HEARD: The Hub for Equity, Anti-Oppression, Research, and Development was launched in 2018. HEARD’s aim is to draw together members of the Penn GSE community committed to equity and anti-oppression scholarship — and to provide opportunities for continuing learning and research.

Issues of race and diversity have long been important to Penn GSE, and research around these topics cuts across the school with multiple faculty members, staff, and students tackling issues of racial literacy, systemic racism, gender equity, and linguistic diversity from different disciplinary perspectives.

HEARD includes the study of anti-oppression more broadly and welcomes Penn GSE students, faculty, and staff interested in various anti-oppression topics. HEARD initiatives include the Staff Reading Group, Movie Nights, Get HEARD Lecture Series, and Visiting Faculty Scholars of Color.

Drs. Charlotte Jacobs and Gerald Campano serve as co-directors. HEARD is located in Solomon B51, where community members are invited to use the resource library or computer and to gather for informal conversations.

Join us for Visiting Faculty Scholars of Color Series 2022-23!

Heard logo Dr. Charlotte Jacobs and Dr. Gerald Campano

Dr. Charlotte Jacobs and Dr. Gerald Campano, Co-Directors

HEARD Staff

Photograph of Ericka G. Staufert-Reyes. Photographer Rafaela Vargas

Ericka G. Staufert-Reyes

Reading, Writing, and Literacy Ed.D. Candidate

Photograph of Yanil De La Rosa-Walcott taken by herself

Yanil De La Rosa-Walcott

Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education, Ed.D. Candidate


Checkboard of One Book poster and Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen book cover

One Book One GSE

One Book, One GSE is an annual tradition that fosters a sense of unity and intellectual exploration throughout our community. It brings together students, staff, and faculty to engage in meaningful discussions and activities inspired by a common book. This year, we have selected Jose Antonio Vargas's book Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen as our school-wide reading experience. Dear America is a poignant and eye-opening memoir that offers a deeply personal perspective on the experiences of undocumented immigrants in the United States. In this powerful narrative, Vargas shares his own story as an undocumented immigrant, shedding light on the complexities, challenges, and triumphs of the undocumented community. His book is a call to action, a plea for understanding, and an invitation to engage in dialogue about immigration, identity, and belonging in America.

Information and Resources

Anti-Racism

Videos

Watch “How to resolve racially stressful situations"
In this video, Professor Howard Stevenson explains how racial stress impacts health and what we can do about it. 

View “George Floyd and the Domino of Racial Injustice"
In this video, Trevor Noah, of the Daily Show, shares his thoughts.

View “The difference between being “not racist” and antiracist.”
In this TED Talk, Ibram X. Kendi defines the transformative concept of antiracism to help us more clearly recognize, take responsibility for, and reject prejudices in our public policies, workplaces, and personal beliefs.

Watch “Dr. Ibram X. Kendi: Creating A More Equitable Society Is In White Americans’ Self Interest.”
Ibram X. Kendi joins Stephen Colbert on The Late Show to discuss what it takes to call one’s self antiracist.

Howard Stevenson speaking in video
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Confronting hate speech in schools: Tools for teachers from Dr. Howard Stevenson

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Reading List

  • Hannah-Jones, N. (2020, June 30). What is owed. The New York times magazine.
  • Kendi, I. X. (2019, May 29). Ibram X. Kendi’s antiracist reading list. The New York times.
  • Penn GSE News. (2016, July 16). Talking to children after racial incidents. Penn GSE.
  • Taylor, K. (2020, May 29). Of course there are protests. The state Is failing Black people. The New York times.
  • Zhou, L. (2021, March 5). The long history of anti-Asian hate in America, explained.  Vox.
  • Baldwin, J. (1963). The fire next time. Dial Press.
  • Brown, A. C. (2018). I'm still here: Black dignity in a world made for whiteness. Convergent Books.
  • Canada, G. (2010). Fist stick knife gun: A personal history of violence. Beacon Press.
  • Carter, P. L., & Welner, K. G. (Eds.). (2013). Closing the opportunity gap: What America must do to give every child an even chance. Oxford University Press.
  • DiAngelo, R. (2018). White fragility: Why it's so hard for white people to talk about racism. Beacon Press.
  • Eberhardt, J. L. (2020). Biased: Uncovering the hidden prejudice that shapes what we see, think, and do. Penguin Books.
  • Freire, P. (2018). Pedagogy of the oppressed: 50th anniversary edition. (4th). Bloomsbury Academics. (Original work published 1968)
  • Hammond, Z. L. (2014). Culturally responsive teaching and the brain: Promoting authentic engagement and rigor among culturally and linguistically diverse students. Corwin.
  • Hong, C. P. (2020). Minor feelings: An Asian American reckoning. One World.
  • hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. Routledge.
  • Jacob, M. (2020). Good talk: A memoir in conversations. One World.
  • Kendi, I. X. (2019). How to be an anti-racist. One World.
  • Oluo, I. (2019). So you want to talk about race. Seal Press.
  • Saad, L. (2020). Me and white supremacy. Sourcebooks.
  • Stevenson, B. (2014). Just mercy: A story of justice and redemption. Spiegel & Grau.
  • West, C. (1997). Restoring hope: Conversations on the future of Black America. Beacon Press.

