ETSU - Community Voices - Issue 1 by East Tennessee State University

COMMUNITY VOICES Helping People Hear Each Other... One Story at a Time

Read Inside: Take an informative walk through the history of race in the United States that ends with a ray of hope.

Issue One

April 29, 2022

Find out what Equity and Inclusion really mean at ETSU in a conversation with Doctors Johnson and Cooper. Dive in to our cover story. Listen to a beautiful tale of trans life, lyrics and love from an ETSU Old Time Country Music Program graduate. 1

Land Acknowledgment We would like to take a moment to acknowledge that ETSU resides on the territory that was taken from the Cherokee people. The Cherokee people once spread across the lands of Southeast and Eastern Tennessee, Western North and South Carolina, North Georgia, and Northeast Alabama. Today the Eastern Band of Cherokee reside within the Qualla Boundary in Western North Carolina. Our hope is that this acknowledgement will serve as a reminder to all of us to recognize and honor those who were here before us and to honor and care for the land on which we reside.

This publication is dedicated to everyone who has ever felt afraid, hurt, hated, hopeless, ignored or alone. We see you, we hear you and we welcome you. You belong here.

Message From Editor

elcome to a new platform for cultural change created by the ETSU Office of Equity and Inclusion. We are on an exciting journey that we hope will establish productive dialogue on the many challenges facing us as we strive for Social Justice. We hope to create something useful with Community Voices. We aim to make this publication a place to establish compassion and understanding by providing readers with hundreds of individual’s stories from varying backgrounds and different points of view. Hence the tag line, “Helping People Hear Each Other One Story at a Time.” This is a non-partisan project. We have no agenda other than to help everyone hear all of our neighbors better and engage each other with dignity andrespect. We are interested in creating problem solving plans to achieve true and lasting Equity and Inclusion for campus and this region. We examine and present hard to sit with facts not to inflame, but rather to inform. We do not seek to exploit, blame, fear monger or engage in catastrophic thinking. We aim to help each other become as calm and thoughtful as possible to create responsible, functional, enduring cultural change that pushes back against the marginalization of any group of people. Our writing and presentation are thoughtful and carefully executed. We aim to put ourselves in the background to help others bring their stories to you. We realize accomplishing cultural and societal change requireslong-term thinking and the ability to sit through substantial discomfort during hard conversations about race, gender, sexuality, and many more important issues. And we need your voice! This is a true community project. We cannot exist without you. So, if you would like to contribute to this publication, then please email me or reach out to the ETSU Office of Equity and Inclusion. Thank you so much for reading! Sincerely yours, Elizabeth Strong Cloyd Managing Editor, Community Voices Helping People Hear Each Other One Story at a Time cloyde@etsu.edu

Contributing writers:

Dr. Daryl A Carter

is Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion in the College of Arts & Sciences, Director of the Black American Studies program, and a tenured, Full Professor of History at East Tennessee State University. He has been at ETSU since 2008. Dr. Carter is a political historian. He examines the intersection of politics, race, gender, and class. Dr. Carter’s first book is Brother Bill: President Clinton and The Politics of Race and Class, published by the University of Arkansas Press in 2016. Dr. Carter holds a B.S. in Political Science and M.A. in History from East Tennessee State University. He earned his Ph.D. in American history at The University of Memphis.

Jonathan Wilson is a native of Northeast Tennessee. He is a first-

generation and transfer student, he graduated ETSU with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work. And he serves as the Online/Distance Education Coordinator for the Sherrod Library.

Dr. Carson Medley

is originally from Jackson, Mississippi. He earned a BA in history from U.C. Berkeley; He earned an MA in English and an MA in Counseling and Guidance from California Polytechnic State University, and he obtained a Doctorate of Education from Sacramento State University. He serves as the Student Success Coordinator in the ETSU Honor College and he directs the PEAKS leadership program. Medley has written several screenplays and published two books, most recently Through the Red Door: The Eternal Season of Coach Clink and the Division II Chico State Wildcats. Medley resides in Johnson City with his wife and children.

Dr. Sam Pettyjohn is an assistant professor in the College of Public

Health. His primary research focuses on infectious disease, harm reduction, state and national opioid use disorder policy, and opioid use disorder comorbidities. Pettyjohn received his Master of Public Health (MPH) in health policy from Saint Louis University in St. Louis, MO and a Doctorate of Public Health (DrPH) from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN. He joined the Child Friendly Cities project as a data consultant in late 2019.

Jessica K. Wang is the Assistant Dean of Equity and Inclusion at

Clemmer College as well as the Student Success Coordinator. She earned a Bachelor’s degree from Emmanuel College in Counseling Psychology. And she earned a Master’s Degree in Higher Education from Harvard University where her research centered on fostering historically underrepresented student success at predominately white institutions, focusing on students of color and first-generation students. She frequently presents on a wide range of topics related to Equity and Inclusion around the country. She came to ETSU in July 2020.

Production and Support Staff:

Project Manager, Briar Worley, Communications Specialist ETSU, University Marketing & Communication (UMC)

Dr. Keith Johnson, Vice President, ETSU Office of Equity and Inclusion Dr. Chassidy Cooper, Coordinator, ETSU Office of Equity and Inclusion Kim Maturo, Office Coordinator, ETSU Office of Equity and Inclusion Photographer, Ron Campbell, ETSU graduate and ETSU, UMC photographer Graphic Designer, Maheen Pulak, Graduate assistant, ETSU Office of Equity and Inclusion Managing Editor, Elizabeth Cloyd, Writer, editor, adjunct instructor, and Office of Equity & Inclusion Volunteer

Table of Contents BREAKING NEWS FOR EDUCATORS IN TENNESSEE

THEN AND NOW: A BRIEF HISTORY OF RACE IN THE UNITED STATES

WHEN COVID STRUCK THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN PROGRAM CAME TO THE RESCUE

Written by OEI Staff

Written by Dr. Daryl A. Carter

Written by Jonathan Wilson

EQUITY AND INCLUSION AT ETSU Written by Elizabeth Cloyd

A LOOK AT OUR DIVERSITY IN HISTORY AND A CONVERSATION WITH ONE OF ETSU’S FIRST BLACK HEAD COACHES

THESE BOOTS WERE MADE FOR ROCKING

COVID REMAINS A CHALLENGE, ESPECIALLY FOR MINORITY POPULATIONS

RECOGNIZING AND RESPONDING TO MICROAGGRESSIONS

Written by Dr. Carson Medley

Written by Elizabeth Cloyd

Written by Dr. Sam PettyJohn

Written by Jessica K. Wang

Breaking News for Educators in Tennessee Written by OEI Staff

pril 11, 2022 was a day that made history in Tennessee when our governor signed and enacted The Divisive Concepts Act into law, which is also known as Critical Race Theory Law or CRT Law. Naturally this causes concern for faculty here at ETSU. This law creates many questions about its application in the classroom for faculty, staff and students. This law was not created in a vacuum. Just four years ago CRT re-entered the classroom for the first time officially since the 1960s with plenty of academic books and contributions to its credit this time around. But by 2020 CRT stirred up enormous fear and reactivity. That had a lightening rod effect on our leadership and laws in this country; inciting presidential executive orders to prohibit CRT training. The law and its myriad of issues drew a large amount of media attention. CRT Law hit the state courts in Tennessee and charged into the halls of our General Assembly in 2021 with the enacting of this state’s first Divisive Concepts statute. This law prohibits elementary, middle school, junior high or high school instructors from teaching particular elements of CRT or Anti-Racism curriculum. This may initially sound bleak for instructors and faculty and students here at ETSU. But academic freedom and freedom of speech remain protected. And anti-discrimination training is not only allowed but guarded by the final section of the CRT Law, also known as section seven. In plain speech, our First Amendment Rights protect us from any threat of losing accreditation or any other essential freedoms by practicing and teaching equity and inclusion related concepts including anti-racism. ETSU Faculty and Staff and Students can be confident that they can continue their work here without the burden of worrying about First Amendment rights including academic freedom. And rest assured that this university supports you and the law protects you from personal liability in any lawsuit challenging the performance of duties. You are safe and welcome here. Research provided by ETSU Counsel, Mark A. Fulks

Then and Now: A Brief History of Race in the United States Written by Dr. Daryl A. Carter

mericans are engaged in a great debate over race, history, and the importance of inclusion in media, and education. The events of the past fifteen years—war, rapid technological development, election of the first Black president, and the backlash to that election—created fertile ground for grievances to surface that many have held onto for decades. These grievances did not develop inside a vacuum. The successes of the Civil Rights Movement unsettled millions of Americans who were comfortable with a racial caste system. Technological advancement created deep schisms within the body politic. The shift from early twentieth century industrial work to retail and service work, combined with dominance of finance and advanced manufacturing, all helped create an uneasy feeling among millions of people. And rapidly changing demographics instilled deep fear and resentment as the economy shifted and economic pressure rose. The growth of the immigrant population and the decrease in the White population accelerated the fears of some White Americans about the direction of the country. Consequently, a lot of Americans are currently asking: “How did we get here?”

