Delaware State University Dynamic Self Matters E-Journal Third Edition

Dynamic Self Matters. Our Commitment to Affirming You

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council Office of Human Resources

Call for Articles or Papers

Delaware State University’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Council is excited to invite faculty, staff, and students to submit articles or stories to be published in its monthly e-journal. The e-journal’s title is: Dynamic Self Matters. Its mission is: Our commitment to affirming members of the entire campus community.

Your article or paper can be on any of the following topics:

• An intercultural experience.

Note: An outstanding submission to be considered for the main feature

• Community service or work

• Travel experience

• Academic accomplishment or interest

• Sports accomplishment or interest

• Activism—internal or external of DSU

• Customer service at DSU

• Review of a book, movie, or documentary

Your article or paper must adhere to the following format and requirements:

• 800 to 1,000 words.

Note: An intercultural experience article is not to exceed 1,500 words.

• Times Roman, 12 point

• Double-spaced

• One-inch margins

• Minimum grammatical, mechanical, and spelling errors

• Either MLA or APA Style of documentation: Choose one and be consistent.

Please send your article or paper for consideration to be published in our spring semester 2023 issue no later than February 28, 2023, to: DEI@desu.edu.

DE&I COUNCIL

E-Journal Editorial Staff & Board

EDITORIAL STAFF

A. Myrna Nurse, PhD

Editor-in-Chief

Pamela Mosley Gresham, JD Managing Editor & Chair, DE & I Council

Nirmaljit K. Rathee, PhD Deputy Editor

Joseph Fees, PhD Copy Editor

Francine Edwards, PhD Copy Editor

EDITORIAL BOARD

Danielle L. Archambault, EdD Member

Albee Mendoza, PhD, ACUE Member

ANNOUNCEMENT

From the editor-in-chief…

Dr. A. Myrna Nurse is on sabbatical leave this fall 2022 semester. She returns to campus in spring 2023 and the resumption of all academic duties.

Meanwhile, she wishes that you enjoy this fall issue with its varied topics on belonging, mental health, disability, immigration, education, and reparations!

The HBCU Campus as Sanctuary

by Troy Darden

I was raised in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Throughout my formative years, I knew little about Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), with the exception of those prominently featured in Johnson Publishing Company’s latest Jet or Ebony Magazine and proudly displayed on the coffee table of nearly every family member’s respective home. While my “Young, Gifted, and Black” self was inspired each time I read the bios in those publications that accompanied beautiful images of Black campus queens and kings, the path to the nurturing and impactful family experience HBCUs have yielded to so many seemed ambiguous.

Harris-Stowe State College, the only predominantly Black higher education institution in St. Louis, was primarily a teacher’s college until it grew into a four-year university. Unless people planned to become educators, attending a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) was the standard aspiration for my peer group. At the time, I knew nothing of Lincoln University (MO) where, ironically, I would begin my professional association with 1890 land-grant HBCUs. I recall my best friend in Twelfth Grade applying and being accepted to Howard University. She encouraged me to apply there also, but cost and distance were barriers for me. Proximity breeds affordability, after all. So, when I attended University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL) for my undergraduate degree, instead of following many of my classmates to that 1862 land-grant university’s flagship campus (Mizzou) in Columbia, Missouri, it seemed like a reasonable proposition for me to attend there. Though not my choice school, the economic and academic value of the state university’s urban campus resonated with me. Then, I matriculated.

My undergraduate experience was less than comfortable. At that time, UMSL was a commuter campus, so I used public transportation to and from school until I saved to buy my first car. I had a long, involved journey to school each day: a tenminute walk from my home to the main street outside of our subdivision, followed by two to three buses before I was dropped off at the campus. I still lived in the suburbs with my parents, in the house they purchased in a mildly accommodating North St. Louis County community. We were the third Black family to move in and soon audibly endured the tired, “There goes the neighborhood!” trope at least once, my new suburban experience. Together with my enrollment at UMSL, I broadened my awareness of racial hostility in real time. Prior, I enjoyed multicultural friend groups at church and school, so the discrimination I thought had been relegated to history books shook me. My mother’s warnings about traveling to the sundown “townishness” of South St. Louis suddenly manifested. I learned quickly that South St. Louis County had the same vibe. For school, I traveled from North County to attend college with students from South County; public disagreements arose during my enrollment regarding how Bi-State bus routes carrying White students from South County were allowed on campus, while student riders on bus routes servicing St. Louis City and North County were dropped off at the street. Unless you have endured the brutal cold of a St. Louis winter, you will not understand how familiar and unwelcomed “the hawk” becomes while scurrying a few hundred extra feet to the warmth of the nearest campus building.

During my UMSL years, I joined the Association of Black Collegians because power in numbers: yes? Incidentally, the former president of our campus chapter is now the National Advisor, Governance and Policy, for NAACP. As a frequent visitor to the campus’s Black Culture Room, I learned of universal grievances and experiences from other Brown-skinned students. That oftencrowded space provided us sanctuary from the hostility and microaggressions of daily campus life. I distinctly recall working as a student reporter for KWMU, the St. Louis Public Radio station on campus, during the tenure of that campus’s first African American and female chancellor, Dr. Marguerite Ross Barnett. The station played classical music and its newsroom, led then by St. Louis Black radio icon Bernard “Bernie” Hayes, was a proving ground for Communication majors. Divestiture from the hateful apartheid regime in South Africa that imprisoned Nelson Mandela was a hot topic then, complete with boycotts by public figures like Eleanor Holmes Norton, Harry Belafonte, Arthur Ashe, and Stevie Wonder. The University of Missouri System found itself embroiled in the call for divestiture as it held investments in South Africa. As my news director, Bernie Hayes sent me to cover public hearings held on campus. People came from across the region to either support divestiture or defend investment. I had read about White Citizens’ Councils in history books and had been quite comfortable thinking they had been resigned to ink and paper. Imagine my shock and frustration when I found myself face to face with racial animus from such groups during those meetings.

And microaggressions? Here’s one for you. How about when students from South County lied to our professor about my level of commitment and contribution to the group’s communication theory project? And how about the professor believing them instead of seeking input from me? Or, how about my contesting my debate class grade to that same professor during the same semester? He changed my White debate partner’s grade from a “C” to a “B,” so I requested that my “B” be changed to an “A” to reflect my majority contribution to our project. The professor hissed at me in his office: “You’d better be glad you got the grade you did.” Right. That experience left an indelible impression and taught me the value and power of self-advocacy. Needless to say, I eventually received my “A.”

While I endured what I did at UMSL, my younger sister matriculated at Florida A&M University, one of Delaware State University’s sister 1890 land-grant universities. You already know that her college experience was vastly different from mine. The refrain I heard from other HBCU graduates then and now is the same: HBCUs feel like home. Though I missed out on that experience as a student, I consider myself an HBCU adjunct as a DSU employee and am gratified to witness the much-deserved nurturing and mentoring that HBCU students receive.

As U.S. citizens take to social media to share with the world images and video that expose America’s ugly underbelly of “isms,” especially racism, African Americans exhale in unison: “We tried to tell you.” As such, the continued relevance of HBCUs has undoubtedly become more pronounced as recent social and political morass has catalyzed book bans and public displays of irrationality and has fomented unfounded fears concerning public and private sector DEI efforts, The 1619 Project, and Critical Race Theory teachings.

Fortunately, young scholars of color have a haven in HBCUs. More than just a “room,” these legacy-filled and purpose-driven institutions provide nurturing spaces to allow young people to just breathe. On their website, the United Negro College Fund lists six reasons that undergird the continued relevance of HBCUs, including affordability, a success-fostering climate, and value. That value includes remaining true to the original intent of addressing racial inequity in higher education while welcoming people of all races.

An article by the American Council on Education echoes the UNCF sentiment by highlighting findings from a 2022 Strada Center for Education Consumer Insights report. In it, researchers found that Black HBCU students and alumni were more gratified with the value of their education than were their peers who attended PWIs (UNCF, 2020).

Moreover, 1890 land-grant universities, the nineteen public HBCUs that include DSU, offer a greater value proposition and career-centered preparedness and access for students, as they represent the only HBCUs that are tied to a US federal department that receive funding codified into US law and, together, represent a strong, collaborative network that is championed by members of Congress. The funding available to 1890 land-grant institutions like DSU helps buoy these institutions with access to both noncompetitive and competitive income streams that support teaching, research and extension programs domestically, and study abroad and faculty exchange programs internationally. Students at DSU in agriculture and STEM programs, especially, are often wooed by federal

References

agencies and private sector companies with science-based internships and fellowships to help students acquire experience using the skills they have honed at DSU and to acquaint themselves with the workplace culture and soft skills they will need in the marketplace.

