Higher ed should deliver a steady stream of events and other opportunities to bring faculty, administrators and students together to discuss and take positive action about racial injustice and white privilege, says Michelle Loris, associate dean of Curriculum and Special Projects for the College of Arts and Sciences and chair of Catholic Studies at Sacred Heart University.
Per student request, Sacred Heart created a series called the Heart Challenges Hate colloquia in response to the violence and bigotry against blacks, Jews, Muselims and the LGBTQ+ community that have transpired in the past three years.
Heart Challenges Hate has covered the psychology of prejudice, the rhetoric of violence, the role of the first amendment, the role religion plays in fomenting and healing prejudice, why Black lives matter and why women hating still exists, white privilege and America’s original sin.
“The series was specifically developed to bring knowledge, informed and reasoned discussion, faith and values to these issues,” says Loris who organized, developed and now offers the colloquia.
