How to Be an Anti-Racist: A Follow-Up Discussion

After Ibram X. Kendi, PhD, MA, talked to a University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) audience about his book “How to Be an Antiracist” in February, UMB leaders decided to continue the conversation by sponsoring discussions about the book and its topic. Four of the discussion facilitators took turns talking about their sessions and the feedback they received from participants during the June 17 edition of Virtual Face to Face with President Bruce Jarrell.

Among the key takeaways was that UMB needs to continue its conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and anti-racism, while striving to be proactive in assessing and addressing these issues in the University’s policies and practices of the past, present, and future.

“We are an action-oriented institution, and we absolutely want to be more of an action-oriented institution on the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Roger J. Ward, EdD, JD, MSL, MPA, interim provost, executive vice president, and dean of the University of Maryland Graduate School, who was the guest host in place of UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS. “We’ve been having great conversations around this topic, and those conversations should continue after today’s program, because we are on this journey together.”

The book club discussions were organized by Nicole Palmore, MSW, director of diversity and inclusion at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, and included about 150 UMB students, staff, and employees including 19 facilitators (see list below). Each facilitator met with their group at least two times to discuss Kendi’s book and generate ideas for UMB to combat racism.

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