HBCUs are sanctuaries for students as they matriculate and beyond, as revealed by the testimonials many of us hear from alumni. As more than just a respite in a weary world, DSU, in particular, must continue to actualize the pillars of the Reach 2026 strategic plan; our intentionality as standard bearers of excellence will determine how we nurture and prepare students for tomorrow and will propel us forward.

Troy Darden

As the Information Coordinator for the College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Darden promotes communication efforts that advance DSU’s brand identity as an 1890 Land Grant university.

Braithwaite, Paul. 1890 Universities Foundation. 1890 Land-Grant Universities. Interview. Conducted by Troy Darden. 27 May 2022.

Clayton, D., Leavitt, M. & Torpey Saboe, N. (2022). “The significant value of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. ” Strada, https://cci.stradaeducation.org/pv-release-feb-162022/?utm_campaign=cci_pvp_02162022_wk_edu. UNCF. (21 April 2020). “Six reasons HBCUs are more important than ever.” UNCF, uncf.org/the-latest/6-reasons-hbcus-are-more-important-than-ever.

Overcoming Barriers in the Face of Adversity with Peer Support

by Rubi A. Guadarrama Ornelas

I remember clearly what it felt like to set foot into new territory and inhale the humid Texas air. I could not breathe. The wind had been knocked out of me and yet, full of uncertainty, I took another step forward. Turning back was not an option. My parents had made the difficult decision to emigrate from Mexico to America and dragged me and my younger brother with them in pursuit of financial stability. This change placed me under the umbrella of persons who have lived in the US without official authorization since coming to the country as minors with the label DREAMer. This label came with a magnitude of internal struggles and barriers to overcome, which negatively impacted my mental health, but throughout my journey I recognized that I am not alone in this struggle.

COVID-19 has magnified the mental health crisis of our nation. The lockdowns, school closures, social distancing rules, mass gathering bans, and travel bans put in place to contain the spread of the virus have caused many of us to feel isolated and hopeless. The challenges of the pandemic have been particularly difficult for racial and ethnic minorities. This realization led me to pursue a research project examining the mental health of underrepresented college students.

During the Pandemic, I collaborated with Dr. Jarid Goodman in the Psychology Department to collect mental health data from undocumented college students at Delaware State University (Goodman et al., 2020). We found that two out of three undocumented students met the clinical

cutoff 1 for either anxiety or depression. Our findings were consistent with earlier predictions made by social scientists stating that the Pandemic would have a disproportionately negative effect on the mental health of undocumented immigrants. We cannot simply ignore this, and just like in the aftermath of any disaster, we need to rebuild and prevent future harm.

Peer support can be an antidote to mental illness. Studies highlight that strong social support systems can protect individuals from the detrimental effects of stress, improve cognitive functioning, and enhance overall well-being, thus promoting a longer and healthier life. This makes sense given the fact that our social environment plays a crucial role in our mental health by influencing how we think, act, and feel (Costa-Cordella, 2021).

In this modern age, it is common to feel unsupported. Sometimes it feels like self-reliance is the only way to make it in this world. These feelings often emerge when we are repeatedly tested with challenges that discourage. People tend to seek support from others who have gone through similar situations in search of advice. Ironically, those who have experienced hardship may not be the most supportive. It is possible that they may not want to revisit their painful past or may adopt a dismissive mentality. People with a dismissive mentality highlight that they got over it, so you will, too. Although they may have good intentions, it does not provide a solution.

It is easy to overthink what good support looks like. On the one hand, we may not feel worthy to receive support or may be too hard on ourselves, thinking we do not need it. On the other hand, someone in the position of giving support might feel unsure of what to do or say to someone who is going through a difficult time. Good support is more about putting in the effort to understand what the other person is going through and less about saying the perfect thing. When appropriate we may offer our help and assist in ways that do not amplify or minimize the person’s experience, such as by listening and validating their emotional experience. Small acts performed with genuine concern and kindness go a long way.

We all deserve to feel supported. I am incredibly grateful for spaces like the crisis text line where people can reach out for support. The organization offers free, text-based, twenty-fourseven confidential mental health support and crisis intervention. Over the years they have built an outstanding record of empowering and training volunteers to support people undergoing a mental health crisis in both English and Spanish. I was deeply moved by their mission of promoting mental health and well-being for people wherever they are and creating an empathetic world where nobody feels alone.

I was so moved by their mission that I joined the cause. I have learned countless lessons as a volunteer at the crisis text line. It has certainly been the most difficult work I have ever done, but also the most rewarding. Some people reach out to the text line completely hopeless and are very open about why they are feeling that way, and others have a difficult time opening about what has been bothering them. As a counselor, the best thing I can do is approach each conversation with

References

Costa-Cordella, S., Arevalo-Romero, C., Parada, F. J., & Rossi, A. (2021).

an open heart full of empathy. My efforts have been met time and time again with overwhelming gratitude from the texters expressing how thankful they were to have someone support them by simply listening. I have come to realize that many people lack that kind of support.

At the crisis text line, active listening gives people the opportunity to talk about themselves, allowing them to feel heard and validated. As a crisis volunteer, I am not sharing anything about myself, allowing the conversation to stay focused on the problems the texter is facing. This is different from a friendship, which is more like an exchange. I find that a lot of the issues mentioned by these texters mirror the challenges in my own life, reminding me that I am not alone and that we are all here together trying to figure it out.

My growth sprang from this realization. Despite the challenges I faced, the support I received from my peers empowered me to carry on. Now a firstgeneration college graduate, I attribute much of my success to this support. I am incredibly grateful for the partnership between Delaware State University and TheDream.US, which has given over a hundred DREAMers the opportunity to pursue higher education. To my fellow DREAMers and all other students, I strongly encourage all of us to remain united and supportive of each other as we overcome these difficult times by encouraging and listening to each other.

Rubi A. Guadarrama is a first-generation college student who received a bachelor’s in Social Work and a bachelor’s in Psychology from Delaware State University. She is currently enrolled in the Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience program at Delaware State University in the Department of Biological Sciences.

Social support and cognition: A systematic review.Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 637060

Goodman, J., Wang, S. X., Ornelas, R. A. G., & Santana, M. H. (2020).

Mental health of undocumented college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. medRxiv. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.598570

How My Journey Led Me to DSU

by Renee Marine

I am a White, fifty-year-old woman and have taught at Delaware State University for nearly seven years. When I am off campus and asked where I work, I say Delaware State University. I am met with “Isn’t that…?” to which I proudly answer yes, it is an HBCU, one of the most inclusive and diverse in the country.

I grew up in the steel town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, as one of four daughters of a single mother. My entire primary educational experience was in a small, predominately White school district. In junior and high school, we had three African American students out of approximately five hundred, and none of those students was in my grade.

My undergraduate path took me to West Virginia University, where it seemed to me at the time that the only African American students of the more than twenty thousand were athletes. After graduating from West Virginia University, I received my master’s degree at New York University. There I was taught by only White professors and had one Black classmate. Before Delaware State University, I never really gave much thought to those numbers. I also did not know those types of universities were designated as Predominately White Institutions or PWIs. My decision to attend those universities had nothing to do with their Whiteness, but looking back, I now recognize the lack of diversity I experienced.

Throughout my more than twenty-three-year career in television, I witnessed the same lack of equality, inclusion, and diversity. My closest friend at my first post-graduate job was Black and while we shared many great experiences, I fondly remember only one culturally shared experience when she introduced me to sweet potato pie, a thought that still makes me smile today. When I moved on to a Baltimore station, I would become close with a director who was Black, but again, we never really talked about our ethnic and cultural differences. I can honestly say the only time our difference was felt was when he attended my wedding and he and his wife was the only Black couple there. He graciously stayed for the wedding and the start of the reception before they excused themselves. He told me it was because his wife had to work the next day, but I will never know if they just did not feel like they “belonged.” It was not until I worked at a station in Salisbury, Maryland, that color was talked about frequently. As with the other stations, African American employees were sparse and the stories we covered lacked diversity. I experienced real and deep connections with many of the reporters and producers I managed no matter their ethnicity, but it would not be until 2016 until I recognized the conversation I never had would eventually enrich who I am and who I want my son to be.

I left the television industry in March of 2016 to spend more time with my husband and son. My son was newly diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder, or SPD, and at that time, it was a condition not yet acknowledged by the medical community. That summer, I reached out to a local community college to adjunct, knowing my past mentorship of newly graduated reporters and producers at my last station would serve me well in that position. By the grace of God, he told me Delaware State University was looking for a Mass Communications professor, and here I am today.

