community as we pray with themes listed below. We will utilize the Ignatian Examen to provide an overarching structure to the series. The Examen invites us to notice where God is at work in our everyday lives and in our histories with all of our sorrows, pain, desires, and hope. 
    • June 8 - Lamenting - Where is God?
    • June 15 - Recalling Our History of Racism and White Privilege
    • June 22 - Sitting with Our Emotions and Desires in this Moment
    • June 29 - Committing to Change
  • Sign up to participate here.

Support Resources

The following offices are available for support and resources:

• Counseling Center: (508) 793-3363
• Chaplains’ Office: (508)793-3012
• Class Deans: (508)793-2530
• Employee Assistance Program (including Counseling Support)
• Office of Multicultural Education:  (508)793-2669
• Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:  (508)793-3009
• Student Affairs: (508)793-2414  

Holy Cross Student Wellness Services recently compiled a list of health, wellness and healing resources related to race and racism. These resources highlight and center Black practitioners and authors who work with marginalized communities.  

Additional Self-Care resources are available at http://holycross.edu/selfcare

Educational Resources

Allyship is an ongoing practice that requires us to educate and challenge ourselves. This document is structured to offer resources to those in the various stages of self-reflection and awareness, as well as experiences related to race-related history, dialogue, and anti-racism work. We encourage you to explore these suggestions in a way that allows you to progress in your own personal growth. 

• Book, article, video, and other recommendations (Google Doc)

Resources for Bias & Harassment

The College prohibits discrimination and harassment under its Discrimination & Discriminatory Harassament Policy & its Sexual Misconduct Policy. These links provide details on confidential and non-confidential resources, including options on how to report behavior. Additionally, reports of concerning behavior, including bias incidents, can be reported here. 

Racial Justice Focused Community Organizations

We encourage all community members to contribute to organizations advocating for change. Thanks to students, faculty, staff and alumni who have shared information with us about community organizations that are advocating for racial justice. The list of suggested organizations is available here.

If you are involved in a community organization that works on racial justice, please let us know via this form.