Anti-Racism Efforts at The University of Pennsylvania

June 6, 2022, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Belmont’s Third Pillar: Towards Justice in Clinical Research
Hosted by The Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy

June 7, 2022, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The Challenge of Quantifiable Research Representation
Hosted by the Abramson Cancer Control Program

Location for both talks: BRB0252 (Biomedical Research Building, 421 Curie Blvd)
To-go boxed lunches provided for in-person attendees.

In-person and via Zoom! Register here for either or both events:

Jonathan Jackson, PhD is the executive director of the Community Access, Recruitment, and Engagement (CARE) Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. Jonathan’s research focuses on inequities in clinical settings that affect underserved populations, and he has received generous funding for this work from the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the National Institutes of Health, including a prestigious NIH Pioneer Award. Dr. Jackson, who received his doctoral degree in Psychological and Brain Sciences, also conducts research as a cognitive neuroscientist investigating the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease, particularly in the absence of overt memory problems.

May 27, 2022 - 12:00 to 2:00

March 17, 2022, 4:00 p.m.

The Provost’s Office invites you to attend the Provost’s Distinguished Visiting Faculty Lecture:
Revisiting Reproductive Justice Through a Vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
Featuring
Michele Bratcher Goodwin, JD, LLM, SJD
Chancellor’s Professor of Law, UC Irvine & Senior Lecturer, Harvard Medical School
Rainey Auditorium, Penn Museum
Please register here.
This event is open to the public.

Statement from The Task Force on Support to Asian and Asian-American Students and Scholars (TAASS)

In April of 2020, The University of Pennsylvania established the Task Force on Support to Asian and Asian-American Students and Scholars (TAASS) to coordinate and enhance support to members of the Penn community experiencing increased stigma, bias, discrimination, and violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Task Force, now convened by the Office of Social Equity and Community, is charged with identifying recommendations to the University to better serve Asian and Asian American experiences moving forward. The Task Force is led by Vice President for Social Equity & Community and University Chaplain Rev. Dr. Charles Howard and Vice Provost for University Life Dr. Mamta Accapadi. Membership includes faculty, staff, and undergraduate and graduate students including representatives from the Undergraduate Assembly (UA) and the Graduate & Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA).

Recent racist comments made by a member of the faculty in our university's Law School have caused hurt and harm in the community. Dean Ruger’s response and organizing efforts by students remind us that racist comments and perpetuation of harmful stereotypes do not reflect the values of our broader community. The Task Force joins the University and community members in condemning hateful speech. These events underscore the continued need for the University to identify and demonstrate commitment to meeting the needs of Asian and Asian American students, scholars, and community members as well as other targeted and structurally marginalized communities. The Task Force invites the Penn community to share perspectives on what resources and supports would better serve to uplift and improve Asian and Asian American experiences in both the short and long term. Contact the task force through the Office of Social Equity and Community

For those interested in connecting with current programs and initiatives, we encourage you to get involved with one or more of the following:

The Asian American Studies Program (ASAM) is an interdisciplinary program celebrating 25 years at the University. It offers a Minor and a broad range of courses and activities that explore the historical and contemporary experiences of Asian immigrants and of persons of Asian ancestry in North America. Through core courses in Sociology, English, and History, the program explores questions of race and ethnicity in national and global contexts. Students may complete the ASAM minor alongside a multitude of majors.
The Pan-Asian American Community House (PAACH) is a community resource center that develops and implements innovative programs for leadership development and community building (& service) in close collaboration with Asian & Asian American student and community groups.
Penn Global is comprised of the Office of the Vice Provost for Global Initiatives, Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, Perry World House, Penn Abroad, International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), Global Support Services, and Penn Global Finance and Administration.
The Pan-Asian Faculty & Staff Association (PAFSA) serves as a space for our community of Asian/Asian American-identifying staff and faculty to share ideas, knowledge, and connections. PAFSA provides networking, and professional development opportunities throughout the year. For more information and to join the network, please contact PAFSA facilitators, Aman Kaur at amankaur@pobox.upenn.edu and Ryan Viillanueva at ryanv@upenn.edu.

For community members who have experienced harm, bias incidents or need support:

Counseling and Psychological Services
Office of the Chaplain
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for University Faculty and Staff
Pan-Asian American Community House (PAACH)
Special Services
Or you can Report a bias related incident

A Night for Us: An Interactive Session for Black and Asian Communities to Discuss History, Healing and Solidarity

Dear Community:

We invite you to join “A Night for Us: An Interactive Session for Black and Asian Communities to Discuss History, Healing, and Solidarity” on the evening on Wednesday, January 19^th, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm.