I must admit that while I was nervous about my new career, I immediately felt like this is where I belonged as I walked into my classrooms with confidence. It would not be until I established close relationships with my students that I found out there were many assumptions made about me because of my ethnicity. I was called “bougie” and some of my students even thought I was there because my husband was Black. Neither is true. It was at that moment that I made a bigger effort to turn my classroom into a place where they not only learned the course content, but where we could also learn about our cultures from one another. I tell my students that while I do not know what it is like to be discriminated against based on the color of my skin, I do know what it is like to be looked down upon because of my family’s income. At sixteen, I worked to help support the household and had three jobs to pay for my undergraduate education.

Another area of focus on me was how I spoke growing up. I share that a graduate professor doubted that I would I succeed in the television industry because of my regional dialect. Of course, I was upset, but I then became determined to correct it. It is for that reason, when I hear a student say certain things, I help them take notice and emphasize their soft skills. I also share my experiences of being an audio learner and my son’s diagnosis, so our differently abled students do not feel alone. I truly believe that connections I have made have enhanced all our lives.

Today, some of my students refer to me as “Mama or Auntie Marine” because they know I truly care about them while also pushing them to learn. We not only share our classroom experiences; we connect outside of the classroom on a personal level. Some students even refer me to their friends when they need help, whether on and off campus.

It is for those reasons and more that here, at Delaware State University, I have found my purpose and more than that…myself.

Renee Marine

is a Program Director, Assistant Professor and the Television Concentration Lead in The Department of Mass Communications, Visual and Performing Arts at Delaware State University. Her research interests include the First Amendment, Journalism, News and/or Broadcast Media. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism degree from West Virginia University and her Master of Art’s degree from New York University. While at Delaware State University, she co-advised and executively produced the Television Academy and Coca-Cola’s inaugural $40,000 grant winning short form student documentary, “Once a Hornet Always a Hornet” presented at the 2022 National Sports Emmys. Before teaching, Renee’ worked for more than 23 years in the Television industry and earned an Emmy and Edward R. Murrow Award. 15

Creating an Inclusive Work Environment: The True “Power of WE”

by Dr. Crystal Timmons

In the Beginning. At the early age of seven, I made the crucial decision to become a teacher. When I was in the second grade, I attended a theatrical performance set in the early 1900s and was mesmerized by the main character of the play, Ms. Louisa. She was a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse and made all things right with the world. I was determined to be just like her. On Saturdays, my bedroom turned into a classroom with dolls and stuffed animals sitting quietly and ready to learn the alphabet. I was a multi-tasker and easily played the role of teacher, principal, librarian, school nurse, and even the cafeteria manager with the assistance of my Barbie kitchenette set. My future career was off to a strong start.

As a first-year teacher at an elementary school in a suburban middle-class neighborhood, I was one of ten teachers of color among a faculty of one hundred. The atmosphere at the school was very tribal and most of the staff aligned themselves according to race. I loved working with my students and found many ways to establish positive relationships with them. I quickly learned that it was just as important to form positive relationships with my colleagues to plan and implement strategies that would benefit our students. I made a special effort to engage with my colleagues about professional issues in addition to serving as a personal support system when needed. Over the next several years, I began to assume a variety of leadership roles, and eventually transitioned from the classroom into higher education. I embraced a new role which included preparing

teacher candidates and potential school leaders for a productive and purposeful professional career. I served as a faculty member at two Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) prior to joining a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).

Diversity and a HBCU. The demographics of the Education department at Delaware State University (DSU) is a unique representation of a HBCU. African Americans make up 37% of the department faculty, and the rest of the department consists of International and White faculty members. We are a group of veteran educators who represent multiple ethnicities, races, and religious beliefs. Although it is not always comfortable, we have chosen to use these differences to expand our perspectives. We can reflect on our individual experiences as members of society who have faced historical inequity and/or historical privilege. These experiences lend a variety of insight into teacher education and strengthen our mission to model a philosophy for teacher candidates that promote a climate of collaboration, inclusion, and respect.

As I reflect on five years as a faculty member in the Education department at Delaware State University, I am extremely proud of the accomplishments achieved by the faculty and staff who I have affectionately named the “Dream Team.” New programs, courses, certification opportunities and increased enrollment have been a hallmark of our success. In addition, I have found a home with a group of colleagues who share my love of teaching, collaborating, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We agree that regardless of race, gender, or economic status, teacher candidates can achieve success when systems are aligned to provide them with the appropriate level of support and guidance.

Dream Team Additions. Along with our success, the Dream Team has navigated challenges and changes over the past five years: new leadership at both the department and college level, an accreditation review, a national pandemic, and the purchase of a private liberal arts college. In the summer of 2021, DSU acquired a neighboring academic institution, Wesley College. Unlike business models and corporations, acquisition in the education world is focused on people not products, collaboration not conquest. My colleagues shared these sentiments as well. It was impossible to foresee the obstacles that lay ahead. However, fear of the unknown did not prevent the Dream Team from welcoming former faculty and staff of Wesley College to the DSU Education department.

Our team is stronger because of the acquisition and other new faculty members who have joined this eclectic family. We all seek to use creativity and ingenuity to ensure that teacher candidates engage in learning activities that enhance content knowledge and build pedagogical skills that promote the learning of all students. As we continue to build this transformational program, the Dream Team is committed to guiding future educators to work as partners with diverse groups of students and their families.

My first year of teaching was instrumental as I learned countless lessons of the profession. One of these lessons was that a co-worker was not obligated to collaborate with peers solely because they shared the same employer. I will soon celebrate thirty years in the teaching profession and continue to learn valuable lessons. Building positive relationships with colleagues to create an inclusive work environment does not happen by chance. It is intentional work that leads to appreciating our differences and commonality. I am thankful for the Dream Team and our Power of “WE.”

Dr. Crystal Timmons is the Director of Clinical and Field Experience in the Education Department at Delaware State University

Microscopic

by: S. Hope Vella

Microscopic. That is how I feel as I carry the cumbersome burden of each weighty label society saddles upon my back. I am drowning in the sea of intersectionality. I am a lesbian woman of African American race who suffered a permanently disabling bilateral leg injury four years ago. How much marginalization can one woman bear? Silently, I plead to the world, “See me! See all of me! See the value in my presence.” This cultural ideology bleeds over into every aspect of my life: the political, educational, social, medical, personal/familial, and professional. I am all of these things and no less worthy because of any of the characteristics with which I identify or make me identifiable.

I learned that Black is beautiful before I could say the words myself. Perhaps my mother knew of the attacks that I would have to withstand from others with my skin dark and smooth as the most expensive, polished mahogany. Confidence in the beauty of my being was firmly instilled long before the sting of the contrary words of others came into existence. As a child of the sixties in schools where few looked like me, the love and encouragement in the words of my parents and extended family served me well as a foundation of strength. I lived in neighborhoods in which we were not welcomed, went to schools where teachers detested that I could read, spell, and write better than the White children in class, and was exposed to the hatred when my school district began busing. Well-meaning and self-proclaimed progressive adults frequently made remarks about how articulate I was. In fact, people still do it and inwardly, I cringe. I confess, there were times that I have retorted, “Compared to what?”

After spending two decades of my adult life attempting to conform to societal norms, I began to embrace my truth as an openly lesbian African American woman. Many of the compliments I have received were microaggressions based upon ignorance and biases:

“You are the prettiest Black woman I’ve ever seen.” Sooooo, I’m pretty. I’m just not White woman pretty?

“Your skin is so smooth and dark. Can I touch it?” They actually reach out to touch my face!

“You’re too feminine to be a lesbian. You just haven’t been with the right man.” Ewww!

“A pretty little lady like you shouldn’t be working on her car. You need a good man to do that for you.” Then, they proceed to stand by and watch me do it. Their mouths drop in amazement when I am successful.

I must keep a mental rolodex of responses to these well-intentioned barbs.

When I was younger, I did not know how to respond. Sometimes, I would get angry and cut the person out of my life with no explanation. Other times, I would give an awkward smile and make subconscious excuses for their ignorance. I did not know what they were called. I knew that they made me uncomfortable. They made me feel as if the speaker felt as if I was somehow less than they were. Looking back and looking at the present, even though they continue to occur, there is a difference. My personal has merged with my political and I have found my voice (Cole, J. & Guy-Sheftall, B., 2003).

My most recent adoption into a marginalized group is one of disability. Out of all of them, or maybe the disability just compounds the effect of them all, this presents the most damaging impact on my psyche. I have been chided at the drive-through bank window because I was unable to come inside to do my banking. I have had people (strangers) ask imposing questions about my leg braces. Some attempt to make decisions for me as if my leg injuries somehow impacted me neurologically.

