The year 2020 is a reminder of the world we live in — a world where we have witnessed harm to Black lives, pervasive racial inequities and COVID-19 inequities, emphasized the two featured speakers at a webinar last Wednesday (Aug. 26).
The webinar, “Restoring Justice: Transforming Education at UC Davis,” was the first in what is to be a series of discussions designed to recognize and address issues of bias and structural inequality on the campus and in the community.
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Maisha T. Winn and Lawrence "Torry" Winn, co-directors and co-founders of the Transformative Justice in Education Center in the UC Davis School of Education, presented the program. Maisha Winn is a professor and associate dean in the School of Education; Torry Winn is an assistant professor of teaching.
The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion collaborated with the Transformative Justice in Education Center on the webinar, which drew an audience of about 1,000 campus and community participants.
Renetta Garrison Tull, vice chancellor of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, served as the moderator. In an hourlong discussion and question-and-answer period, the panelists addressed baseline and common framing around the examination of histories and futures with attention to race, justice and language — what they referred to as the pedagogical stances for transforming justice.
‘Accidental racists’
The Winns began by setting a framework “justice.”
“Justice matters,” said Maisha Winn, the daughter of a UC Davis professor and an alumna herself, explaining that often institutions don’t restore justice, they just change practices. She explained, for example, that in K-12 schools, children of color are disproportionately suspended in comparison to their white counterparts. But in changing that suspension rate the institution might change the practice while not changing the mindset that made it happen.
“The [efforts] need to be ongoing,” she said. “The arc does not bend toward justice. We have to bend it.”
Addressing one of their presentation slides, “Restorative Justice, Transformative Justice. What is it doing at a nice place like UC Davis?” they explained that despite being in a liberal community, despite a diverse student body, faculty, staff and administration, universities are producing “accidental racists.” Histories of people of color are not always being presented.
‘Dig in deep’
Maisha Winn explained that in her own experience as an undergraduate in the 1990s, she had to take classes in several different departments to learn about people of color. Her father, James Fisher, in the 1970s was appointed to both the history and African American Studies departments — the first on the faculty to receive such a joint appointment. But, she said, that crossover does not always happen for students.
“Students haven’t always had faculty of color, haven’t been encouraged to read histories of other folks,” she said. “At the university we have to dig in deep. It takes a deep dive.”
“I am excited about today,” Torry Winn said, “but too many universities, including our own, have been reactive.”
He pointed out that university students have always protested. But, they often are reactive, not proactive.
Maisha Winn added: “We know what our young people are against. But what are they fighting for?”
A comprehensive approach
Language matters. Torry Winn said people cannot be afraid to use the appropriate language to describe what is happening. “A few years ago, we couldn’t say white supremacist," he said. "Now we can.”
Maisha Winn concluded by making sure future outcomes are considered as part of looking at the history, race, justice and language of education.
“We have to have optimism about many paths forward … and make sure future paths are not thwarted.”