Creative Praxis practitioners, Nia Eubanks-Dixon (she/her/we), Creative Praxis Founder and Lead Trainer, and Lanica Angpak (she/her), Creative Praxis Co-Facilitator, will lead our workshop. During this 2-hour healing-centered art-based training, participants will learn the history and legacy of colonialism and racism and how it impacts our communities, especially the Black and Asian communities, individually and collectively. Using a healing-centered approach, this session will begin to develop holistic practices for building authentic solidarity between our communities in Philadelphia and beyond.

Juneteenth Event featuring Dr. Ibram X. Kendi

IBRAM X. KENDI is one of America’s foremost historians and leading antiracist scholars. Dr. Kendi is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities and the Founding Director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research. He is also the 2020-2021 Frances B. Cashin Fellow at Radcliffe Institute for the Advanced Study at Harvard University. Dr. Kendi is the author of seven books including: How to be an Antiracist, The Black Campus Movement, and Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. To learn more about Dr. Kendi, visit www.ibramxkendi.com

Click here to register.

This event is co-sponsored by the African-American Resource Center, Department of Africana Studies, the Division of Human Resources,Makuu: The Black Cultural Center, Office of Social Equity and Community, and the Vice Provost for University Life. Copies of Dr. Kendi's books are available at the Penn Bookstore. Please visit https://upenn.bncollege.com/shop/upenn/home for more details. For more information about the event and the Juneteenth holiday, please visit https://faculty.upenn.edu/events/juneteenth/ or email provost-fac@upenn.edu.

Healing and Solidarity Circles

Click here to RSVP.

Black Men in White Coats

Task Force on Supporting Asian and Asian American Students at Penn

Stopping the Hate and Starting to Heal: Living With and Through the COVID-19 Pandemic

A Guided Session of Healing, Processing, and Community-Building for Penn Asian and Asian American Alumni, Graduate/Professional Students, Undergraduate Students, Faculty, Post-Docs, and Staff

In these challenging times University of Pennsylvania Asian Alumni Networks (UPAAN), Penn Spectrum, International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS), Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA), Undergraduate Assemblies (UA), Graduate Student Center (GSC), Pan-Asian Faculty & Staff Association (PAFSA) and Pan-Asian American Community House (PAACH), in partnership with Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS), Special Services, Restorative Practices @ Penn, and Penn Global have come together to offer a healing, processing, and community building space for Asians & Asian Americans who have experienced or are concerned about anti-Asian bias or harassment related to COVID-19. This pandemic, and the hateful rhetoric which has sprung up around it have directly and indirectly harmed many in our community – the Circle will be an opportunity to process with others who have similar experiences and support one another as a community. Click here to register. You will receive the meeting link to your session of choice upon registration. These Circle spaces are an opportunity for people with direct lived experiences of anti-Asian racism, bias, or harassment to share their stories and be in community with others who have similar experiences.

Alumni sessions

Tuesday, March 16, 2021, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - Facilitators: Thomas Peng (alum) and Due Quach (alum)
Wednesday, March 24, 2021, 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. - Facilitators: Ling Yeh (alum) and Phil Kim (alum)

Graduate & Professional Student sessions

Thursday, March 25, 2021, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. - Facilitators: Vivien Yiu (graduate/professional student) & Linshuang Lu (alum)
Thursday, March 25, 2021, 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. - Facilitators: Richard Le (alum/staff) & April Zhou (graduate/professional student)

Undergraduate Student sessions

Saturday, March 20, 2021, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. - Facilitators: Kevin Park (young alum) and Qingrong Ji (undergraduate student)
Tuesday, March 30, 2021, 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. - Facilitators: Sue Yee Chen (young alum) and Jun Li (alum)

Faculty session

Wednesday, March 17, 2021, 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. - Facilitators: Dr. Anh Le (faculty) & Dr. Rupa Pillai (faculty)

Post-Doc session

Tuesday, March 16, 2021, 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. - Facilitators: Helen Xu (staff) & Sana Said (staff)

Staff session

Thursday, March 18, 2021, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. - Facilitators: Rae Chaloult (staff) & Peter Van Do (staff)

Click here to register.