I have been threatened with zeroes (my GPA has always been 4.0) for not completing a community service assignment when the community agencies were leery of my volunteering because of my leg braces. Nobody (not my teacher or my advisor for students with disabilities) believed what I was saying until a typically-abled classmate recounted the humiliation of another classmate with a disability by the director of a community organization.

I am unable to attend in-person classes because my local campus keeps having issues with low enrollment. Even though I have the required GPA and was accepted into the Honors Program, I cannot participate because there are no online Honors courses offered, and I cannot travel to the main campus. When I ask why so little is addressed about disability as a marginalized group in Human Service programs and Social Work programs, I have gotten responses such as, “I don’t know,” or “There’s little research about it.” Those responses are dismissive and leave me feeling that it is not important enough for the program or the individual instructor to investigate a little deeper. In my case, it translated into nobody cares if one more student with a disability is allowed to have systemically-erected stumbling blocks cause them to give up.

Ignorance about policies directly associated with my disability caused me to start my junior year at a university two weeks late and almost cost me the opportunity to continue my education. I even had one department supervisor write in an email that she did not know whether it was her “delivery” or my “ability to comprehend” that was causing the mix-up, but until I did what she wanted me to do (something I was forbidden to do by the US Department of Education), my funding for school would not be released. I received no apology once they discovered that the error was not my own. Why should one more, in addition to the sixty percent of students with disabilities who never complete college, matter? (Post-Secondary National Policy Institute, 2021. October). I have been an advocate for others for almost thirty years. I know the laws and policies and I know how to fight. I have found my voice for each situation and spoken up. What happens to the eighteen-, nineteen-, and twenty-year-old who is trusting that the college staff is there to provide guidance? We look to our professors and advisors to give us culturally competent guidance.

I have confronted, fought, and healed in the educational environment. I have risen to heights nobody ever imagined I would reach after the injuries I suffered four years ago.

However, I am still not trusting of the machine of the university. I am determined to be of the forty percent who succeeds, but I find my anxiety increasing with every planning meeting for upcoming semesters…and that is an institutional failure. I am compelled to accomplish this goal and be a part of change for others as I magnify the issues to smooth the course for others who will follow in my path.

I am multifaceted, like an expertly polished diamond. Each facet brings beauty and uniqueness. However, each facet also comes with flaws created by the pressure of both internal and external influences. The limitation to my mobility is the newest, and I mistakenly believed that it would be the easiest to adjust. After all the experiences of my past working in the disability community and my knowledge of the regulations and policies put in place by the government, I was confident that I would adapt to my new condition. I had proven my resilience overcoming the other societal challenges in my life. I was so sure that in this trial, I would also emerge victorious. I am no less a lesbian, woman, or African American because of my disability. I am not so small and insignificant that my needs cannot be seen.

I do not believe that these slights are deliberate. I believe our society has not been taught how to accommodate those who are differently abled. If college programs do not address disability as a natural dimension of life, how can I expect others to respond accordingly? I train venue and organizational staff. I speak openly with friends. I confront instances of unwillingness to accommodate. I am tired.

I still feel like I am shouting from a mountain top, “Hear my voice! SEE ME! See ALL of me!” I am small in size, but no microscope is needed to see that I am an African American, lesbian woman who has been thrown one heck of a curve that adds another category for me to be marginalized, diminished, and overlooked. I have waited for more than an echo to come back to me, but then I have realized that by cataloging every experience, I am writing my own roadmap of where I will go and the changes I will make when my educational journey is completed. My personal and political have merged and ignited. I will never settle for being microscopic.

S. Hope Vella

My name is Hope. I am in my senior year of the Social Work program at Delaware State. I am also a member of the Steering Committee for the Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice (SDARJ) where I chair the Communications and Social Media Committee. I am also a member of the Education Committee which, among other activities, awards scholarships to Black college-bound high school students and paraprofessionals who wish to become teachers.

References

Cole, J. & Guy-Sheftall, B. (2003). Gender Talk. Random House Publishing.

Post-Secondary National Policy Institute. (2021, October). Students with Disabilities in Higher Education. https://pnpi.org/wp- content/uploads/2021/10/StudentswithDisabilities_October2021.pdf

Sue, D. (2010). Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation. John Wiley & Sons.

International Student’s Journey

by Diana Yankovich, EdD

As an undergraduate student from Yugoslavia, devastated by the Kosovo War of 1999 and newly wed to the love of my life, I found myself in the United States. I had not planned for my future here, not to mention my education and job. My whole family and all my friends were extremely far away, and since they did not have the Internet at the time, I could only learn from and depend on one person. Nonetheless, my academic, professional, and personal growth benefited immensely from this experience. The benefit was the extra time I had to prepare for my TOEFL test.

When I first arrived, the only quick ways to contact my family back home overseas were through either email or the slow landline phone. Unfortunately, many homes there still do not have access to either the Internet or a personal computer. The phone call’s one minute of talk time cost more than we could afford. Because of the conditions that persisted after the war, I had to spend time apart from my loved ones.

This new environment of mine just so happened to be an academic institution. This worked out tremendously to my benefit. After arriving in the United States, I visited a university town for the first time. Really, I could not believe it. The dorms and fraternities and academic buildings were all clustered together, just like in the movies. On one end of the bridge is the university president’s home, while on the other is a number of buildings. The city paper, authored and edited by college students, was delivered to my doorstep daily. There were university television, free libraries, student plays in the mall, student movies, and classes delivered by satellite television: it was like something out of a fairy tale. Students’ artwork, research posters, prizes, dissertation

boats, and flyers for art performances adorned the walls of the department buildings. The city paper kept us abreast on all the latest artistic happenings, scientific breakthroughs, and grant announcements. I will never forget how difficult it was to finish reading the newspaper at that very time. It took me a whole week to read only two paragraphs. Even TV viewing was a daunting task. I began by viewing children’s educational programs on PBS and library short films several times while reading the captions and writing down words I did not know in a dictionary.

Going through the process of becoming an international student is an exciting adventure. Spending the time and energy necessary to study English and succeed on admission examinations like the TOEFL is a very difficult task. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is also often required for admission to graduate programs. Some students attend prep courses, while others read introductory books and visit museums and libraries to get more resources in order to excel. Non-native English speakers will always have to put in more time and effort than native speakers do when it comes to reading, writing, and mastering the language.

When a student first begins studying in a foreign country, the language barrier is not the only challenge that is faced. Primarily, the actual tests themselves may be extremely different. For instance, some students may feel out of place when asked to respond to a series of multiple-choice questions. Teachers may lead a totally different classroom experience with students interacting with each other. Certain students may bring their lunches to class since their courses are so lengthy, yet this

is frowned upon in some countries where the average class length is just forty-five minutes. It may be more challenging for overseas students to succeed in school, form meaningful friendships, and work together effectively. Perhaps, there is a misunderstanding between them or there is a language barrier, all of which might make him or her feel uncomfortable on the team.

After all the fables and other tales describing this arduous voyage, I am happy to have one of my own that I can tell with pride and from which I draw inspiration. Extensive studies have shown the unique challenges faced by overseas students as they attempt to realize the same educational, professional, career, personal, financial, and life objectives as their domestic counterparts. Even so, there are some of the benefits I reaped as an international student and a naturalized citizen of the United States. In the wake of COVID-19, I am writing this narrative as we begin to understand the causes of the nationwide (and maybe worldwide) decline in student enrollment and the particularly trying circumstances that have led to a concurrent decline in the number of foreign students. Here, I wish to draw attention of the University to the fact that overseas students really do need more resources and assistance of some kind.

Because of the limited availability of financial aid opportunities, international students face a significantly higher financial challenge than domestic students do. They are restricted to working twenty hours a week in an on-campus

employment. In addition, it may be difficult to get a standard credit card or a student loan. It may be more difficult to rent an apartment than it would be for a typical student due to a lack of credit history. For those whose families are unable to offer financial support, it might be difficult to save up enough money to do laundry. Often, we cannot expect to get the same variety or quality of food that we are accustomed to back in our own country while maintaining the same weekly budget (since all costs are fixed). For the first several months, I lacked access to a vehicle, making it difficult even to go for the grocery shopping.

Learning to drive involved all graduate and undergraduate students we knew in the city. Just a few months after getting my driver’s license and with a vehicle that was ten years old, I drove across the country to start a new life. That journey ultimately led me to this institution, where I was able to complete my education, complete my research, write and publish my findings, and teach. My fondest memory of Dr. Hartline, the previous dean of the science faculty, is her suggestion that all students read Winners Don’t Quit: Today They Call Me Doctor by Dr. Pamela McCauley Bush. I think we are all winners, and we must never quit.

