In their collaboration with pre-service and in-service teachers, along with their roles as faculty members and teacher educators, Vehabovic and Miller Dyce emphasize the crucial role of social justice in creating connections between schools and students’ communities. From a broader perspective on educational inclusivity for all students, this article moves theory into practice by illuminating three strategies for supporting students from refugee backgrounds in K-12 schools and districts, emphasizing the importance of recognizing their humanity, learning collaboratively with them and their communities, and advocating for their unique needs while maintaining the commitment to providing love and care in educational and community spaces.

The article abstract reads as follows:

“Moving theory into practice, in this paper we explore the pivotal role of social justice in fostering connections between schools and students’ communities. Emphasizing access, equity, and the dismantling of power dynamics, privilege, and discrimination, we underscore the need for inclusive practices among educators of refugee-background children, youth, and families, such as recognizing their humanity, collaborative learning with communities, and advocating for unique needs. We also highlight the importance of maintaining a commitment to love and care in educational and community spaces. Subsequently, this article offers insights for teachers, administrators, and district-level leaders to create and sustain supportive spaces for people from refugee backgrounds.

Decades later, as she sat in Lakeside Meeting Rooms during ¡Celebremos!: Graduates Take Flight to celebrate the accomplishments of her youngest daughter, Yanela Ferrer, who graduated from Elon this week with a Master of Education in educational innovation, she couldn’t contain the tears.

“Es mucho (It means a lot),” said Luna, who flew from Argentina to watch her daughter graduate. “Mi ilusión era que mi hija esté en un buen lugar en el mundo, y lo está logrando (My dream was that my daughter reached a good place in the world, and she is doing that).”

That sense of pride and gratitude was the common thread among the stories shared during the annual event, which honors the achievements of graduating Latinx/Hispanic students as well as the contributions from their families and friends who made their Elon education possible. During the ceremony, each student received a stole featuring a monarch butterfly to signify their journey – the distance they and their families have already traveled and the opportunities that are yet to come. As each student made their way to the front to receive their stoles, faculty and staff read remarks each senior had written in advance.

As a first-generation student and a mother of two, having her family around during her educational journey meant everything for Ferrer. “I feel proud to have finished my master’s degree,” she wrote in her remarks. “I thank my family for having accompanied me in this stage that involved several nights and days of study.

“I dedicate this new achievement especially to my mother, who today, already 80 years old, has traveled from Argentina to see my graduation and thus accompany me as she has done since I was little.”

While COVID significantly marked the experience of most ľĂľĂČČ seniors, they were thankful for the resilience that their families and the Elon community instilled in them.

If it weren’t for the support of his peers and Elon’s faculty and leadership during the pandemic, Eduardo Sanchez said he wouldn’t have been able to successfully complete his college career. “Thank you for helping my dreams come true.”

Alejandra Gomez remembers the feeling she had when she first stepped on Elon’s campus. “I had such a heavy heart,” she said while reflecting on her time at Elon. Feeling unprepared is typical for a first-generation student who didn’t know how to navigate college or what to expect being away from home, she added. But then, she started finding her way, finding her people, finding her voice. As each day passed, her heart eased thanks to the people who surrounded her. Now, “I feel very happy to have a full heart instead of a heavy heart,” she said, “with enough room left for all the new opportunities that await.”

As he listened to the different remarks, Jovani Mendez-Sandoval ’22 couldn’t help but think back to his own experience as he gave the alumni presentation during the event. He related to the seniors’ anxiety as first-year students and feeling “adrift in a sea of unknowns.” But he also related to their grit and determination to push through a global pandemic and other challenges to pursue their dreams.

“I can attest that the value of your Elon experience will be the foundation of your future success,” he said before welcoming the seniors into the alumni family and the Elon Latinx/Hispanic Alumni Network. “Be proud of what you’ve accomplished and what you’ve become.”

This semester, the concentration for the ensemble has been Afro-Cuban rhythms and related African rhythms. They will present EhGunGun and Iyesa along with a Cuban “Descarga” jam session, an EDM-inspired GuaguancĂł and a parade rhythm known as Conga Comparsa.

The group is made up of students that have had little or no prior experience in drumming and have exceled in their efforts to play these challenging rhythms. This semester the ensemble consists of Nihar Deshmukh, Nik Heiser, Jacob Laxton, Tyler Lopez, Walt Pierce, Jack Rickett, Wium Roets and Madison Tiplett. The ensemble is directed by Adjunct Instructor in Music Jim Roberts.

The Elon World Percussion Ensemble, soon to be renamed the Elon African Diaspora Ensemble, is open to any in the student or faculty body (MUS1081A) without auditions. All levels are accepted. ľĂľĂČČ or faculty may email jroberts10@elon.edu for details.

