Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s Post

My second article for The Land is about University Circle.

When we think of old schoolhouses, we think of a time gone by. We may not associate them with something like a jelly juice jar but during a time of conservation - when people sought multiple uses for simple things - instead of simply discarding jelly juice jars, they repurposed them as drinking vessels. This was particularly true in schools, where children shared communal cups to drink water from. It brought to light an element of racial discrimination where health concerns were modernizing but schools, especially African American ones, were not. When Dovetail archaeologist, Colleen Betti, excavated at three 1880s–1950s African American schoolhouse sites in Gloucester County, Virginia, she was surprised to find numerous jelly juice jars. She found evidence for the implementation of public health campaigns as well as racial discrimination. Jelly juice jars are just one example of how schoolhouse sites can be used to examine larger social movements, such as those related to public health and Civil Rights. Click on the link to learn more about this snippet of interesting American history over on our blog. #DovetailCulturalResourceGroup #archaeology #anthropology #preservation #understandinghistory #jellyjuicejars #schoolhouse #africanamericaschoolhouse #communalcups #africanamericanschoolhouse #gloucestercounty #virginiadepartmentofeducation

The University of Toronto recently appointed its inaugural Dean of Civil Discourse, tasked with defining and fostering an environment conducive to civil exchange within the institution. It's a scary move that works to uphold oppressive systems. In a recent discussion with Nicole Salmon and Nneka Allen, CFRE, COC, PCC Allen, part of a program they run on racial justice in fundraising, Nicole shared a powerful quote by Nigel Westmaas: "The only thing more horrifying than incivility in the nation is the sheer indifference and complacency of folks around us. And 'civility' in a certain way is part of the complacency over injustice and may well be deployed as suture to oppression." It's noteworthy that a person of color has been selected for this role. From my own experiences, I've observed that individuals from marginalized communities often play a role in upholding the norms of civility that maintain white supremacist structures. Yet, despite our contributions, people of color are still subjected to white standards of civility, disregarding centuries of ancestral wisdom on how to exist authentically. I question the prioritization of civil discourse at the University. Who determines what is considered civil, and how can we ensure it's not bound by a white supremacist framework? Is civil discourse merely a tool for the privileged, accessible only to those who benefit from systemic advantages? Engaging in civil discourse does not always lead to intellectual growth, particularly when confronted with perspectives that perpetuate oppression or deny lived experiences. For me, some discussions feel like small irritations, while others resemble profound wounds. I don't want to be subject to these attacks. And I don't want marginalized students to be told to be more civil. In reality, there can be no civil discourse on racism, economic injustice, homophobia, or transphobia; there's only dialogue about achieving liberation. If a conversation isn't centered on liberation, I have no interest in engaging. Is that deemed uncivil? If so, I'll embrace that label.

Amid the Israel-Hamas War, Colleges' Responses Were All Over the Map by Amelia Benavides-Colón is an article that underscores the inconsistencies in support for students, faculty and staff amid the Israel-Hamas War. Insights from the article are drawn from the INSPIRES special module, which gathered data on how institutions responded to events in the ongoing Israel-Hamas War. The data includes formal statements made by institutional representatives, community supports, student responses, future planning and resource allocation, and bias incidents. Professor Matt Mayhew at The Ohio State University College of Education and Human Ecology commented on the situation, expressing concern: “that very few universities followed up with any sort of policies or practices after those statements, because what’s the motivation?”... “Is it about virtue signaling behind the statements if, in fact, you aren’t going to do anything with regard to changing policies and practice on campus?” This is a reminder that institutions need more than institutional statements to create meaningful change and offer genuine support. #CallforAction #NothingWorthWhileIsEverEasy

Since The United Methodist Church General Conference Worldwide Charlotte May 2024 and the separation of another part of the Methodist Churches of their own General Governance, The United Methodist Church has changed their education of universities and colleges of divinity education to the new school showcase and places for new school inclusions. A process where education is coordinated with The United Methodist Churches. Well done. All my life in the Christian Church. Peace to religions. https://lnkd.in/dxuN9mSa

How do we challenge our colonial/imperial universities? 👇🏽 “These questions provided the inspiration for “Accessing Land Justice” (2022), a project with a principal aim of developing pedagogical practices and tools in pursuit of land justice through community-engaged research. Specifically, we wanted to focus on issues of access and equity raised by university land ownership, both as a means of challenging the university’s role in maintaining the socio-spatial division of the city, and of reckoning with the ways the place we worked and taught had benefited from the “economics of empire” (Gopal 2021) and enclosure” #land #justice #university

This is the second to last in our blog series on college-age alums! Reflections and advice from Esther Akinsanya ’21 on selecting a college and finding community: https://lnkd.in/gNB_kdhu

Today starts Teacher Appreciation Week 🍏 Without educators we would not be the people or society we are today! Make sure to take a moment this week and thank those who are and have shaped the minds of our current and future minds. . . . . . #growwithbeck #preschool #kindergarten #kindergartenadmissions #earlychildhood #literacy #earlylearning #NYCeducation #earlyliteracy #scienceofreading

Maryland Educators & #HigherEd Community: Consider taking advantage of this notable, FREE learning opportunity by Smithsonian Education! Registration details below ⬇ #Marylanders #Educators #Education #HigherEducation #Learning #Teaching #Maryland #ProfessionalDevelopment

Our January Newsletter is finally out! And since it's Family Literacy Week, we have some special family literacy-related announcements! 📣 ✨🥳 Check it out here - https://lnkd.in/e9Sv958N #FamilyLiteracyDay #familyliteracy #literacy #FamilyLiteracyWeek #LiteracyQuebec