Diana Yankovich, EdD

I graduated from Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership, December 2018. My research interests are quantitative and mixed method research in higher education, leadership, global societies, students’ finance, economics, and educational loans.

References

Bush, P. M. (2010). Winners Don’t Quit: Today They Call Me Doctor. IP Books. Guo, Y., Wang, S., Wong, A. P., Loftis, G. A., Mathison, J. M., & Ashhpole, M. K. (2019). Economic Stress of International Students: What Counselors Should Know. The Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision, 12(4).

Lertora, I. M., & Croffie, A. L. (2020). The Lived Experience of International Students in a CACREP Counseling Program. International Journal for the Advancement of Counseling, 42, 174–190. NCES. (May 2022). Undergraduate Enrollment. Retrieved from: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cha

Multicultural Learning: Key influences

Life’s journey is more fulfilling with different experiences!

by Charmaine A. Allen

Introduction

Schools were required to incorporate multicultural training to remain responsive to students’ needs, thereby preparing and ensuring psychosocial school stability. Additionally, a new cultural focus on education was defined when globalization and technology spawned information speed and new ways of conducting business and learning. New opportunities were disclosed for international labor, and educational opportunities were expanded. More research contributions that concerned untapped developments in education, globalization, and technology were pursued. This study will present a reinforced knowledge to prompt school administrations to generate approaches for an efficient merging of traditional and multicultural teachings. Knight (1993, pp. 249) introduced this as internationalization, and Van der Wende (1997) viewed it as a process of collective activities to encourage continuance and expansion in learning.

Literature Review

The study revealed a fundamental impact on multicultural learning as far back as the lifespan developmental stages mentioned by Santrock, (2011, pp. 25, 27, and 29). This pivotal role recognized nature and nurture as impressionable factors for holistic growth and the importance of diversity (Klein, 2009). Adjunct to leadership, as a selected career path, are the characteristics formed during the interactions from socialization and a quest

for higher knowledge which were adversely affected due to the diverse teaching concepts, methodologies, and climate of governance that materialized, as in the teachings of Sergiovanni, et al (2015). Subsequently, the convergence of globalization and technology brought awareness of economic inequalities and a push to prepare students for global possibilities. This was derived from varying approaches to international learning and the validity of infused multicultural responsive teachings, which presented an enigma with procedures differing from practice (Jacobs, 2010, pp. 97; Conley, 2005; and TNTP, 2018). Another realization was the demonstration of equity with contrasted fairness and equality which was required for the global acceptance of multicultural learners and workforce readiness. Understandably, inadequate preparation of the faculty for pedagogical encounters notified a gap related to sufficient knowledge and expertise to match classroom language and cultural barriers. Also, fair funding from governance and its effect on educational opportunities posed a great concern for the reliability of the educational process, (Blankstein, et al, 2015, pp. 279; Gopal, 2011; Page, et al, 2009).

Methodology

A qualitative review of research material on inter national education was conducted and comprised of selected articles and associated texts to correlate scholarly work with leadership as a career path. The origin of multicultural training needs, the impact of international education, and the importance of equity were identified in the literature, and were responsive to the purpose of the study, thereby guiding the following research questions:

1. Is multicultural learning necessary to the global economy?

2. What are the key influencers of culturally responsive teaching in higher learning?

3. Is equity practiced in multicultural settings for higher education?

Discussion

Several scholarly efforts contributed to authenticating and establishing the key influencers of multicultural learning. The analysis of multifaceted learning that began with the human lifespan, the multiplicity of variables, and impacted meaningful growth and development were viewed and summarized. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems theory: macrosystems, mesosystem, exosystems, microsystems, and chronosystem was a profound additive to human development. The interrelationship of these systems during the different stages of lifespan development aided the choices made in adult years, thereby cementing dependency and as a learning contributor. Furthermore, Santrock (2011) shared the support of theorists, psychologists, and scientists as the formation of career paths were indicative of a diversely engaged learning environment to form a holistic learning opportunity and global career positioning.

Additionally, a selected occupation, leadership, was used to identify an educational path stemming from nature and nurture influences and encouraged by views of theorists and authors in the leadership field (Sergiovanni, et al 2016). This examination aided the shaping of leadership qualities, as the influence of home, society, school, and global exposure played an important role in fashioning the characteristics of a leader. Santrock’s (2011) additive of cognitive and critical thinking, selfawareness, self-reliance, group association, and so on emphasized the progressive development of leadership consciousness in identifying with self and leading others. Furthermore, the advent of technological advancement and globalization introduced a push for culturally responsive engagements in education as a preparation for the workforce and international compatibilities (Conley, 2005; Gopal, 2011). This suggested gap in traditional content delivery called for culturally responsive teaching in order to incorporate international students. Additionally, equity and educational policies were viewed to be high influencers based on the acquisition and distribution of resources needed to foster holistic multicultural learning. Scholars supported the concept of equal opportunities afforded to all as a best practice (Blankstein, et al, 2015; Gopal, 2011; Page, et al 2009). Consequently, it prompted institutions to continuously transform culturally responsive teaching within the traditional classroom.

Centralized and decentralized governance, with respect to states and districts in America, and the political climate, borders on the degree of focus to be placed on the importance of multicultural responsiveness of education systems, and its continuity. The placement of temporary focus on arising issues alludes to pragmatic fixes instead of long-term proactive approaches for meaningful progress (Van der Wende, 1997). Arguably, the stance of governance may outplay the authority of theorists and researchers, but evidently as a rule historical data predominantly earned its right to guide, inform, and educate to foster improvement.

Findings

Matted in the multicultural environment was the expectancy of multifaceted interactions, and the importance of effective communication, equity, and fairness in teaching content. Equity, social community, and justice were unearthed as the main contributors to cultural responsiveness, while it was established that leaders originate, educate, and mature differently in a multicultural environment (Blankstein, et al, 2015; Santrock, 2011). Furthermore, teacher readiness was also noted to be paramount for benchmarking excellence in cultural diversity practices.

Implications

Several influences on international diversity were discovered. However, information on the curricula to meet the needs of multicultural students would have influenced the investigation. Also, wider coverage of variables that impacted the multicultural education environment would be beneficial to this or a larger study.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the study brought relevance to the multicultural classroom supported by social communities throughout one’s lifespan. It was further theorized through approaches that a multi-ethnic learning environment was indicative of reciprocal benefits in global alignment for student learners. However, a few discrepancies were recognized in the educational schema.

Firstly, the political climates vastly influenced multicultural expectations and responsibilities, as the educational focus of politically reigning parties presented a façade versus the realities for meaningful multicultural responsive institutions – what is formalized was not practiced at the classroom level. The upsurge of interest in widespread ethnic inclusivity was not transcended to learning materials, communication, and notable economic differences among varying cultural groups. Additionally, scholarly efforts support my

view of avoiding stagnation, or backwardness in education by initiating a meaningful reform from the district level. The vision of multicultural responsiveness should be shared with other key stakeholders, such as superintendents and administrators in the institution’s hierarchy, which will lead to a greater positioning of governing for a positive change. Relatable curriculum designs and lesson plans would then authenticate the required inclusiveness within the structure of the institutions.

Next, the continuity of global culturally responsive teaching with an avid focus on equity, equality and fairness, and teacher preparedness was evident. However, an infused multicultural intervention in traditional schools, adequately preparing teachers for the engagement, and planning for equitable and fair best practices and adherence to policies were not. The implementation would create dual improved positioning for both the students and the institutions, and by large society. A challenged status quo of traditional teachings and governance would present a quandary, but evidently, the benefits of advocating, adequate foundational and professional development for multicultural engagements would be worth it.

Encouragingly, dimensions of learning will continue to evolve and make a difference in education. The decisions we make now not only impact the future but can also derail the existing progress of multicultural learning. This examination, although not all-inclusive, was established to reinforce the importance of multicultural education to policymakers, school administrators, and fellow multicultural responsive advocates. However, further review of political impact and instruction delivery to aid global job placements and student learning opportunities would benefit this concept.

References

Blankstein, A., & Noguera, P., (2015). Excellence through equity. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Conley, D. T., (2005). College knowledge: What it really takes for students to succeed and what we can do to get them ready. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Gopal, A., (2011). Internationalization of Higher Education, Preparing Faculty to Teach Cross-Culturally: International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 2011, Volume 23, Number 3, 373-381: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ946163.pdf

ISSN 1812-9129

Jacobs, H. H., (2010). Curriculum 21 essential education for a changing world. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Klein, S. B., (2009). Learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Knight, J., (1993). Internationalization: management strategies and issues, International Education Magazine, 9 pp. 6, 21-22.