Civil Rights To answer this question we need to go back to the end of World War II when the United States emerged stronger than ever. Millions of Americans went to college for the first time, built businesses, and created the great middle class. The Cold War was under way as the nation transitioned to a permanent war footing. The Soviet Union continued to use America’s racial practices as a bludgeon, calling us hypocrites because we failed to honor freedom or liberty in the Black population. On the other hand Black Americans were increasingly demanding freedom at home. Those calls for freedom, while occurring throughout the nation, were arguably loudest in the South.

Southern Based Movement Being Black in the United States in the postwar years was difficult. But the American South was extreme. Below the Mason-Dixon Line, a system of apartheid existed where segregation was the norm. Every part of life was dictated by the color line: hospitals, schools, housing, transportation, and cemeteries. Even in death the color line had to be observed. And the worst of White supremacy occurred in the south. Lynching was common. Racial terrorism was routine and publicly endorsed by White society’s leaders. A person of color trying to register to vote could trigger violence. Civil Rights leaders focused on the South. The movement engaged in civil disobedience, direct action such as protests, boycotts, and documenting daily travesties. And Civil Rights activists challenged Jim Crow laws all the way to the Supreme Court.

Civil Rights in the North While much historical interest has been on the South, Blacks in the North, Midwest, and West experienced similar issues. Blacks were rigidly segregated in urban residential areas and ghettoes. Blacks were often the victims of police brutality. There were few economic opportunities for the vast majority of Black Americans outside of the South. But racial violence followed Blacks as they migrated out of the South. Many Blacks protested openly. They developed interest in Malcolm X, the Nation of Islam, and the Black Panthers. Black Power differed in key respects from the southern based movement. However, the freedom struggle, between 1945 and 1968, achieved stunning victories. From court cases to landmark legislation, the back of Jim Crow was broken. In 1954 the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in schools was unconstitutional. A year later the court ordered integration with “all deliberate speed.” The South did not comply with the court orders. In fact, most schools would not integrate until mid-to-late sixties. In Johnson City, Tennessee, schools were not integrated until the mid-1960s.

One Court Case and Three Landmark Laws The first big development was the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954 when the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in schools was unconstitutional. Further, it overturned Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). These rulings were important because they helped usher in a wave of huge Civil Rights victories. And Congress finally passed a major law called the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This law was influential because it prohibited discrimination based on race. Equally important, the law forbade the discrimination on the basis of religion, national origin, and sex. The dam of Jim Crow broke as a flood of new court decisions and laws finally delivered on basic Constitutional guarantees for Black Americans. In 1963 and 1964, President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson overcame fierce resistance from conservative Republicans and segregationist Democrats, especially in the United States Senate, to pass the Civil Rights Act. A filibuster could have stopped the bill. But President Johnson managed to overcome the filibuster and pass the bill. The next year, however, President Johnson, in part because of the horrific violence on Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama, secured passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. Within a few short years the millions of Black across the South managed to get registered to vote, permanently changing the relationship between the Democratic Party and the American South. And Congress passed the 1968 Fair Housing Act, which stopped the overt discrimination of Black Americans who often had extreme difficulty finding housing. Sometimes realtors refused to show Blacks available homes because they were located in White areas of town. Or Blacks ran up against restrictive covenants, which prevented homes from being sold to them. Still other times Blacks could not secure the financing necessary to purchase a home. And the Federal Housing Administration and other government policies practiced systemic racism by “Redlining” or labeling certain geographical areas dangerous. This created hugely unfair obstacles to Black Americans seeking home ownership.

The Assassination of Dr. King Dr. Martin Luther King Junior was in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, to support striking sanitation workers. While he was getting ready to leave for dinner he was shot on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in downtown Memphis. His death sent shock waves throughout the country. Violence erupted in city after city. By 1968, King had moved away from his landmark speech at the Lincoln Memorial at the March on Washington in August 1963. He now believed there were three major challenges to a just society: racism, militarism, and poverty. As the 1960s wore on King developed a more nuanced view of troubles ailing the country. He traveled and spent extensive time in places like Chicago and New York. While racism was, and remains, a major issue in the United States, so was poverty. And the poor were the ones left to fight the wars. And over the course of the next fifty-four years the United States failed to heed Dr. King’s warnings about racism, militarism, and poverty.

Conservative Backlash Since the 1950s conservatives have pushed back hard against various aspects of modern America. Some hated the New Deal and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Others hated the welfare state. Certain individuals resented liberalism. Many Americans were angry over Civil Rights issues. The South engaged in massive resistance after the Brown decision. By the late 1960s leading Republican politicians were striving to build electoral coalitions of White Americans who were deeply unsettled over the Civil Rights movement and the legal and legislative successes it had achieved. What emerged was the Modern Right.

Racial Resentment and Colorblindness This last group has been the most troublesome. A key development following the assassination of Dr. King was the ideology of colorblindness. Colorblindness is the belief that one does not see race. Many have gone one step further to misuse Dr. King’s words by claiming they judge people by the content of their character, not the color of their skin. This point of view is deeply problematic for several reasons. First, race has been used explicitly throughout our history. Slavery was embraced by the U.S. Constitution. Jim Crow was accepted and promoted by the U.S. Supreme Court. To argue that race is not a major factor in the United States and its history is disingenuous. Second, by claiming we cannot see race we ignore and suppress all the ways race has and continues to impact us. Third, our use of colorblindness allows us to avoid uncomfortable discussions about self, society, government, and the economy, along with long-held beliefs about meritocracy. In the nearly fifty-five years since Dr. King was killed nakedly racist appeals and language have largely gone out of style. But a newer racially coded language has replaced those raw appeals to racial animus. The past fifteen years have shown the stubborn persistence of racism and racial resentment. President George W. Bush’s attempt to overhaul the nation’s immigration system during his second term was a powerful act of xenophobia.

The Path Forward This article has focused on some of the major issues which have led us to our current situation. But the matter of race is a thorny one which impacts every aspect of our country’s history and our lives. And there are a number of things which illuminate and help pave our path forward. First, the large number of White Americans advocating for equality, protesting injustice, and acknowledging racial inequities provides hope for the future. Second, demands for accountability have grown louder in recent years. Many Americans have been horrified by the ways those in power abuse people. And we now hold elites, officeholders, influencers, and others to higher standards. Third, the hunger for information and knowledge sparks hope for a better day. It is easy to be dismissive of social media. But the demand for it demonstrates a core truth: we are looking for answers, information, and solutions. Americans are looking for something more, something fulfilling; information which will both comfort and give agency in a world that is rapidly changing. Race will never be fully erased from our collective narrative. And we must guard against the singular narrative. But the upheaval we have experienced is indicative of our progress. If our core values—empathy, respect, dignity, compassion, acceptance of difference, and passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion—if applied earnestly and passionately, are our best path forward.

When COVID Struck the Personal Librarian Program Came to the Rescue Written by Jonathan Roy Wilson Photos by Ron Campbell The COVID pandemic changed life as we know it and transformed how we taught classes and acquired knowledge. And The ETSU Sherrod Library, with the help of Jonathan Wilson, Distance/ Online Service Coordinator addressed these challenges by developing The Personal Librarian (PL) program for students, “These services were a logical development in response to the recognition of unmet student technological needs,” he explained. When all classes moved online in mid-March 2020, students’ unmet needs for fast, reliable internet service and adequate devices for participating in online classes quickly surfaced. Information Technology Services (ITS), Sherrod Library, and Student Life and Enrollment teamed up to lend the small supply of laptops to students. But there were no mobile hotspots available, Wilson explained. Getting more laptops and hotspots into the hands of students who needed them became the team’s main focus. The University self-funded the project for 200 laptops and hotspots. In early fall 2020, ITS purchased 200 laptops and hotspots, supported in a large part with federal COVID relief funds earmarked to assist students with online learning. The library is responsible for checking out, maintaining, and updating those computers. The Personal Librarian services were originally proposed as part of the unfunded grant, but Sherrod Library’s Dean, David Atkins deemed these services important enough to reallocate its full-time responsibilities to Wilson. So, Wilson’s main job became to contact students throughout the semester, and to provide library instruction and assistance with academic research. Wilson also provides assistance with equipment issues and answers inquiries about student services, information technology, and academic support.

The technology made a substantial difference. During the programs’ first semester in Fall 2020, 138 students received laptops and/or hotspots and help from their PL. The most satisfying result of the technology aspect is that it made a difference in many students’ lives by allowing them secure internet access and a computer that allowed them to successfully complete the academic semester online. Having a PL available to these students during the COVID-19 forced migration of physical classes online, they were able to maintain a sense of community and connection with the campus. The Lending Technology and PL programs grew in Spring semester 2021 to include 185 students with laptops and/or hotspots and their own PL. Because of the successes experienced, Wilson proposed expanding the Personal Librarian program to include the most at-risk student population for retention. After research, he collaborated with Student Life and Enrollment to determine that the next target group would be transfer and first-generation students. For Fall semester 2021, a list of transfer and firstgeneration students was obtained from the Director of Undergraduate Admissions. There was a total of 861 transfer students and 391 first-generation students for whom Wilson was available. Additionally, Wilson worked with the 309 students in the Lending Technology program who checked out devices. So far in 2022, Wilson is working with 449 transfer students and 172 first-generation students, as well as 384 students who checked out devices. And so far for the 2021-2022 academic year, the Personal Librarian program involved 1,873 transfer or first-generation students and 693 students in the Lending Technology program. In order to communicate with that many students, Wilson sends out a weekly email, first to introduce himself and then to promote his liaison services for the Library and the University. He makes an effort to let the students know that he is available for 15

questions, or if they just need someone to listen to them. He encourages the students and reassures them that they are doing well and will survive the semester.

how to navigate ETSU and academic resources. With the conversations initiated by the emails and newsletters, students felt more comfortable asking questions.

As the program has grown, Wilson and his graduate student, McKenzie Proctor, developed a bi-monthly newsletter for the students to keep them up-todate with important campus-related deadlines and events, as well as library-related events. The library provides a variety of workshops, a book club, and the Library Student Advisory Council, in addition to an abundance of other resources for students.

Students reported that having a librarian available helped to reduce stress and improved grades. Students were also constantly reassured when someone responded promptly and was available for them anytime they had a question or concern. Often, students who transition to ETSU can be overwhelmed by the changes and expectations they face. The PL program is designed to help integrate them into campus norms while offering readily available assistance to answer questions and steer them in the right direction.

The ETSU Personal Librarian Newsletter is on the Constant Contact platform and allows the newsletter to be built in that platform and sent from there. And it provides useful statistics. In the Fall of 2021, the newsletter was sent out to 1,609 students and had an open rate of nearly 50 percent. So far this year the newsletter has been sent to 1,986 students and has an open rate of nearly 45 percent. The newsletter, along with the weekly emails, helps keep the students well informed of events and the variety of services that are offered online. The Personal Librarian webpage on the Sherrod Library’s website was developed to promote the program and provide a connection to variety of ETSU student services including financial, counseling, tutoring, career mentoring, and academic research. The biggest challenge is making the students aware of the services that are available to them. Because of the webpage, PL emails, and the newsletter, students are now more familiar with these available services and resources. In order to see if the programs were helping or making a difference for the students, two separate surveys were developed. One survey was for the Lending Technology Program and the other specifically for the first-generation and transfer students. The survey responses, in addition to providing valuable feedback on the current programs, would also reveal unmet student needs. The survey results determined that the students had a great need for technology in the Appalachian Highlands communities. Many students did not have access to the appropriate technology required for successfully completing their academic demands. It also determined that the students were uncertain as to 16

The plan for Fall of 2022 is to again provide PL services to incoming first-generation and transfer students for their first two semesters. Additionally, the Lending Technology Program will be offered. The main mission of these programs is to ensure that the students have what they need to succeed and to help guide them during their time at ETSU.

COVID-19 has changed the world, for students and educators. We had to adapt to new ways of teaching and learning during a difficult and uncertain time. Through trial and error, the campus community came together and showed a resilience and persistence to survive and thrive. The changes from the pandemic will be felt for many semesters, but the university has shown that we can succeed in providing the necessary resources to help students flourish in their academic careers at ETSU and beyond. These programs would not have happened without the invol

vement and commitment of many people and departments. This team effort allowed many students to continue and succeed in their classes at ETSU.

Interviews with Students According to Social Work Graduate Student, B. W. Werder, the Lending Technology Program is a great resource,” they said. “Being able to check out a reliable laptop and hotspot for the entire semester saves me so much stress, time, and money. I am thankful for this support.”

Raven Woods is a junior majoring in Clinical Psychological Science. Her career aspiration is to become a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, and work with adolescents and their families to navigate life’s fluctuating hills and valleys. She also works at ETSU’s Bursar’s Office helping staff and students understand tuition, fees, and payments.

This program has a significant impact on Werder’s ability to manage being a student while working. They explained, “Graduate school is not an easy feat. However, it would be ten times more difficult if I had to spend hours on campus each week, relying on library computers for coursework.”

Werder, and all students, can connect to the internet almost anywhere with the hotspot. So, in juggling work, internship, and lecture time they are able to complete assignments. And the laptop allows them to fully participate in class, which would otherwise be impossible.

“The staff is my family away from home. I am blessed to work with a loving and caring group of people,” she explained. “And learning from the staff, I have been able to develop skills, like communication.” Woods is the first in her family to attend a four-year university. She said feels safe and at home in the Sherrod Library, “I also like the aspect of having a personal librarian to assist me with finding resources for my research projects, and reviewing my research essays,” she explained. Last semester, Woods completed a small project that required a few children’s books. She reached out to her PL and earned an A with Wilson’s help. “In March of 2020, thanks to the Sherrod Library, I was able to check out a wi-fi hotspot so I could attend my Zoom classes from anywhere, Woods recalled. “I am truly thankful for the experience at ETSU, and all the resources provided to help students achieve success!” https://libraries.etsu.edu/tech/ltp/pls https://libraries.etsu.edu/tech/ltp 17

Equity and Inclusion at ETSU Written by Elizabeth Strong Cloyd Photos by Ron Campbell

ords wield power. We are affected by what is said to us, and by what we say and see. And on every screen we can see that we are overloaded with rage and fear. It is hard to hear each other when we are so raw. It is hard to listen, and to problem solve in anger. But carefully chosen words can help us to back up, to become curious instead of reactive, and to develop long-term solutions for Social Justice problems.

The words equity and inclusion tower in the frontline of our concerns. But instead of casting a shadow, they shine a warm light across this campus. According to Dr. Keith Johnson, Vice President of the ETSU Office of Equity and Inclusion, “Equity is all about creating opportunities for everyone,” he said. “And inclusion is all about providing pathways, direction, encouragement, and support.” The office is emblematic of an entire campus that welcomes everyone. “It is not an effort that is meant to exclude anyone,” Johnson explained. “Being exclusive doesn’t necessarily mean it’s intentional.” And he said when people are left out, this hurts campus wide efforts to be a safe and inviting place. The tone of Johnson’s tenure is further reflected in the change of the office’s title which was The Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion. He explained the thinking behind the switch, “I took diversity out of 18

the name because often times when we use the term diversity we tend to limit the discussion to black and white,” he said. And so, in March of 2019, The ETSU Office of Equity and Inclusion was born. And Johnson believes that changing the terminology, “Will remove some of those roadblocks that would keep us from having those discussions that are so needed,” he explained. He also said constructive black and white conversations are essential to achieving balance in society. And he emphasized the importance of including everyone in the Equity and Inclusion conversation as well. And one year later, in March of 2020, COVID-19 came calling. But it didn’t limit OEI’s accomplishments, “We opened a new, Dr. Patricia Robertson Pride Center,” Johnson said. “We renamed the multicultural center, The Mary V. Jordan Multicultural Center. We began to do de-escalation training for public safety, and we began to look at policies in HR, all during the height of the pandemic.” Johnson was born in Hollister, North Carolina, a town of seven hundred people. He watched his father work tirelessly to stop Black and Native American voter suppression. But while growing up he didn’t personally feel the pinch and heavy, downward pressure of racism because, “I had all these positive role models,” he said. “I didn’t know that Black males weren’t successful.” But when Johnson arrived at ETSU as an assistant professor nearly 30 years ago, he saw a significant lack of diversity and a large percentage of students of color giving up on college and falling through the cracks. “I didn’t realize at the time that we were looking at a 40 percent persistence rate for the general population, and for some African American students’ cases graduation rates were less than 10 or 20 percent,” he clarified.

