American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Student Success Tia Brown McNair gave the keynote speech on racial equity in higher education for Emory’s “National Day of Racial Healing: The Journey to Healing for One Emory” on Jan. 16. The event, which was part of Emory University’s King Week, discussed Emory’s partnership with AAC&U as well as the initiatives they are taking to dismantle structural and institutional racism through a shared humanistic perspective. The hybrid event took place at the Goizueta Business School and was open to all members of the public.
Emory's King Week, consisted of a series of programs discussing race, equality and community engagement in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. The programs include a Day of Service at Oxford College, webinars, discussions and worship services.
Following The King Center, this year’s King Week theme is “It Starts with Me: Shifting the Cultural Climate through the Study and Practice of Kingian Nonviolence,” referring to King’s pioneering work with nonviolent conflict resolution. The King Center considers this tactic, dubbed “Kingian nonviolence,” to be “the sustainable solution to injustice and violence in our world.”
The speech marked the eighth annual National Day of Racial Healing, a day that AAC&U urges higher education institutions to dedicate to healing and engagement about racism and inequality.
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation established the National Day of Racial Healing to combat challenges in this process by giving communities and higher education a chance to heal through kindness, open-mindedness and reflection on personal values.
“The only path forward is in this process of healing and what that means for you on your journey, what that means for us to come together in love and being in empathy for one another and caring,” McNair said. “That is one of the reasons why the National Day of Racial Healing was designed because the realities of higher education and the realities of our community are trapped.”
After an introduction by Carol Henderson, Emory’s vice provost for diversity and inclusion, chief diversity officer and adviser to the University president, McNair took the stage. She explained that the AAC&U promotes “equity, innovation and excellence of a liberal education” from a non-political standpoint, with a focus on dismantling the “false belief in a hierarchy of human value.”
McNair highlighted contemporary issues within higher education. She discussed affirmative action, a policy that was dedicated to helping women and students of color receive fair consideration in college admissions before the U.S. Supreme Court struck it down in June 2023, and hate speech, which the public has ambiguously defined due to arguments about free speech. McNair also emphasized understanding the local history of one’s surroundings, pointing out that society can understand contemporary problems and thoroughly contemplate solutions by considering immigration, juvenile justice, housing, health, education and wealth distribution policies.
McNair also discussed AAC&U’s initiative to combat racism by establishing Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers across the nation. Hosting a TRHT center symbolizes an institution’s commitment to lifting racial barriers and generating positive narratives about race, according to McNair, who serves as the project’s executive director.
AAC&U is currently partnered with 71 institutions, including Emory, that host the centers. The centers hold group healing activities and promote inclusive policies that consider diverse experiences among the community in their execution.
TRHT center activities include racial healing circles, which are discussion groups that connect people from diverse backgrounds through authentic storytelling and mindful listening. Racial healing circles are structured to be safe spaces where participants can reflect and move through the healing process.
Previous engagement in a racial healing circle event prompted Office of Global Strategy and Initiatives Communications Manager Brooke Huger Pass to come to McNair’s lecture.
“I actually attended a truth healing circle, so when I saw this event I was like, ‘Of course I want to come’ because it’s incorporating the truth healing circle but then also listening to someone from the AAC&U speak,” Huger Pass said.
Caitlin Nisos (06C) said she appreciated the chance to learn about AAC&U’s initiatives.
“I felt very inspired to see that there is this national initiative amongst schools to really bring that work on to campuses and be creating human practices in this environment that’s ripe for learning that can definitely butterfly, going out to other parts of our lives,” Nisos said.
A brief Q&A session followed the speech. McNair addressed how teamwork is necessary to translate aspirations to improve inclusivity in racial healing circles into practice.
“We are all tied into this together and there’s an interdependence that we can’t ignore,” McNair said. “Our goals and objectives are shared. It’s our common purpose, and how we go about it is individualized based on you, your institutional context and your community.”
Afterward, attendees were invited to participate in a workshop to discuss core actions and opportunities to build a positive narrative about race and identity.
“I want to think about your contribution, your own journey and how it contributes to the larger journey at Emory and many different institutions and the national efforts for TRHT, whether that’s in higher education, whether that’s in communities, whether that's in policies at the national and state levels,” McNair said. “We can’t do this as individuals. It takes us coming together in partnership.”