Miriam-Webster Since 1828: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/internationalization

Paige, R. M., & Goode, M. L., (2009). Cultural mentoring: International education professionals and the development of intercultural competence. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. In D. K. Deardorff (Ed.), The Sage handbook of intercultural competence (pp. 333-349).

Santrock, J. W., (2011). Life-Span Development: McGraw Hill, Thirteenth Edition; ISBN: 978-0-07-353209-7

Sergiovanni, T.J., & Green. R.L., (2015). The Principalship: A Reflective Practice Perspective, 7th edition, Pearson for DSU M.Ed TNTP, formerly The New Teacher Project (2018). Opportunity Myth: TNTP_The-Opportunity-Myth_Web.pdf, https://tntp.org/publications/view/student-experiences/the-opportunity-myth

Van der Wende, M. (1997). Missing Links: the relationship between national policies for internationalization and those for higher education in general, in T. Kälvemark & M. van der Wende (Eds) National Policies for the Internationalization of Higher Education in Europe. Stockholm: National Agency for Higher Education.

© by Charmaine A. Allen, September 2022

Klein, S. B., (2009). Learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Research and Teaching Interests

Need to be Perfect: How Race, Gender, and First-Generation Status Influences Parental Expectations and Parental Criticism in College Students

by Dr. Albee Mendoza, ACUE

Co-Authors: Samantha Conti, Tyson Kreiger, Christine McDermott, Angelee Smith, and Kali Regan

Introduction

Perfectionism has been defined as setting extremely high expectations for personal performance (Frost et al., 1990). A psychological survey, The Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS; Frost et al., 1990), was developed to measure variables related to perfectionism: Concern over Mistakes, Personal Standards, Parental Expectations, Parental Criticism, Doubts about Actions, and Organization. Of particular interest in this study are the two subscales within the FMPS which focus on parent-student interactions, specifically perceived parental expectations and perceived parental criticism. The aim of this study is to identify personality characteristics in college students, such as race, gender, and first-generation status, which may impact their perceptions of their parents, which in turn may influence their own perfectionistic behaviors. The relationship among these variables has important implications on how home-school collaboration plays a role in admission, retention, persistence, and graduation.

As history shows, education can differ significantly based on the ethnicity and gender of a student. Minorities, most historically African Americans, were not always permitted to attend higher education schools in the

United States, which spawned the creation of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education, 1991). In terms of race, previous research by Castro and Rice (2003) used the FMPS and found that nonWhite college students, specifically those who identified as Asian American and those who identified as African American, scored higher in the Parental Criticism subscale compared to students who identified as Caucasian American. Taking this into account, it may be that parental expectations and parental criticism can influence a student’s need to be perfect in the higher education setting. Specifically, parents of non-White students may be harsher on them and expect more from them since colleges have served primarily White students in the past.

Like minority students, secondary education in the United States was not always available to both genders. According to Goldin and Katz (2011), an institution to teach both men and women at the secondary level was not open until 1835. This slow progression suggests that women were not considered equal to men in America for a very long time. In terms of gender, Sotardi and Dubien (2019) found no differences in total FMPS scores between female and male first-year college students.

Interestingly, Goel et al. (2019) found that nonWhite college women scored higher in the Parental Expectations subscale compared to White college women. Much like minority students, women did not have access to higher education in the United States (Goldin & Katz, 2011). Their parents may push them to do more and to achieve more, which may lead female students to perceive their parents to have higher expectations.

Within the campus community, first-generation (1G) college students (who are the first in their family to attend a postsecondary institution) typically consist of 14% to 40% of the student population (Galina, 2018). The rest of the student body are continuing education (CE) students (who have at least one parent who obtained a postsecondary degree). In terms of 1G status, previous research by Camden and Brown (2017) focusing on parental relationships found that parental rejection is negatively correlated with levels of resilience. This may be because parents of 1G students may not be as knowledgeable about the college experience, may have more concerns on how to allocate their finances, may expect more of their children to get out of their current circumstances, and may be more critical of their children, which in turn drives their children’s need for perfection (Terenzini et al., 1996).

Considering previous research, this study proposes the following hypotheses:

1. Non-White students will have higher scores in parental expectations and parental criticisms compared to White students.

2. Female students will have higher scores in parental expectations and parental criticisms compared to male students.

3. First-generation college students will have higher scores in parental expectations and parental criticisms compared to CE students.

Method

Survey responses were anonymously collected from Utica College in Utica, NY (n=145) and Wesley College in Dover, DE (n=95). The sample (N=240) mostly consisted of those who identified as female (78.8%, N=189) and those who identified as White (62.1%, N=149). In response to the question, “Are you the first in your family to attend college?” 27.1% answered Yes (N=65). Students in Utica College and Wesley College completed two surveys among a larger study investigating several variables including student use of academic support services, grit, educational barriers, motivation, engagement, perfectionism, among others (see NOTE). Students completed two subscales from the FMPS (Frost et al., 1990). The 5-item Parental Expectations subscale (α=.86) asks questions such as, “My parents set very high standards for me”. Items were rated on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with higher scores indicating more parental expectations. The 4-item Parental Criticism subscale (α =.88) asks questions such as “As a child, I was punished for doing things less than perfectly”. Items were rated on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with higher scores indicating more parental criticism.

Findings and Discussion

Interestingly, race and 1G status were the main variables linked to perfectionism; specifically, with race linked to parental expectations and 1G status linked to parental criticism. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2019), African Americans had a 6.5% unemployment rate compared to 3.5% for White Americans in 2018. This may push parents of non-White students to instill higher expectations in their children and encourage them to work twice as hard to avoid unemployment. On the other hand, there was no difference in race for parental criticism.

Notably, there was no significant relationship found for parental expectations or parental criticism when it came to gender. This may be because women have had more access to a college education as schools have been open and accessible to them. For example, American women are awarded more than half of all Bachelor of Arts degrees (Goldin & Katz, 2011). These numbers suggest that secondary education is an attainable goal for women. This could influence how their parents treat them; perhaps they do not set very high expectations for their children because they know what women have been able to do in higher education.

In terms of 1G status, it is interesting that parental expectations were not significantly higher for 1G students, but parental criticism was. This may be because parents who did not have the opportunity to attend college raised 1G students. Thus, these parents are more critical of their children and have less tolerance for mistakes. In this case, all students had a similar expectation from their parents, which was to graduate college. However, for 1G students, their parents may not understand the highs and lows of college education and be more critical of their children as a result.

Implications for DSU Students

One limitation of this study is that its participant pool was mainly made up of those who identified as White, female, and with CE status. Since the historic acquisition of Wesley College, which was one of the institutions in this investigation, if a future study were to be completed at an HBCU like DSU, the findings may or may not be similar due to the difference in the makeup of the student population. With that said, the study has implications for DSU’s current student body.

First, students who identify as non-White may feel the need to be perfect due to high parental expectations. Second, students who identify as 1G may feel the need to be perfect due to high parental criticism. Home-school collaboration may be bolstered to inform parents about the experiences of their children. For example, parents could become more familiar with the college curriculum and the student experience. In turn, the school may have parent portals or websites geared to parents of college students. During New Student Orientation, the school may have parent-only sessions. These strategies might lead parents to have more compassion or understanding toward their child and therefore be less critical of them. Involving parents early on could be helpful as well, such as college admissions teams attending parent nights at high schools. This could help to engage parents in their children’s education and help colleges anticipate the needs of these students and their families.

NOTE: The full version of this study and reference list are available upon request from the primary author.

References (Abbreviated List)

Dennis, J. M., Phinney, J. S., & Chuateco, L. I. (2005). The role of motivation, parental support, and peer support in the academic success of ethnic minority first-generation college students. Journal of College Student Development, 46(3), 223-236.

Frost, R. O., Marten, P., Lahart, C., & Rosenblate, R. (1990). The dimensions of perfectionism. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 14(5), 449-468.

Goldin, C., & Katz, L. F. (2011). Putting the “co” in education: Timing, reasons, and consequences of college coeducation from 1835 to the present. Journal of Human Capital, 5(4), 377-417.

Terenzini, P., Springer, L., Yaeger, P., Pascarella, E., & Nora, A. (1996). First-generation college students: Characteristics, experiences, and cognitive development. Research in Higher Education, 37(1), 1-22.

U.S. Department of Education. (1991). Historically black colleges and universities and higher education desegregation. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/hq9511.html

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Mendoza received her PhD in Health Psychology with a specialization in Pediatric School Psychology from East Carolina University (ECU). Dr. Mendoza was a faculty member from Wesley College and now joins the Department of Psychology at Delaware State University (DSU). Dr. Mendoza serves undergraduate students as a faculty advisor and educator, teaching a variety of courses including Introduction to General Psychology, Health Psychology, and the Psychology of Learning. Her research interests include neurodevelopmental disability awareness, first-generation college student success, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. In addition to her advising, teaching, and scholarship duties, Dr. Mendoza engages in service by being actively involved in different psychological organizations. She is as an Associate Editor for the Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research for Psi Chi, the International Honors Society in Psychology. Specific to the teaching of psychology, Dr. Mendoza is involved in the Mid-Atlantic Teaching of Psychology (MATOP) Conference Committee and Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP)’s Early Career Psychologists Committee. Specific to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), Dr. Mendoza was a member of Psi Chi’s Diversity Advisory Board and is a current member of DSU’s DEI Council. When she is not working, Dr. Mendoza is at home cooking Filipino foods with her husband and daughter or volunteering in the local community as the Island Princess for Pursuit for Peace, a nonprofit organization serving medically vulnerable populations.

Reflections on the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Legacy and Its Future

by A. Myrna Nurse, PhD

The following article stems from a request by CBS News for an interview with a Women’s and Gender Studies faculty on the passing of the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Mitigating circumstances prevented me from granting the interview. However, the request allowed me to realize that interest in the Queen’s legacy indeed extends to our University campus and its vicinities and deserves a critical response.

The Late Queen’s Three Cs Legacy

The remarkable legacy of the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II includes three Cs: commitment to service, constancy to all tasks, and civility while executing them, publicly and privately. Caribbean countries, similar to all of her former empire, are more familiar with how her colonial representatives lived and prepared for her visits, and what sort of behavior was expected of everyone. Here’s a glimpse of one way in which civility—this article’s focus— defined her image during the late 1950s when she visited my birthland of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T).

Schoolchildren—the largest number of spectators—decked off in newly purchased uniforms for the occasion, which while awaiting her arrival wilted in sweat if the day were a sunny one or otherwise became drenched in rain. Some were lucky to be seated at The Grand Stand of Queen’s Park Savannah, but the vast majority lined the freshly resurfaced roadways along which her royal cavalcade

was expected to travel. Seated spectators were regaled by Shango drummers accompanying African dancers, Hindi music for Indian dancers, and a small choir for British dancers of the traditional folk Maypole dance. All dancers and performers wore their spectacular, respective “native” costumes that helped engender what later became the byword of the country’s 1962 independence, “All ah we is one.” Upon the Queen’s arrival everyone stood and cheered gustily at the cavalcade as it circled the Grand Stand, “Hip, hip! Hooray!”

My earliest introduction to the fact that diversity and inclusion mattered was borne, ironically, at this time when British imperialism and colonialism reminded all non-Whites that selective expressions of culture defined our existence.

Things immediately returned to normal upon her departure. Normalcy entailed the British colonial bosses continuing to enjoy their economic stability—which especially favored all British, Canadian, American, and European residents—while everyone else relied upon their custodial generosity. Such entailed delayed remunerations related to salary increases and bonuses, which eventually arrived as backpay, usually around Christmastime. Sometimes even backpay was delayed until the new year. This lackadaisical, colonial attitude fomented civil and uncivil labor unrest that underpinned early to mid-twentieth-century

calls for West Indies Federation. T&T was not the only Caribbean country whose citizens demanded better treatment. The country’s demographics comprise predominantly descendants of enslaved Africans, followed Indians and Chinese. Not coincidentally, on the year of her visit, all salaries and bonuses were delivered on time to prevent any display of civil discord.

When labors leaders understood that Federation was to be predicated first by Independence, Jamaica then T&T led by gaining their Independence in 1962, followed by British Guiana—renamed Guyana—then Barbados in 1966. These Big Four Caribbean nations, as they became recognized, then put into motion plans to create a united Caribbean Community, abbreviated to CARICOM, realized in 1973.

In the interim and thereafter, economic uncertainty became the driving force for many of the middleand upper-classes who became expatriates to the US, Britain, Canada, and Europe, which in turn gave rise to alarming cries of West Indian braindrain.

CARICOM, now recognized as the oldest surviving integration movement in the Global South, exists as a statement to the Global North that the Caribbean is not balkanized and cannot be so easily manipulated and controlled. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley continues to command global attention in her insistence that, for example, the World Bank and the International Money Fund revise their respective policies that insufficiently address and thus hamper the Caribbean’s demands that more be done to prepare the region for the onslaught of climate change. PM Mottley was also a leading voice for Barbados’s becoming a Republic last November 2021 by rejecting the Queen as its Head of State. However, Barbados is not the first Caribbean Republic, nor will it be the last. Of the current sixteen independent nations, the eight Republics include Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Suriname, and T&T. More countries are flirting with the idea of

becoming a Republic but have paused their efforts in deference to the Queen’s passing. The most compelling question is now: How will King Charles III oversee such changes and retain his mother’s allure of civility as more countries declare their political autonomy?

Will King Charles Surpass His Mother?

The Queen oversaw and managed deftly the dismantling of the British Empire and its replaced Commonwealth, defined as countries of which she remained Head of State. Now fifty-two in number, King Charles, then Prince of Wales, represented the Queen at the Barbados’ Republic ceremony. He brought along her “ ‘warmest good wishes’ for ‘happiness, peace and prosperity in the future,’ ” including that the nation was special to her.

He, like his mother, showed no anathema to the interracial marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. After all, he escorted her down the aisle and gave her away to his son following Meghan’s father’s reneging of his role. He apparently was delighted with Doria Ragland, Meghan’s mother, whom he beamingly escorted from St. George’s Chapel following the wedding ceremony. Even more significantly, the late Queen appointed Harry and Meghan as her representatives of the Commonwealth. Anyone who paid attention noticed the fact that while Meghan’s wedding gown was plain, her veil—met with some ambivalence—made a powerful neocolonial statement. It paid homage to the Queen’s headship of her Commonwealth with its then fifty-three countries, as well as her home State of California by being adorned with their flowers. Meghan reportedly independently decided to so adorn her veil, which did not quash speculation on the politics of this royal-commoner marriage that marked the highest symbol of international civility.

Such civility continues to be tested in the best and worst possible ways by Meghan and Harry’s departure from the British monarchy, which makes Prince Harry, ironically, a British royal expatriate. King Charles, meanwhile, has stated that his love

for them remains, even as they have turned their backs upon a financial institution that continues to benefit from a deeply troubling historical legacy steeped in racism, enslavement, and colonialism. At the Barbados’s Republic ceremony, he acknowledged “slavery’s enduring impact” that “forever stains our history.” He has since admitted to his myopia regarding the atrocities of such history and his need to have a deeper understanding of it all. He also plans to modernize relations with those countries that remain in the Commonwealth and even those that have departed. One cannot but wonder that upon gaining a better understanding of this divisive historical legacy just how far he is willing to go to make amends. Will he also take into account the decimation of Indigenous Peoples in the Americas and Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the exploitation of India’s human capital, the ongoing ravaging of Africa for its natural resources, and the colonization of Hong Kong during the Opium Wars, all of which continue to underpin the pillars of White supremacy?

How much will he trim down the monarchy to be less financially strenuous on his people? Will he become the example of British friendship toward all peoples and not leave that burden for his son, William, Prince of Wales? After all, British royal protocol prohibited Prince William while in Jamaica in March 2022 from advancing beyond his father’s acknowledgement of the atrocities of enslavement and open the door for conversations on reparations. Thus, will his improved understanding of the lingering effects of racism and enslavement advance calls for reparations, a matter of compelling interest to those of us in the African Diaspora that speaks to goodwill borne of highest civility?

In her September 22, 2022 interview with France 24, PM Mottley acknowledges him as “a man ahead of his time” for his focus on the environment and matters related to the younger generations. While speaking at the Barbados Republic ceremony, he emphasized “the enduring friendship of the two nations,” most likely due to Barbados’s former “Little England” image. Undoubtedly, the exact

nature of the two nations’ “enduring friendship” will remain under scrutiny, as will his dealings with all remaining members of the Commonwealth, including those exiting from his headship.