Johnson also discussed his delegation of E&I responsibility outward to each college. “Strategically from my perspective I wanted to push everything to the academic and non- academic units, so that people can accept responsibility and accountability for their own results-positive or negative,” he explained. And the reception has been overwhelmingly positive. People are crowding into any training offered. Nothing has been mandated and Johnson believes that is the most effective approach, “I’m not going to require any of what we do. I’m just going to make sure that we have enough of what we do available,” he explained. Johnson dreams of ETSU receiving an award that would certify us as an equitable and inclusive and diverse institution from the Higher Education Equity and Diversity board (HEED.) “And if we don’t get the award, then it’s still like a report card for us to look at and make improvements from,” he explained. “So we are not using our own tools to evaluate our environment. But we are using tools that we know work.”

Johnson also wants to work toward closing graduation rate gaps between students of color and white students in the near future, “Georgia State’s graduation rate between white students and Black students is pretty much the same,” he said. “I would like for ETSU to grow to a point where graduation rate is pretty persistent across the board.” He emphasized how a well prepared and adamantly supported faculty who serve as mentors and advisors to students is the foundation of every E&I strategic plan, “And in all these wrap-around programs the key components of all that are the faculty,” he explained. “Faculty spend more time with students on campus than anybody else.” And Johnson hopes to make equity and inclusion common practice to repair an outdated system that no longer functions on a diverse campus, “So that’s what I’m trying to do at ETSU, we have some big issues that we need to address,” he said. “And these issues didn’t start this week. This predates me a long way. So, the better we are at including people in what we do and accommodating people in what we do, the better the diversity results are.” 19

r. Chassidy Cooper, Coordinator of the ETSU Office of Equity and Inclusion discussed a childhood that shaped her into a professional listener,” My dad is a Baptist minister in Conway, Arkansas, so we were always in the people business,” she said. “And I think being the child of a pastor, you learn early how to listen to people and to meet them where they are.” Cooper’s father was also in the military, so they moved often, and she was constantly exposed to people of unusual backgrounds. So, she grew up surrounded by diversity. And her parents were strong role models for effective communication. She also remembers anxiously navigating Sewanee’s campus as a firstyear student, “So, sharing your story is a good place to start,” she said. Cooper studied for and earned: a bachelor’s degree in history, a master’s degree in higher education, and a doctoral degree in educational leadership. While finishing her Ph. D she visited campus and attended a Diverse ETSU Program in 2017, where she found a strong network of faculty and staff. She stayed in contact with them and finally became the Coordinator for the Office of Equity and Inclusion in March of 2020. “I was on campus for a week before we had to

go home, and everything was moved to Zoom,” she recalled. The COVID-19 lockdown was difficult, but Cooper competently navigated the challenges and described her key role as coordinator, “And (I am) just really holding space and listening to people because you never know what people are going through,” she explained. “This has been a collective trauma. So, being able to have that compassion and listen to them. I think that’s the biggest part of my job.” Cooper especially enjoys collaborating with resident assistants across campus, helping them to ensure that their dormitory is a safe and inclusive place to live. “So, I shared that I was a first-generation college student with them,” she explained. “I tell them that when I (first) came to campus I had to ask those questions, I had to talk to people who already knew how to navigate the system.” Her role is connecting with people and also helping students access all of their campus resources. And this networking and communication competency allows young people to connect curiously and productively with the world beyond school.

Cooper enjoyed traveling with student leaders to the big apple last year, “Just imagine you are an 18-year-old student leader able to go to New York City, think about how that is going to change your trajectory and how you think about life,” she said. “It was a wonderful thing just to be able to go be around them, to hear what they are thinking about and what they are talking about.” And Cooper discussed her working definition of equity, “Equity is making sure that outcomes are not based on ethnicity, in terms of race, class, disability, gender identity, etc.,” she explained. Then, she unpacked inclusion, “I think of it as love, acceptance. I think of it as nurturing and inviting everyone into the collective. So, you have a voice, you have an opportunity to participate in the campus community. You are valued for your differences.”

Equity and Inclusion Timline (2019-Present)

2020 January 2020 • Advisory Committee adopted bylaws and become Advisory Council

February 2020

2019

• Lunch and Learn Series developed to continue engagement and learning from equity and inclusion conference. Successful initiative to increase awareness and cultural competency for ETSU faculty, staff, students, and community members.

March 2020 March 2019 • Dr. Keith Johnson assumed duties of Dr. Angela Lewis related to access, diversity, and inclusion as Special Assistant to the President

March - December 2019 • Formed an Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee • Renamed the Office of Equity and Diversity the Office of Equity and Inclusion • Developed website for the Office of Equity and Inclusion • Re-established vision/mission/goals and outcomes of department • Began working to re-establish the Women’s Resource Center • Began working with individual campus colleges, and non-academic areas, to develop their own Equity and Inclusion Committee

September 26-27, 2019 • ETSU hosted the 1st Annual Equity and Inclusion Conference

October 2019 • Appointment of Dr. Keith Johnson as Vice President for Equity and Inclusion

November 2019 • Finalized Mary V. Jordan Foundation

• Naming of the Mary V. Jordan Multicultural Center • Hired a Coordinator for Equity and Inclusion position to assist with leadership of existing and emerging initiatives.

April 2020 • Began distribution of monthly Office of Equity and Inclusion Newsletter with updates on Equity and Inclusion programs, faculty, staff, or students spotlights and information Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts. The target audience ETSU faculty, staff, students, and community members.

June 2020 • Developed a formalized application process to identify faculty, staff, and student diversity champions from across campus.

August 2020 • Pilot tested equity and inclusion materials in ETSU 1020 freshman orientation course • Hired graduate assistant to re-established and develop programs for the Women’s Resource Center • Established the Dr. Angela Lewis Scholarship within the Honors College • Course unit on diversity and inclusion in ETSU 1020: Foundations of Student Success Fall 2020 (several dates). Approximately 470 students enrolled • Incorporated several activities and assignments on diversity and inclusion, provided by Dr. Cooper. In the course, thereby expanding treatment of these topics in the course.

September 22-23, 2020 • ETSU hosted 2nd Annual Equity and Inclusion Conference • Established Faculty and Staff LGBTQ+ Association

October 2020 • Established Dr. Patricia Robertson Pride Center with official opening • Started Inclusive Excellence Training for faculty and staff • Relaunched the Black Faculty and Staff Association • Developed 2020-2022 Office of Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan • Re-aligned Calvin Claggett’s responsibilities in athletics to align with University equity and inclusion efforts • Established de-escalation training for public safety and academic areas • Establish the Diana and Gregory Bushong Scholarship Endowment • Partner with local Pastors to build a better ETSU \ community relationship

November 2020 • Dr. Keith Johnson selected to chair search committee for Chief Academic Officer/Provost

2021 2022

January 2021 • Began preparations for 3rd Annual Equity and Inclusion Conference to include a Student Track day • Implicit Bias and De-escalation Training Presentation with ETSU Public Safety to College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Services

March 2021 • ETSU Inclusive Excellence Cultural Competency Workshop - 2 cohorts • Dr. Chassidy Cooper selected for 2021 EAB Rising Higher Education Leaders Fellowship • Established VP for Equity and Inclusion email account to allow access to send communications to all faculty, staff, and students • Co-sponsored with the College of Public Health speaker series event - Cara James, PhD, President and CEO at Grantmakers in Health “Understanding Health Disparities and What it Takes to Achieve Health Equity”

April 2021 • Institution Climate Survey distributed to campus • Hosted seven Spring 2021 Lunch and Learn Sessions to include internal ETSU and external presenters • Re-establishment of Patricia Robertson Diversity Award - Student Scholarship • Began working with University Advancement to establish foundation account for annual conference and partnering with local businesses • Spring 2021 Added an undergraduate student to Equity and Inclusion Advisory Council • Spring 2021 Dr. Keith Johnson facilitated several Listening for Action Sessions hosted by the Mary V. Jordan Multicultural Center • Distributed institutional climate survey to campus