Tuesday evening was the second opportunity for students to engage with Battles, who offered a presentation on navigating the hiring process from a DEI perspective on Jan. 28.

When Battles was asked why is it important for students to take interest in DEI regardless of their field of study, her response was simple.

“Diversity is reality,” said Battles, who serves on the ľĂľĂČČ Parents Council and the School of Communications Advisory Board.

One of the points she raised during her discussion is that diversity is involved in any business or relational interaction. “When you think about our world in the 21st century, the people you are going to be working with, the companies you are looking to work with, clients those companies serve, the communities you will operate are all diverse,” Battles said.

As Battles spoke, it was obvious she wanted to instill her excitement into the others in the room, especially the students. Battles wanted to give her listeners a different way to think about diversity that could help them overcome the unfamiliarity of the topic that some people experience. “If we can touch young minds, then that will build a better tomorrow for all of us,” she said.

Battles said that beneath her mask, she has freckles. If someone in the audience had the notion that all people with freckles were “shifty and less intelligent,” then they would be reducing her abilities by judging one attribute. “Get to know the whole person,” Battles said.

Emily Lyons, program assistant for the Office of Parent Engagement said after the presentation that the analogy about the freckles helped underscore an important point. “I think as a society we see someone and have preconceived ideas, but when working and attending classes with people who are different, we can learn from each other,” Lyons said.

The message was clear to Hunter Leong ’23, an accounting major in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. “I felt like her presentation was very relevant to today in terms of the digital world and how COVID has impacted us,” Leong said. “As well as how no matter our background or race, we can change our perspective and diversify what we are doing, how we talk to people at school or in the workplace.”

Battles said she is confident in this generation of students who will go into the world more tolerant and excepting of others. With this, students will have the opportunity to develop an appreciation for each other’s humanity.

“When we see one another as human, we get to know each other,” she said. “When we see one another as human, it expands who we are and grows our understanding of the world around us. When we see each other as human it is virtually impossible to treat each other with disrespect or disregard.

“You are our future and I have great hope and confidence in what you will do,” she said.

Sheryl Battles, vice president of global diversity, inclusion and engagement at Pitney Bowes, will lead that conservation and looks to engage Elon’s students, faculty and staff to discuss “The Present & Future of DEI in the Workplace.” She will talk about the current state of DEI in the workplace, how to navigate the world of work as an underrepresented employee and how to be an ally in creating change for the future.

“Sheryl’s background is one that she has a pulse on what’s going on in diversity, equity and inclusion and the workplace,” said Brooke Buffington, director of the SPCD. Buffington added that Battles has an influence working for such a large organization and “can see where DEI is going in the future.”

This will be the second presentation from Battles for the ľĂľĂČČ community. On Jan. 28, she delivered a presentation on navigating the hiring process from a DEI perspective.

Battles, an Elon parent, also serves on the School of Communication’s Advisory Board and Elon’s Parents Council.

The idea of programming surrounding the topic of DEI came from student feedback, Buffington said. When talking to the diversity ambassadors at the School of Business about topics students want to hear about, DEI “came up as one of interest.”

“This is something we hope students care about, and we want to build on this as a part of people becoming better colleagues,” Buffington said.

Buffington said the SPDC’s goal is to support Elon’s students from their first year and picking classes to networking, graduate school applications and job interviews. “With programs like this we hope they take one step closer to understanding their professional goals and their opportunity to be an impact towards positive change,” Buffington said.

In the article by reporter Dean-Paul Stephens, Dyce said the book is aimed at educators but also speaks to the general public. Dyce, along with her co-authors Julius Davis and Shadonna Gunn, hopes to provide educators with best practices for creating ideal learning environments by shifting detrimental perceptions.

“My faith calls me to confront these issues, especially racism,” Dyce said. “Not just to confront it but to provide another narrative as to how we think about our boys and young men,” Dyce said.

“I think educators can benefit [from reading the book] in terms of building relationships with young people. They can benefit … by really doing introspection and critical self-reflection on who are you and what qualifies you to serve young black students.”

The full article can be read .

Dozens of Elon students, faculty and staff attended a campus gathering and panel discussion titled “The American Dream” inside the Moseley Center’s McKinnon Hall on Jan. 6. The panel featured Eukela Little ’22, Amy Zheng ’20, Jubitza Figueroa ’21 and Madison Holmes ’22. Derrick Luster ’20, a student coordinator in the area of black student success in the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education, moderated the discussion.

Aligning with the theme of the event, the conversation focused on the “American Dream,” issues facing marginalized communities in their pursuit of that dream, and the importance of solidarity across races in helping all people achieve their goals.

“There’s no one direction of oppression; it goes back and forth,” said Zheng. “Everyone has a responsibility to start the conversation, to hear people out, to understand perspectives. That’s one way to step toward the idea of an ‘American Dream’ is to accept everyone for who they are and accept everything that has happened to different groups of people.”

The discussion also focused on Elon’s role in providing students with resources to achieve their individual dreams and ways to continue improving the campus environment for all students.

“The professors and staff on campus are incredibly helpful when it comes to talking to students and just being there for us,” Figueroa said. “And events like this panel where students get to talk about their life experiences and their opinions on difficult topics I think gives us a voice and allows us to talk about what’s impacting us.”

Luster and other members of the CREDE worked to present the entirely student-organized event. He says it is crucial that students play a meaningful role in this and other campus discussions.

“I think often within a university, it’s easy for the student voice to get lost,” he said. “I think it’s important that students have a platform to voice their concerns, their experiences, and I think it informs decisions made by professors and administrators in a much greater way.”

The community gathering and panel discussion served as the first event in Elon’s month-long Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. The CREDE has organized a wide variety of events including discussions, service projects, and more to engage Elon students, faculty, staff and neighbors throughout the month of January.

“I think the MLK Celebration is a great way to start the calendar year,” said Brandon Bell, assistant director of the CREDE. “It’s a great way to start the Winter Term and spring semester, really thinking about our renewed personal commitment to issues of equity, diversity and inclusion.”

The theme of the 2020 MLK Celebration is “The American Dream,” inspired by King’s  of the same name presented at Drew University on Feb. 5, 1964. In the speech, King cites racism, segregation, discrimination and violence as major deterrents to actualizing the American Dream for all.

The celebration will focus on anti-racism as essential in practice for democracy and the advancement of American society. The goal of each event is to advance the theoretical understanding of racism and explore its impact with the hope that this knowledge builds the capacity of participants to dismantle racism in all facets of modern society.

For a full list of 2020 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration events, click here.

A graduate of Yale Law School, Anita Hill worked for the U.S. Education Department and Equal Opportunity Commission and in 1989 became the first African American to be tenured at the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

Her testimony during the U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Clarence Thomas is 1991 sparked a national conversation about sexual harassment. She continues to work toward increasing parity and protection for women and minorities.

Hill is now a professor at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, and heads the Hollywood Commission on Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace that is examining the pattern of sexual abuse in the entertainment industry. 

Admission: $15 or Elon ID. Tickets available Nov. 26 at the Center for the Arts Box Office. For information, call (336) 278-5610.

The first of three major projects begins to the answer the question with research into both the music and social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. The result of the student’s research is featured on the timeline exhibit.  The public is invited to view the timeline and student comments from Monday, Jan. 30 to Monday, Feb. 7 in the hallway in front of the office in the Center for the Arts building.    

The timeline consists of two lines of time — music events and social movement events. The exhibit is color-coded to provide information for events and music that are crossed referenced from top to bottom.  Around the edges of the timeline are prominent albums, quotations and artwork from most major genres of the era. Each group has a color that represents both music genres and social movements.  The groups/colors are listed on both sides of the timeline.

Music genres are located on the bottom timeline. The timeline consists of a cross between important musical genres, artists, release dates, deaths and other significant dates. They include The British Invasion, Doo Wop, R & B, Folk, Folk Rock, Pop Rock, Soul, Funk, Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Chicago Blues, Jazz & Jazz Fusion, Progressive Rock, Southern Rock, Glam Rock, Disco, New Wave, Experimental Music and more. 

Social movements are represented on the top timeline. Movements include Civil Rights, Vietnam/Peace Movement, Counterculture (Hippies, Student Movements and the New Left), Politics, The Native American Movement, The Women’s Movement, The Gay Rights Movement, Literature, Art and Fashion.

The course also covered major influential festivals including the Monterey International Pop Festival, the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival, Altamont Speedway Free Festival and The Isle of Wright Festival 1970. All major artists of each genre are discussed including The Beatles, James Brown, The Who, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, The Temptations, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Supremes, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, The Allman Brothers, The Eagles and many more. Each genre and its artists are discussed in relationship to what was happening during the time of its popularity.

Student comments

In this class I learned so much more than just songs and the people who played them. It was amazing how people my age went about taking a stand and giving themselves a voice. It changed the way I listen to music from this era. It is more than just words I can put into meaning; I can understand what a 20-year-old felt when that song came out.

– Gabrielle Bijou

Learning about something I’m actually interested in was a refreshing change of pace. The things I learned in this class will be relevant for the rest of my life.  

-Brandon Kelly

Tournées Film Festival is made possible with the support of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the U.S., the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée (CNC), the French American Cultural Fund, Florence Gould Foundation and Highbrow Entertainment. Additional sponsors include Elon College of Arts and Sciences; Center for the Study of Religion, Culture and Society; Peace and Conflict Studies; The Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life; Muslim Life at Elon; Jewish Studies; and the Departments of English, History and Geography, Philosophy, and World Languages and Cultures.