Why These Issues Matter to African Americans and Our Campus Community Discussions on reparation have sent people into full-throated apoplexy, with many uncaring of their lack of civility being on full display. Incensed, they have presented all the reasons for reparations being the worst thing that could happen to society. More civil and reasonable voices have pointed out the challenges to being fair and equitable in offering compensation for past losses. Many at Delaware State University (DSU) have a vested interest in this issue. DSU boasts of being home to an international body of faculty, staff, and students. We either are expatriates of countries that once were colonized by Britain or descended from such ancestors. Poignantly, Craig Steven Wilder in Ebony & Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America’s Universities historicizes the full extent to which Caribbean slavery funded America’s ivy leagues and writes, The first five colleges in the British American colonies—Harvard (established 1636), William and Mary (1693), Yale (1701), Codrington (1745) in Barbados, and New Jersey (1746)—were … major beneficiaries of the African slave trade and slavery. (17)

These institutions were established before the 1776 American Revolution and were simply enfolded into the race-enslavement-colonial apparatus that upheld all the related atrocities justified by Christianity.

He further points out that Alexander Hamilton— the same Hamilton of Lin Manuel-Miranda’s highly successful Broadway play—himself benefited from slavery:

His new life began with his arrival on a slave trader’s ship. His New York and New Jersey sponsors included … elite families who enrolled him at a college funded and governed by merchants. His

tuition and fees were paid from the sale of barrels of rum, manufactured on slave plantations … sent to New York [from the Caribbean]. (48)

Born in the Caribbean Island of Nevis, Hamilton and other White and almost-White Caribbean students paid international tuition fees that sustained these higher education institutions. In fact, were it not for the rich endowments of Caribbean plantation owners who sent their children—legitimate and illegitimate—abroad to American universities, many of these universities would not have survived much less thrived. Wilder further informs that upon graduating, some of them returned to the Caribbean “to find wealthy creole wives with whom they could increase their property and enlarge their commercial networks” (53). A glimpse of this can be seen in Victorian novels such as Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, and Jane Austen’s Sanditon, which all evidence the historical dynamics of the Global North’s economic dependency upon the Global South.

Biographical Sketch

Conversations stemming from Wilder’s book and other pertinent sources are necessary as all of the African Diaspora engage the issue of reparations. In fact, any conversation on African Diasporic reparations—national and international—must weigh all the historical complexities that implicate educational, religious, and economic institutions. The task upon whose shoulders this work falls is not an enviable one. So far, ambivalence, resistance, and downright hostility make the path forward a Sisyphean one. The late Queen’s penchant for civility can serve as a guiding principle. King Charles’s gesture of friendship can be another. Economic justice calls for this historical wrong being made right. Human dignity, which supersedes human civility, demands it. Should the late Queen’s descendants make right the grievous wrongs of the past, then we all can better celebrate her legacy that extends beyond token gestures of civility.

Dr. Nurse has taught full-time at Delaware State University (DSU) since 2008. In 2012, she led a team of faculty members in launching the Women’s and Gender Studies Minor. She teaches courses in all the literatures, Rhetoric and Composition, and Women’s and Gender Studies. Her broader teaching interests are interdisciplinary and inter-cultural for the purpose of exploring the dynamics of narratives— canonical and non-canonical—that reflect the best of human creativity and imagination. Her ongoing research interests are the protracted effects of slavery, racism, and neo-colonialism on today’s Global North-South human relationships.

Works Cited and Consulted

“Barbados PM Mia Mottley: ‘King Charles III has been a man ahead of his time.’” FRANCE 24 English. 12 Sep 2022. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flA5L1ROhRY.

Chen, Joyce. “5 Facts About Meghan Markle’s Thoughtful Wedding Veil.” 2018. Updated 03 Feb. 2022. The Cut, https://www.theknot.com/content/meghan-markle-veil

Hall, Rachel. “What Happens after the Queen’s Funeral as Charles III’s Reign Begins?” 18 Sep. 2022. The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/sep/18/what-happens-after-queen-funeral-charles-iii-reign-begins.

Parker, Matthew. The Sugar Barons: Family, Corruption, Empire and War. Windmill Books, London, 2012.

Relph, Daniela. “Barbados Becomes a Republic and Parts Ways with the Queen: A Positive and Pragmatic Handover.” 31 Nov. 2021. BBC News, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-59470843.

Thiagarajan, Kamala. “Not Everybody Was a Fan of Meghan Markle’s Wedding Veil.” 22 May 2018.

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/05/22/613351939/not-everybody-was-a-fan-of-meghan-markles-wedding-veil.

Truffaut-Wong, Olivia and Bindu Bansinath. “Will and Kate Address Their Caribbean Tour Controversy.” 27 Mar. 2022. The Cut, https://www.thecut.com/2022/03/belize-locals-protest-prince-william-caribbean-tour.html.

Wilder, Craig Steven. Ebony and Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America’s Universities. Bloomsbury Publishing, NY, 2013. Williams, Eric. Capitalism and Slavery. Originally published in 1944, 1954, and 1972. U of North Carolina P, 2021.

America to Me

Lisa M. Lancaster, EdD

This unscripted documentary, titled America to Me, is a single-series one with multiple episodes and presents an exclusive look into an academic year at suburban Chicago’s Oak Park and River Forest High School. Students, teachers, and administrators from one of the country’s highest performing and diverse public schools are profiled in the face of decades old racial and educational inequities. The series delves into the experience of the racially diverse student population, sparking conversations about what has and has not succeeded in the quest to achieve racial equity and overcome bias in education (James, 2018).

The name of each episode are as follows:

1. What’s the Big Deal About Oak Park?

2. Stranger in the Room

3. There is No Pain That Compares to the Struggle

4. There’s Nothing Funny About Race!

5. I Don’t Have to Think About Being White

6. Listen to the Poem!

7. Tsunami of Privilege

8. Nobody Can Hold You Down

9. The Invisible T-Shirt

10. America Will Be…

The principal of the school is an African American male. The breakdown of the over 3,200 students is: 55% White, 27% Black, 9% Latino, 6% Bi-Racial, and 3% Asian. In the first episode titled “What’s the Big Deal About Oak Park?” a heated discussion occurs on a Black Lives Matter assembly that excluded all other races from attending. If you were not a Black student, you could not enter the assembly. This assembly was in

February 2015, and people were in an uproar. A White male student offering his perspective shares how he was offended because he felt he can be an ally to the movement regardless of his race. In contrast, a Black student shared, “This was for us, just as many things that occur in the school are for them.” The debate arising from the Black student’s statement is other assemblies held in the school had never excluded races by allowing only one population to attend the assembly (James, 2018).

Another topic of discussion focused on diversity not being the same as equity, which was reflected in test scores, specifically the gap between White and Black students, as well as how some students kept to their own race and cultural group. The documentary primarily follows five students of different ethnicity, race, and classification, for example, Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior. In addition to the students, three teachers are also focused upon: two White males and one bi-racial female.

In the fourth episode titled, “There’s Nothing Funny About Race!” the focus is on a White male teacher who is doing his best to ensure his Black students know he is not the average White man. The teacher invites two Black students, a female and male, to provide him feedback on how he handles race in the classroom. Further, the teacher shares his racial memoir. The female student candidly responds to the teacher that she feels his joking about race in the class is not good, that she also feels he does not exercise boundaries, and that she does not understand why he cannot just see them as students instead of particularly Black students. The male student did not agree with the

female and sees no harm in the teacher joking about race in the classroom. It should be noted that the teacher instructs in Physics, so it is appropriate to question why race was a topic in his class, and why he wanted to touch the Black female student’s hair in class in front of others, to which she said, “No.” (James, 2018). The series also captures the students’ homes as well as their parents and guardians. In one student’s case he is being raised by an aunt and uncle; another student is under the guardianship of an older sister and attends school with her nephew. In another episode a parent shares her own troubled history at Oak Park and River Forest High school.

Conclusion

The examination of racial, economic, and class issues in contemporary American education was appealing to me. Undoubtedly, many people believe attending a largely White populated school will yield a better education. America to Me is timely and engaging. The series is not scripted, and in one episode the cameras capture a school board meeting in which race was the topic of discussion and includes the African American male principal and the assistant principal who is an African American female. This assistant principal in

another episode is seen leaving to go and work at another school. The school’s name, Oak Park and River Forest High School, is referred to as OPRF; however, at the graduation the students chant “Oak Park!” which leaves me wondering why “River Forest” was omitted.

In conclusion, as an educator I recommend this documentary to other educators. It is paramount to education that we are able to self-reflect and recognize if we can improve our own style in our interactions with students of all races and backgrounds.

Lisa M. Lancaster, EdD

I am a proud alumnus of Delaware State University, Class of 2021 with my Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, Higher Education. I am also a Social Science Instructor at Delaware Technical Community College

Reference James, S. (Director). (2018). America to Me. [Film]. Participant Media.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council Office of Human Resources