January 2022 • Retained graduate assistant to assist with publication of monthly newsletter, quarterly magazine, annual report and other duties as assigned • Teach Practices with the Syllabus Challenge; co-sponsored with Clemmer College, College of Arts & Sciences Office of Equity and Inclusion, Center for Teaching Excellence, Committee on Inclusion and Equity in Psychology • Trained 6 facilitators for Inclusive Excellence Cultural Competency spring cohorts • Hosted eight Lunch and Learn sessions during spring semester • Continue bi-weekly meetings with Intercollegiate Athletic Director of External Operations and Equity & Inclusion • Monthly E/I networking meetings with College E/I point persons, discussion included student equity standard for QAF, THEC report

February 2022 • HEED Application Award Committee began meeting

March 2020 • March Inclusive Excellence Cultural Competency Cohorts

•

On-going

May 2021 • Dr. Keith Johnson selected by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities as a 2021 protégé for its Millennium Leadership Initiative • Scheduled four Summer 2021 Lunch and Learn Sessions with internal ETSU and external presenters • Initiated renovation of new expanded office space on 1st floor Burgin Dossett Hall

August to November 2021 • Held six Lunch and Learn Sessions with internal ETSU and external presenters • Held Together in Community Conversation Series with the Center for Teaching Excellence, Strong Brain Institute and Office of Equity and Inclusion • Organized HEED Award Application Committee • Retained volunteer to publish a quarterly magazine called “Community Voices” for, by and about Equity and Inclusion at ETSU and the region. First issue scheduled to be distributed in Spring 2022. • Weekly meetings with Director of Multicultural Center and Access and Student Success Programs • Bi-Weekly meetings with Intercollegiate Athletic Director of External Operations and Equity & Inclusion • October 2021 included Equity and Inclusion Climate Survey Data on website

• Support diverse faculty in their development opportunities to assist with tenure/promotion achievement, research activities, and tuition assistance for completion of doctorates. • Support for underrepresented staff includes funding for completion of degrees and professional development opportunities via conference and workshops. • Provide ETSU’s College of Medicine scholarships as an incentive in the recruitment of underrepresented students. • Provide funding and graduate assistantships for underrepresented student populations. • Provide access and diversity scholarships designed to promote ETSU’s commitment to building an inclusive and diverse campus encouraging enrollment and retention of students. • Attend SREB Institute on Teaching and Mentoring (largest gathering of underrepresented minority Ph.D. scholars) to recruit potential faculty members. • Support for recruitment events, celebrations, festivals for minoritized student populations. • Review access and diversity grant proposals for submission to TBR Office of Organizational Effectiveness • Continual update of the Office of Equity and Inclusion website to include learning/opportunities, diversity and equity campus climate survey and related data, annual conference, advisory council minutes, and monthly newsletter publications

Equity and Inclusion College Point Persons List Name of College/Dean

Name of Contact

Email Address

College of Arts & Sciences Dr. Joseph Bidwell

Dr. Daryl Carter Assoc. Dean Equity and Inclusion

carterda@etsu.edu

College of Business and Technology Dr. Tony Pittarese

Lorianne Mitchell Associate Professor, Department of Management and Marketing

mitcheld@etsu.edu

College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences Dr. Don Samples

Debi Thilbeault DSW, LCSW, ETSU Assistant Professor

thibeault@etsu.edu

Clemmer College Dr. Janna Scarborough

scarboro@etsu.edu

College of Nursing Dr. Leann Horsley

Dr. Wanda Franklin Assistant Professor, College of Nursing

franklinw@etsu.edu

College of Public Health Dr. Randy Wykoff

Hadii Mamudu Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Civility Committee

mamudu@etsu.edu

College of Pharmacy Dr. Debbie Byrd

Steve Ellis DEI Council

elliss@etsu.edu

College of Medicine Dr. William Block Honors College Dr. Christopher Keller

Dr. Janna Scarborough Dean, Clemmer College

Rachel Walden Associate Dean, Biomedical Communications Dr. Carson Medley Student Success Coordinator Academic & Scholarship Programs

waldenrr@etsu.edu medleycd@etsu.edu

College of Graduate And Continuing Studies Dr. Sharon McGee

Dr. Sharon McGee Dean, College of Graduate And Continuing Studies

mcgees@etsu.edu

Sherrod Library Mr. David Atkins

Christiana Keinath Librarian

keinath@etsu.edu

Photo Credit: ETSU Yearbook Archive - 1964

A look at Our Diversity in History and a Conversation with One of ETSU’s First Black Head Coaches Written by Dr. Carson Medley Photos by Ron Campbell

he best way to recruit a diverse student population starts with a diverse faculty and staff. Higher education institutions across the United States, notably in the south, have seized the opportunity to increase diverse enrollment by providing opportunity to underrepresented faculty, staff, and students.

However, ETSU’s Institutional Research provided a fall 2021 student and faculty headcount by race and ethnicity that reveals significantly low numbers of diverse representation on our campus. This is surprising since ETSU is now a destination institute and displays

one of the most beautiful campuses in the southeast. And Johnson City ranks as one of the hottest relocation and real estate markets in the country. And it is helpful to note that geography did affect diversity here. Doctor Ron Roach, Chair of the Department of Appalachian Studies, explained, “Geography did play a major role in the settlement patterns of the region. The rugged terrain did make travel and settlement more difficult, which kept the overall population relatively smaller than other places that were easier to get to and more centrally located,” he said. 25

Roach also clarified the fact that this region was never completely isolated, as some stereotypes have portrayed. And he added: “Geography also had a major impact on the type of agriculture and industry that developed here. The topography favored small, family farms rather than large plantation-based agriculture. This meant that, both before and after the abolition of slavery, most of the minority population in the region tended to be concentrated in the (larger) cities and towns.” Roach also said the mountains here contained lots of natural resources like coal and timber. These resources attracted extractive industries, largely financed by those outside the region. So production centers were in larger urban cities outside this region. And though some industrial employers developed here, they did not grow to the scale of industries in larger cities. So our challenge at ETSU is to increase representation of students, staff, faculty, and administrators of color. And to do this we must push back against our geography and our history. And financially prioritizing equity and inclusion could make a difference. More than 118 million dollars has recently been spent on campus renovation projects. Imagine if 1% of the 26.6 million it cost to build William B. Greene Jr. Stadium had been spent recruiting students of color from our state’s 13 community colleges and 485 public high schools. But fortunately we can look to our Athletic Department for a successful recruitment and retention model, which includes constant mentorship, support, and emotional connection. And this department recently made history by hiring three Black head coaches. These coaches are among some of the most accomplished in the country. It would be helpful to know what drew them to a university that was racially segregated until 1957 and didn’t support a Black athlete until 1963. We can learn from these head coaches of color how firmly to pave the way for the future success of faculty, staff, and students of color. In the interview below ETSU’s very first Black head coach, women’s volleyball coach, Benavia Jenkins discussed her personal and professional recruiting experience.

Question: Can you tell me more about recruiting the Black student athletes? Answer: When you’re selling to the Black family, parents want to know where you’ve been. They want to make sure their daughter is going to be fine. They want to make sure that I have been through some tough times in my life and know that it wasn’t an easy walk to becoming a head coach. It wasn’t. Look, I graduated from the University of Florida. I played professionally. But I am still being overlooked for Power Five jobs. To me that’s an issue.

Question: What are some of the most unique challenges our students of color encounter that other students don’t encounter or understand? Answer: When we talk about challenges, the first challenge is being Black. Regardless of the student athletes, me as a Black head coach, it’s almost like our standards are held a whole lot higher than our White counterparts or our White student-athletes. I’m just going to throw t his out there, but you may have some White coaches here who do not know how to deal with Black student-athletes’ attitudes. Their attitudes might come off as threatening. Their attitudes might come off as ‘This kid is just disturbed’ or ‘Always having a bad attitude and not a good person.’ But the coach is not actually trying to see where your kid actually comes from or why or what has triggered this kid to respond a certain way. But if a White student-athlete was to do the same thing, their punishment would be less severe than the Black student athlete. It’s almost like: Are the Black student-athletes allowed to have a voice or not? Are we allowed to be who we are without being judged because our skin color is ‘already intimidating’ to some people? So right here you see the challenges our Black student-athletes go through. When some of our Black student-athletes say they’ve gone places or traveled it’s almost like a ‘What?’ It’s a big surprise that they can have the same experiences as their White teammates or classmates.

Question: What do the Black student-athletes and White student-athletes learn from each other? Answer: Well, you have to have those uncomfortable conversations in your gym sometimes. I don’t single out my Black kids because they’re Black. I treat and love on my players all the same. One thing my Black kids and White kids can never say about me is that ‘Oh, she treats this group different.’ I’m not like that. We’re winning together. Nobody is a superhero here. We have a good understanding about what culture looks like.

