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Zooming in for Connection and Dialogue
ZOOMING IN FOR CONNECTION & DIALOGUE
In response to the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order last spring, School of Social Work faculty members hosted Zoom conversations to address the pandemic’s impact through a social work lens. Professor Rogério M. Pinto hosted conversations on COVID and Racial Inequities. The School’s community engagement team held weekly discussions on field education, volunteer work and activism during the pandemic. Both of these conversations developed steady audiences and grew into weekly series.
COVID and Racial Inequities Series
The Faculty Allies for Diversity committee and Professor and Associate Dean for Research Rogério M. Pinto hosted hourlong online conversations examining stigma issues connected with the COVID-19 pandemic. With the brutal killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in May, the series evolved into broad conversations on anti-Blackness, police brutality and the social and racial issues still emerging around the pandemic. The conversations about stigma, prejudice and health care failures were unscripted and often startlingly blunt and emotional. The series demonstrated the School’s commitment to in-depth conversation on breaking news of concern to social workers and social work researchers, as well as an unblinking examination of our country’s and profession’s racist histories. Frank, spontaneous and very much of the moment, this series helped all participants and attendees understand the full implications of what happened to our nation in an extraordinary year. Listen to the Racial Inequities Series at:
Early in the pandemic, Michigan’s Stay Home, Stay Safe order created particular challenges for MSW student field placements. Some organizations and agencies suspended operations or programs; in other cases, students found themselves unable to attend their field placements. Many students left Ann Arbor. In the face of these hurdles, the Office of Field Education worked together with the School’s Community Engagement Team (ENGAGE) to rethink field education and community engagement in this time when stringent limitations have changed the way social workers can interact with the community. The result was a series of online conversations that supported student efforts to volunteer and engage in their own communities, whether online or in other geographic areas. These weekly conversations allowed students to connect, share experiences and debrief. In the wake of George Floyd’s death and the resulting protests of racial injustice, the conversation series pivoted to discuss issues of racial inequity and police brutality, with a focus on action and policy. Many of these conversations have featured headlining speakers including Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and author and activist Tawana Petty.
Listen to more ENGAGE conversations at:
