Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Newsletter

Tuesday, June 4, 2024

Dear Golden Eagles,

As the month of May ends and we enter full summer mode, this will be the last OEDI newsletter for the academic year. The June newsletter will highlight a professional development opportunity as well as upcoming celebratory events.

Restorative Practices

The first year of the three-year Restorative Practices Initiative is now complete. In May of 2023, 18 members of the faculty and staff completed community building training and began their journey to become restorative champions. Over the course of the academic year, the Champions conducted 33 community building circles, presented at the 22^nd Annual Diversity Conference and at NEST training for new employees. The champions also met monthly to hone their skills and help develop an implementation plan for the university. The second year of this initiative began on May 20, 2024. Champions engaged in Responses of Harm Circles, a two-day training that focused on facilitating response when an act of harm occurs. As with the first year, the Champions will continue to meet, working with the CDO to implement this phase of the project.

An outcome of the work done so far has been increased interest by faculty and staff to get involved with this initiative. Therefore, the OEDI in partnership with the Center for Dispute Settlement, is offering faculty and staff an opportunity to participate in another Community Building Circle training. The 3-day training will take place June 18, 20-21, 2024, from 8:30 am – 4:00 pm each day. Please note that this is the first part of a 3-year process. If you are interested in participating in the training, please complete the MachForm by June 10, 2024. Additional information about the initiative can be found on the OEDI website. You can also direct your questions to oedi@brockport.edu.

Pride

June 1^st kicks off Pride month across the United States. Pride honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising; a turning point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the country. The first Pride march took place in Manhattan in June of 1970 on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Over the past 50+ years, Pride has grown to include parties, workshops, concerts, and memorials for members of the LGBTQIA+ community who were lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. You can learn more about the history and significance of Pride, by going to the Library of Congress website.

SUNY Brockport is participating in the 2024 Rochester (ROC) Pride Parade, again this year. Organized by Trillium Health, ROC Pride is Saturday, July 20, 2024. SUNY Brockport is hoping for at least fifty members of our community to march in the parade. Faculty, staff, students, alumni, and family are welcome to participate.

You can register to walk with SUNY Brockport at the link provided. Don’t forget to share your t-shirt size. For more information, refer to the announcement in the Daily Eagle and/or contact Kristina Collier.

Juneteenth!

SUNY Brockport will be closed, Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. An official state holiday, Juneteenth also known as Black Independence Day, Liberation Day, Freedom Day, and Emancipation Day, and is the oldest celebration that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.

June 19th is a special day to honor and remember all Black people who have fought for freedom and justice and to celebrate Black strength and resilience through art, history, and culture. Juneteenth celebrations typically include enjoying family barbeques, giving prayers, honoring Black ancestors, celebrating the successes of the Black community, holding community parades, rodeos, and pageants, and playing trivia games focusing on Black history with family and friends. This is also an opportunity to spend time with your family, friends and members of your community and celebrate this significant moment in United States history.

To honor this day, Student Union and Leadership Activities (SULA) invite members of SUNY Brockport to join them at the 2024 Juneteenth Parade and Festival on June 15, 2024. Enjoy a day filled with the arts, cuisines, and activities which span across the unique and rich diaspora of African Americans. Faculty, staff, students, alums, and family are all welcome to attend and celebrate together.

Faculty and staff should email Kristina Collier if you plan to attend and identify your t-shirt size for the parade. Transportation will be provided to the first 20 students who register for tickets. The pickup point for students will be outside the Seymour Union by the shuttle stop at 9:30 am. We will return to campus at 3 pm.

I wish you all a relaxing and rejuvenating summer!