Question: I’ve been a part of a program where I was literally the only Black. There were times when my coaches singled me out for being the only Black person. I always said I would never do that to any of my Black studentathletes and I would never do that to any of my White student-athletes. You have to treat them all the same. It’s the conversations my girls have and being vulnerable with each other. Knowing that it’s OK to say ‘Hey, that’s not right to say.’ And for the ones that don’t know, they ask. That’s the big thing we’ve tried to instill in this program: ask the questions. Don’t assume.

Question: Is there ever a point when the players just become sisters and there is no White or Black? Answer: You know, in sports it’s like that. We are sisters and brothers. We are the ones fighting on that court together. I think it’s the outside that’s trying to separate who we are. But on the court—and I can’t speak for other teams— that’s not allowed here. I don’t care how much money your family is bringing into this program, and I don’t care how good you are, but that (division) is not allowed in my program. I don’t think any of my girls would ever say ‘Hey, you know Lauren, the black teammate of mine.’ No, it would be more like: ‘Hey, you know Lauren.’

Question: Can you tell me how you might have experienced this? Answer: When I was playing professionally in Germany for a match, I was warned that in this small town they’ve never met Black people. When you go into the gym, they might touch your hair, touch your skin. They only see Black people on TV. When I walked into that gym, I can’t tell you how many pictures and selfies I took with people because they were so in awe they were in front of a Black person. Do you know how uncomfortable that is to sit in that seat? It’s almost like you want to educate them. One, they don’t speak your language, so it’s hard to let them know how inappropriate their behavior is. You want to be mean and rude about it, but how can you be? They’ve never met a Black person. I took the pictures. I took the selfies. All to make them happy, even though for me it was very uncomfortable. 28

Question: What part of the recruiting process convinced you to come to ETSU? Answer: My background. The other places I have lived. I lived in Spain and there were no Blacks there. If you’re Black, it’s because you’ve probably married a Spanish woman, or you are an athlete in that town. I’ve learned a lot about dealing from racism in those types of towns from all my traveling across the country and world. Heck, I lived in Austria. When I came to Johnson City, I thought people here really are nice. You’re going to have people who don’t like Whites and people who don’t like Blacks everywhere you go. When I came here, Johnson City treated me well and the people here still do. I was welcomed into the community. I just have to understand that there will be ignorance no matter where we go and that’s just one of those things.

The University itself—when I sat down and talked with Dr. Noland, who is a man of character, my interview felt well, and I felt like I could be comfortable being who I am as a coach and a person. I love the fact that this University represents family. Being a single mom, this was huge for me to come into a place and moving my child here in a community where there is not a huge Black community, just knowing that I’ll have the support with the University that I can still be successful in my role while also being a single mom.

Question: What advice do you have for ETSU to recruit future deans, faculty, administrators, and staff of color? Answer: Continue to push for us. I think that for a lot of folks here in the Black community, we’re almost so happy to be here that we don’t continue to push for us. When I talk about you push for your people, you have to continue to push for your people. When I first took this job that was one of my hesitations. Do I hire a Black coach to come in with me to Johnson City, Tennessee, at ETSU that had never had a Black head coach here? Or do I need to bring in someone White so people can say, ‘Oh, she can work with a White male or a White female.’ So do I need to do that? When I look at these big Power Five jobs, and all these other jobs where their entire staff is all Caucasian, I think: Why am I having an issue of who I want to hire? Why do I have to approach my situation differently because I’m Black? It’s my job to break these barriers. We can win here no matter our skin color. First year we go 25-6. Don’t tell me it cannot be done.

Question: What do you think we can do as a campus to make students of color feel a greater sense of belonging? Answer: Bring some Black artists on this campus. Bring in some hip hop. Everybody listens to it. We have to do more things that are appealing to our community here. We’re not just here to be athletes and coaches.

These Boots Were Made for Rocking Written by Elizabeth Strong Cloyd Photos by Ron Campbell

Coming out Roxanne McDaniel is a statuesque, soft-spoken, multi-talented musician and songwriter. And when she came out as trans in Tazwell, Tennessee nearly ten years ago, the sleepy little community near the Kentucky border pushed back hard against her. “I just needed to find some steppingstone for escape because I was starting to fear for my life,” she said. Her parents, also her greatest allies, struggled with her transition at first. “I came out to my mother in a handwritten letter because I was afraid that I would misspeak or become too emotional and not be able to get my point across,” McDaniel explained. She sat with her mother while she read the letter. And she practiced patience and empathy with her mom while she struggled with this change in her understanding of her only child. “I remember her crying a lot. She thought that she had done something wrong,” she said. McDaniel realized that being trans was a foreign idea for her mother. And she gave her room to adjust, “I’m sure it felt like grieving for her. I wrote letters to both of them,” she said. Her father struggled less with her journey, “My dad seemed a lot more laid back about it, my dad has always been very supportive of me,” she explained. “And I feel very fortunate because I know a lot of trans people have been disowned by their families.” Life for McDaniel has been filled with alienation and discrimination. “Those are the feelings that I am most familiar with,” she explained. “My family largely ignored me before I came out. So, now I have my parents and my grandfather, and that’s enough.” She also accepted the awkward embrace of being the first trans person anyone in Tazwell had ever met, 30

“So, whether I liked it or not, I ended up being the spokesperson for a lot for people that I never knew,” she explained. “And that wasn’t really fair to anybody involved, but that’s just the way it has to be sometimes.” McDaniel came out to the world at large on Facebook to a surprisingly mixed response, “I didn’t come out publicly until 2013,” she said. “A lot of people I thought would be on my side were either really weird about it or downright dismissive. And some people who I thought for sure were going to give me trouble were actually pretty good to me.” And though McDaniel has a host of defiant songs in her repertoire, she is focused on the positive parts of her life, “It’s easy to become bitter, I try not to be judgmental because I have had people of various religious backgrounds and political ones too be very supportive of me,” she explained. “So I’ve always tried to be careful about passing too much judgement on a particular group of people because you never really know the full story.” McDaniel also had to develop her female identity quickly. The seedlings for a captivating stage persona were forced to grow at light speed. “Other girls had all those years growing up and trying things out and going through awkward teenage years,” she explained. “There I was in my twenties trying to go through the whole gauntlet of growing up and finding yourself in the space of a couple of years.”

Taking a Leap McDaniel found safety, acceptance, and support at ETSU, “I definitely felt safer here,” she said. “I didn’t have to keep looking over my shoulder everywhere I went.” Here on campus she was finally able to stop scanning for constant violent threats and work on her goals. She began her studies at ETSU in 2015 with a focus on Celtic music, then she branched into Country. “What really drew me was an opportunity in the Country Band to do original material,” she explained. “So most shows we played an original of mine because I just

always had something cooking.” She also took a crash course in being a musician, “I actually never received any formal training until I was in my twenties, when I came here to ETSU. I was learning a lot of things for the first time really quickly,” she said. “I know a lot of people in the program grew up playing music and their family had been in bands. And there I was just raw and trying to find myself.” McDaniel remembered how long music has been her second language, “I’ve been writing songs since my earliest memories,” she said, “At the age of three I was already making up my own little songs and tunes. I was obsessed with trains, I still kind of am. And I remember being little and just making up songs about a train.” The small, informal church choir that her father once led also helped McDaniel’s love of music grow, “So I was sort of immersed in that really old-fashioned gospel as a child. It never was what I wanted to do, but there was quite a lot of feeling and musical traits that still found their way into my musical DNA,” she explained. And classic rock on the radio helped train her ears, “I primarily play guitar these days as well as dulcimer. I

didn’t get my first guitar until I was about 11. And I just plunked away on it,” she explained.

Rocking Out McDaniel has a strong sound, “My voice has changed a little bit, but I genuinely have a lot of voice dysphoria,” she said. “So when I sing and express myself I’m always in a love-hate relationship with myself. Sometimes it makes the music angrier because I want to express myself in a certain way, but I can’t.” And though her vocal range has limits, it also packs a pretty punch, “It can really be more of a male range, and that can be frustrating,” she said. “But it makes me sound like me.” Her distinctive voice and savvy lyrics appeal to a wide range of audiences. Performing in public has changed McDaniel’s thinking on passing as female, “When I first transitioned I wanted to seamlessly blend in to cis-gender ideas of femininity,” she said. She was initially very afraid of being recognized as trans, so she was constantly looking for exits and dressing and acting carefully in public. 31

Now, she is less worried about passing or being clocked as trans, “I certainly do think about passing a fair bit,” McDaniel admitted. “But I think it has become easier for me over time. People are always going to say things about you no matter who you are. I just get to experience a different flavor of it.” And though she still occasionally endure stares and whispers, McDaniel said that most people are focused on her music, “I thought that my voice always immediately gave me away, but it doesn’t because I have performed in front of audiences where nobody seemed to notice. And I always think, Wow! I have fooled another group of people,” she explained. “There are times when I really struggle with imposter syndrome.”

