Dyson College of Arts and Sciences

W W W. P A C E . E D U / D Y S O N 15 science professor, met with Huckle to learn more, which led to the module being housed within other courses in the depa ment. "The more I educate myself and access anti-racism training and conversations, the more I have been exposed to endless examples of Black joy, love, liberation, and community; if all we are doing when we talk about race is focusing on trauma, violence, and discrimination, then we are failing. I am thrilled with Dr. Huckle's idea and think it is crucial for non-Black and people not of color, like the two of us, to do this kind of work in our classrooms so that we can aim for more nuanced and rich conversations about race." The Courses A module housed in two courses when launched this past academic year, the initiative brings Black speakers to campus who embody Black Excellence. Racial positionality was explicitly discussed and addressed in each of these courses: Race and American Political Development, taught by Huckle in the fall semester, and Gender and Politics, taught by Nayak in the spring. Each course invited one speaker to converse with class pa icipants. The guests also spent dedicated time with the students to facilitate their understanding of course material, and their ability to connect that material to lessons learned from these discussions. The Speakers Melba Ayco, a istic director of the No hwest Tap Connection in Sea le, WA, was the guest in the Race and American Political Development course in fall 2020. No hwest Tap Connection is a social-justice–oriented dance program that works to cultivate a self-identification of Blackness while teaching community values, integrity, and discipline. Raised in segregated Louisiana, and pa of the forced integration of schools as a fou h grader in 1969, Ayco has a background that provided students with an impo ant new perspective. She was able to both celebrate the students and challenge them, not only on considerations of race and policy, but in their own approaches to and considerations of race and equality. Recent graduate Emily Oberlender '21, Political Science, said, "Hearing Ms. Melba speak was truly inspirational, insigh ul, and brilliant. I greatly cherished hearing her stories and incredible commentary." As pa of the Gender and Politics course in spring 2021, the guest was Maya Wiley—civil rights lawyer, previous counsel in the New York City mayor's office, MSNBC legal analyst, instructor at The New School, and founder of the Center for Social Inclusion, as merged into Race Forward (as of 2017), a nonprofit that combines policy expe ise with grassroots work to address civil rights and social justice. Danielle Layton '19, English and Communication Studies, who was invited to interview Maya Wiley, found the experience gratifying. When asked what her most impo ant takeaway was from the event, she said, "It was when I asked Maya, 'What advice would you give to younger Maya?' She looked me right in the eyes and said, 'You are wo h it.' In that moment, I knew that someone in that class needed to hear that. Such few words, but a message that captured the conversation—that excellence is already within us; we just have to tap into it." The students who heard Wiley speak were very engaged and expressed their appreciation throughout for being able to talk openly about the concept of Black Excellence. A erward, students from the class and the Dyson Women's Leadership Initiative expressed genuine thanks for being able to talk about race in a positive, community-building way. The Future Dyson College is on the leading edge of the effo at Pace to develop anti-racist or race-critical curricula. Huckle's goal is to fu her incorporate the Black Excellence module into other courses, and she hopes that other professors and offices will also integrate the initiative, not only in Dyson College but across the University. W W W . P A C E . E D U / D Y S O N 15

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