She strives to reach a broad audience, but she has special words for women, “It seems like women are always too much of something for people,” she explained, “Society always says that a woman should look a certain way, dress a certain way, or think a certain way. And the whole point of that song is that a real woman is whoever she needs to be.”

McDaniel has developed three musical personas, and the first one takes a low and reverent bow to Stevie Nicks, “Honestly, most of the time I dress in a typical goth fashion-flowing things and lots of black,” she said. “I tell people I only have three looks: glam rock vampire, hippie girl and a flamboyant farmer from 1940s Yorkshire.” Her musical idols include, Dolly Parton, Dwight Yoakum, Tom Petty and the long forgotten Hetty West, “She was a contemporary of Dylan and Bias, but she never reached that level of fame,” McDaniel explained. “Her voice and music to me was the most authentic of the bunch. She sounds like what I remember from my childhood, hearing people back in the hills sit down and sing a song.”

Sending a Message And McDaniel sings about the ever-present darkness in life, but she also explores life’s jumble of intrinsic puzzles with a rock and roll country twist, “I think that people from all kinds of backgrounds can understand what it feels like to be an outsider and feel rejected,” she explained. McDaniel is an accomplished songwriter. And she has a lot to say, “I released an EP last year called Real Woman,” she said. “It’s meant to be a trans inclusive song, a feminist country song, we could always use a few more of those.” 32

McDaniel performed live at the local Women’s March last fall for an enormously supportive and receptive audience, “It was one of the most enthusiastic audiences that I have ever been in front of,” she explained. “And I was just so happy to be a part of that.” McDaniel also writes country songs with general appeal. But her transness is a part of her story and her art, so it’s with her wherever she plays. And, so far, the reception is positive, “I’ve always been very careful about how I put it out there because I don’t want to be perceived as a novelty,” she clarified. “But at the same time being trans does offer some unique opportunities.”

What’s Cooking Now McDaniel currently claims Johnson City as home. And her future aspirations do not include entering the Nashville music scene, “For one thing it’s just too saturated, there’s too much competition,” she explained. So she’s comfortable here and finding ways to share her many gifts, “In the summertime I do a twoweek camp with the Johnson City School system,” McDaniel explained. “We have this program open to third and fourth graders where they get to build their own cardboard dulcimer and learn to play it.”

being given away by a hijab (wearing) woman.” McDaniel said she hopes to complete the emigration process this year,” We have spent the majority of our marriage only seeing each other during summertime or around Christmas,” she said. “We’re getting tired of having to spend our lives on two separate continents.” And her music continues to thrive. In February she made the cover of Dulcimer Players News, and her last EP recently appeared in a global feature article in Rolling Stone, India, “And it got me a featured slot on a digital radio station out of Michigan called Rainbow Radio FM that did a whole hour-long feature on me,” McDaniel explained. She has new single coming out, “It’s a really dulcimer heavy song called The Way of All Flesh, and it’s going to have all the elements that I think make my music the way it is,” she said. And she plans to shoot a video for the song featuring her being buried alive, “It’s just too bad it’s not coming out around Halloween.”

She also teaches guitar, bass, dulcimer, ukulele, and violin, “I teach a ukulele class at the Senior Center, and I’ve taken a position with Washington College Academy in Limestone offering dulcimer bass, ukulele and songwriting as well,” she explained. McDaniel also presents varied musical programs for after school learning at various area schools, “Whenever I wake up on the morning of an obligation like that, my goodness do I feel motivated,” she said. “It’s nice to have people counting on you, otherwise I kind of sit around and go to waste.” And though this corner of northeast Tennessee is her anchor now, McDaniel’s future will include living across the pond, “My wife’s name is Bea, she’s British, and she’s a teacher,” she explained. “We got married in 2017 on July 28.” The two tied the knot in Scotland at a site famous for eloping couples, “It was a very diverse wedding, we just had six or so guests, most of us were trans, my wife is trans,” McDaniel recalled. “So here you have this sixfoot tall trans woman being taken down the isle and

And though dark shadows and gallows humor shape her notes and words, McDaniel does report being happy and satisfied in a community she believes is making progress in acceptance and support of trans people, “In some ways I kind of feel like ETSU saved my life because I was very much in dire straits before I came here,” she explained. McDaniel suggested that any potential ally quell their curiosity about physically being trans and focus on being supportive. It’s rude, even traumatic, to ask about personal, medical details, “Even the most wellintentioned allies want to understand what it’s like to be in your shoes,” she said. “Student organizations are very important that way, you can speak with people who have similar backgrounds and experiences, and they’re most often around your age, so they understand what you are going through.” And to anyone interested in supporting the LGBTQ community, McDaniel asked for empathetic listening, “What we really need is to be heard by someone to get the resources and the help and the support that we need,” she said. https://www.etsu.edu/students/mcc/programs/lgbtq/ contactus.php 33

COVID Remains a Challenge, Especially for Minority Populations Written by Dr. Sam Pettyjohn

s we see what appears to be the peak and rapid decline of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in our communities many may be breathing a collective sigh of relief. While it seems the worst of the ongoing pandemic may well be behind us, it is important to understand that the wake of mortality and sickness is long from over in our most vulnerable communities. A recent JAMA article by Lin et al. lays out how both structural inequalities and rurality are continuing to impact our vulnerable communities. To paraphrase their excellent work, in counties with concentrated Black or Hispanic populations, people newly immigrated to the US, or rural White majorities we see a substantial increase in COVID-19 mortality. In public health we quantify the measures that define the differences that may be causing these inequalities between these populations and others as the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). These are structural conditions and often geographic factors that influence every part of people’s lives. People with inequitable access to quality housing, job opportunities, and health care services are more likely to have worse health outcomes. Think of COVID-19 acting like an amplifier of an already-present problem of inequity here in the US. Finding and engaging with our most-at-risk populations is never an easy proposition. There are historical, cultural, and person reasons why folks are hesitant to engage with health care professionals and government agencies. We also have with increasing levels of COVID fatigue or pandemic burn out among our people, elected officials, and healthcare workforce. This pandemic has gone on longer and caused more collateral physical and psychological damage than even some of the direst early projections. Pairing these two factors together creates a situation where people that intentionally or unintentionally did not get vaccinated in a timely manner. Now that

two additional waves of infection have peaked across the country since vaccinations were made widely available, people that have yet to be vaccinated have likely had the Delta variant and/or Omicron. And with little to no immunoprotection they will continue to carry the heaviest burden of the ongoing pandemic. While COVID-19 has caused immeasurable damage already, and we have yet to fully understand the potential of Long COVID as a chronic disease. These findings help us re-double our efforts where they are needed most. And, while directly addressing issues of SDOH in our populations is a lifetime endeavor, previous public health work has pointed to increasing knowledge, lowering barriers to testing and vaccination, and increasing clinical trial participation among at-risk populations as strategies to lessen the ongoing inequalities specific to COVID-19.

Photo Credit: CDC

Tennessee finds itself in a unique situation specifically with large populations of all of the most-at-risk people outlined in the above-mentioned JAMA article. With the ethnic, racial and geographic diversity of the state, a unique effort is necessary. The Tennessee Community Engaged Alliance Against COVID-19 (TN CEAL) initiative, funded through NIH as part of a national CEAL network and headquartered at Meharry Medical College, an HBCU in Nashville, is a coalition of researchers, community members, and public health agencies working to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 specifically in our vulnerable populations.

The chief strategy in play is community-based interventions. TNCEAL puts vaccines in arms wherever the people that need them are. They have worked with health care providers to set up stand-alone vaccine events and also integrate vaccine availability into existing social gatherings. Some examples include baby showers, factories and warehouses, breweries, farmers markets, churches, college student centers, and seasonal worker camps. They have also worked within populations to provide accurate and targeted education materials written in plain everyday terms in English, Spanish, Arabic, Somali and Kurdish with the capacity to translate more literally overnight as the need arises.

Photo Credit: CDC

ven as we start to see light at the end of the tunnel and it appears that the pandemic is slowing, the work continues to reach those that have not yet been vaccinated. Data continues both point to pockets vulnerable of folks yet to get their first injection, and also further verify the tremendous efficacy and safety of the current vaccines. So then, the drive for all of us to educate, inform, and advocate for ongoing vaccination efforts across our state and country must go on. We owe it to those most at risk to continue to do our part so we can all enjoy the blessings of a pandemic free future.

Recognizing and Responding to Microaggressions Written by Jessica K. Wang

remember the first time someone asked me, “Where are you really from?” I was in first grade. The question, while not asked with the intention of being hurtful, made me acutely aware that I didn’t look like the other kids in my classroom, and that I was different, and that I didn’t fit in. It’s a question many people of color hear on a regular basis, whether LatinX, Black, Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) or American Indian or Alaska Native. And while the intention of the question is not to hurt, the impact still packs a painful punch. This is an example of a microaggression. Microaggressions are everyday, subtle slights, insults, and behaviors that communicate some sort of bias towards historically marginalized groups, such as

innocence and borne from curiosity. However, when I was asked that same question a few weeks ago by an adult, the question, while still curious in nature, became rooted in ignorance instead of innocence. The intention was likely not to cause offense, but it still hurt. And it is time for us grown-ups to know better and behave better. Questions like, “Where are you from?” typically have me responding, “Florida.” Which is predictably followed by, “No, where are you really from?” The question people are trying to ask is “What type of Asian are you?” Often this is just curiosity, but the impact of the question is isolation and alienation. So, what can you do if you’ve heard comments that have made you feel this way and make sure that you’re not falling into the category of a perpetuator of microaggressions? Learning to recognize and respond to them is the best place to start.

Recognizing Microaggressions When learning to recognize microaggressions, it’s important to think about the underlying message that comments and questions may be sending. For example, someone may ask a lesbian couple, “So who’s the man in the relationship?” The underlying message there is that a “normal” relationship must involve a man and a woman. Or if someone proclaims “You don’t look Jewish.” the message can be interpreted as a belief that all Jewish people should look the same. And if someone says, “Must be that time of the month” then the underlying message is women can’t control their emotions (because of hormones) as well as men can. people of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, members of the LGBTQA+ community, people from different religious backgrounds, neurodivergent individuals, etc. Micro aggressions occur casually and frequently, almost unconsciously and often the perpetuator is completely unaware they even committed one. In my first grade example a question was masked in 36

Microaggressions can also be veiled as compliments. This is where it becomes important to consider both intent and impact of any statement. Growing up, I was often told, “You speak English really well!” And in middle school it took all of my restraint to not respond, to my White English teacher with, “Thanks, you do too.” I was born and raised in Miami, Florida. English is my first language. However, the assumption is that because I’m Asian American, then I am a foreigner from a country where English wasn’t my first language.

This is an effective example of a microaggression veiled as a compliment. Similarly, something else I heard often while growing up was, “You’re so exotic.” The intention, and what the person believed, was that they were calling me beautiful. The impact was they made me feel like an outlier and hyper sexualized. Similarly, when someone told my friend, who’s a Black woman, with surprise, “You’re so literate”, the intention was likely that they meant to call her intelligent, but the impact is that they shared a message of surprise that someone from that specific race was able to read and write so well. Other times, people are more brazen and open with their microaggressions. These exchanges are often rooted in assumptions of explicit inferiority. “But you sound White” shares a message of an assumption that people from a specific race are inferior intellectually. And intelligence is somehow directly associated with Whiteness.

Another micro-aggressive act is imitating someone’s accent, which sends the message, “You’re a foreigner and you don’t belong here.” And in Boston while shopping on Newbury Street, a shopping area lined with high end stores, I would often notice store employees following individuals from certain races, predominantly Black and LatinX, around their stores. This sent the message of, “I don’t trust people from your race and I believe you could have intentions of stealing based solely on your skin color.” Assumptions can turn quickly into microaggressions. One that I’m guilty of, and working on, is assuming the doctor or pilot or veteran is a male, which sends the message of, “I didn’t think someone from another gender could pursue a career in this field and be successful in it.”

And statements like, “You don’t act Black” can create a lot of discomfort for any person of color. How does one know what characteristics are aligned with the color of a person’s skin? That microaggression was saying, “You’re surprisingly smart or literate or eloquent… for a Black person.” In college I heard another student tell my Latina friend, “You’re lucky there’s affirmative action.” The message in that statement was that the only way a Latina could have been accepted to the same school as a White person was to help meet a diversity quota. So, someone who knew nothing about my friend aside from physical attributes took one look at her and decided she couldn’t have been accepted on merit. And the workplace version of this is “Are you the new diversity hire?” Micro-aggressions can transcend words, taking the form of actions. During research on historically underrepresented student success, I interviewed several students of color at a predominantly White institution. And one Black student told me, “My first night at the college a white student came up to me and started petting my braids in wonder.” The message that action can send is, “You’re not like us so, I believe I have the right to violate your personal space and body because it’s different and I’m curious.” This is always unwanted attention.

Micro-aggressions come in many forms: comments, questions, compliments, or actions. A critical part of recognizing them is to think about the underlying message they send and how it could be interpreted. If you believe, or know, that you just experienced or witnessed a microaggression, then it is important is to know how to respond in that moment.

Responding to Microaggressions

like that really undermines those intentions.”

Usually when microaggressions were made against me growing up, I would laugh them off. At that time, I thought it better to laugh with them than to have them laugh at me. I was wrong. By laughing, I continued to encourage the behavior because they thought their statements were funny; it almost incentivized the behavior.

One of my favorite ways to respond to microaggressions is to share my own experience. I note the comment or behavior and recall how I used to say or do that too, but then I explain that I learned it made people uncomfortable. Or you can just challenge a stereotype. For example, you can say, “I think that’s a stereotype. I’ve learned that those who identify as female can play sports just as well as males can.”

However, not responding at all can also be interpreted as acceptance. So it’s important to know how to respond when you experience or witness a microaggression. There’s a lot of problem solving power in asking the micro-aggressor, “What do you mean by that?” Growing up I steered away from conflict and confrontation. I always hesitated to get mixed in with it. For people who may feel similarly asking, “What do you mean by that” can become a powerful tool. Now, whenever I experience a microaggression, I calmly and curiously ask, “What do you mean by that?” It’s a simple, non-confrontational question. It’s not an accusation and it doesn’t create a tension. Instead this query elicits self-reflection and encourages the perpetrator to consider their words or actions. Asking what someone means usually creates a pause, followed by them saying, “Never mind.” because they realized that what they said or did wasn’t appropriate. Another response tactic is to ask, “What did you say?” Asking for clarification or pretending you don’t understand causes the individual to pause and selfreflect on whether they want to repeat the comment. Sometimes people don’t think before speaking. But these particular questions aim to elicit thought and consideration. There are more direct ways to respond to microaggressions. You could promote empathy by asking, “How would you feel if someone said that to your parent or sibling or friend?” Or you can use humor when you hear something like, “She plays like a girl?” You could clap back by saying, “Do you mean she plays like Serena Williams?” Or you could play to a micro-aggressor’s ego by saying, “Come on, you’re too smart to say something so ignorant and offensive.” Or you could appeal to personal values by saying, “I know you really care about making people feel included, but saying something 38

There are many ways to respond to microaggressions, even beyond the examples shared above. What’s critical is to respond calmly, with the understanding that offense was (likely) not the individual’s intention. This can be a teachable moment for a micro-aggressor. Often the intention was not one of offense or hurt, but their impact was still painful. It’s important to share these facts with them so that they don’t continue this behavior. It is also important that bystanders respond, and not just to those whom the microaggressions were perpetuated against. Bystanders could also help by calling out the micro-aggressor to remove the weight from an already marginalized person. When you’re the only marginalized individual in a room, you become acutely aware of the responsibility that comes with it. And it becomes exhausting to hear and respond to micro-aggressions regularly. That is why it is so important for bystanders to respond. It is not just the responsibility of the marginalized to create a more culturally competent and inclusive world; it is everyone’s responsibility. Yet, all too often, the responsibility falls on those who already navigate many additional burdens that come with being the first or the only in a room. So next time you say or hear something that just doesn’t sound right, pause and think about what that message could be. Consider who the comment is aimed at. And if it is a microaggression, then consider how you could respond to it. A bystander can easily ask, “What do you mean by that?” And those six words can help you stand up for yourself or for someone else. When we come together in this work then we move forward and truly make a difference- for our generation and the next. Jessica K. Wang is Assistant Dean of Equity and Inclusion and Student success Coordinator at Clemmer College.

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