Podcasts

Places to Donate to Support West Philadelphia Businesses and Communities

 

COVID-19 in Marginalized Communities

5 people standing outdoors with surgical masks and gloves, all facing forward

Disparities in Race/Ethnicity

Anti-Asian Racism & Harassment

Economy/Business

Housing and Education

Racial Equity Tools
Special Topic: COVID-19

 

Diversity & Inclusion in Higher Education

Journal Articles

Articles

Books

  • Slaughter, S., Slaughter, S. A., & Rhoades, G. (2004). Academic capitalism and the new economy: Markets, state, and higher education. JHU Press.
  • Dache, A., Quaye, S. J., Linder, C., & McGuire, K. M. (Eds.). (2019). Rise up! Activism as education. MSU Press.
  • Golden, D. (2007). The price of admission: How America's ruling class buys its way into elite colleges-and who gets left outside the gates. Broadway Books.
  • Carnevale, A. P., Schmidt, P., & Strohl, J. (2020). The merit myth: How our colleges favor the rich and divide America. New Press.
  • Tatum, B. D. (2017). Why are all the Black kids sitting together in the cafeteria?: And other conversations about race. Basic Books.
  • Brown, M. Christopher, & Land, R. R. (2005). The politics of curricular change: Race, hegemony, and power in education. Peter Lang.
  • Steele, C. (2010). Whistling Vivaldi: and other clues to how stereotypes affect us. W.W. Norton & Company.
  • Publications from edchange.org
Four Penn GSE students.

Learn more about Penn GSE’s Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion.

 

Diversity & Inclusion in K-12 Schools

Students holding hands near a tree.

Social Justice Education

Sexual Orientation

Race/Language/Class

Religion

Videos

Criminalization and the School to Prison Pipeline

Books

Events

 

Upcoming Events and Announcements 

Past Events

Virtual Panel Discussion: “Banned Books, Banning Readers: Balancing Intellectual Freedom in the Winds”

December 5, 2022

Our event featured librarian scholars who discussed the effects of book banning on educational forces during these mercurial times. Drs. Vanessa Irvin, Emily Knox, and Kafi Kumasi shared their knowledge and research about how book banning in schools and libraries impacts readers’ intellectual freedoms.

Book Discussion and Lunch: “Decolonizing Universalism: A Transnational Feminist Ethic” by Serene J. Khader

November 7, 2022

Dr. Sigal Ben-Porath invited the UPenn community to an inclusive and informal conversation on challenging theoretical scholarship on social justice.

Panel Discussion: “The Art of Writing Grant Proposals”

October 21, 2022

Dr. Kathleen Hall, and Ph.D. Candidates Ankhi Thakurta and Angus McLeod organized a discussion on the principles and examples of successful grant proposals.

Virtual Interactive Symposium: “Teaching about 9/11, War, and Empire”

September 15, 2022

In a collaboration with the Middle East Center, Dr. Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher and colleagues in the Costs of War Project, led a conversation focused on the importance of teaching the impact of 9/11, and the aftermath of subsequent wars over the last 20 years on education.

Get HEARD Lecture Series: “Toward Understanding Versatile-Thinking and Meaning-Making”

April 20, 2021

Dr. Doug Frye and doctoral advisee, Laronnda Thompson presented their study that seeks to understand the role of the development of interpretive theory of mind in literacy and school achievement.


Dr. Jalil Mustaffa BishopStaff Reading Initiative: “Legislation, Policy, and the Black Student Debt Crisis”

April 16, 2021

Dr. Jalil Mustaffa Bishop, Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellow, facilitated a discussion about the racialized student debt crisis and its potential solutions.


Dr. Howard StevensonTrue Justice Movie Night

April 6, 2021

Dr. Howard Stevenson, Constance Clayton Professor of Urban Education, facilitated a discussion after the screening of the documentary, True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality. In the documentary, Stevenson uncovers and confronts systemic racism in America and the U.S. criminal justice system. 


Dr. Ariane ThomasStaff Reading Initiative: “A New Paradigm for Valuing Black Communities”

July 10, 2020

Dr. Ariane Thomas facilitated a discussion about the podcast from the Brookings Institute entitled, “A New Paradigm for Valuing Black Communities.” This podcast features Dr. Andre Perry’s book about Black cities whose assets and strengths are undervalued, and offers a new paradigm for determining the value of Black communities.

 


Green Book Movie Night

February 28, 2020

Dr. Marsha Richardson, Senior Lecturer, facilitated a discussion after the screening of the movie, Green Book. The movie follows an African-American classical pianist and his working class Italian-American driver as they tour the pre-civil rights era American South.

 


Grant Crafting Series: “Crafting Successful Dissertation Funding Proposals”

February 10, 2020

Adam Kirk Edgerton, Ph.D. Candidate in Education Policy and recipient of the 2019 NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellow, discussed his thought process and steps for receiving this prestigious award. 

 


Staff Reading Initiative: Screening of “Unnatural Causes”

January 24, 2020

Dr. Jessie Harper led the discussion about the second episode of the video series, “Unnatural Causes.” The second episode, “When the Bough Breaks,” illustrates how a lifetime of exposures to racism can literally get inside the body and affect the health of newborns.

 

Christopher Ashford

Staff Reading Initiative: “A Report From Occupied Territory”

November 8, 2019

Dr. Christopher Ashford, Executive Director of Penn Futures, facilitated a discussion on James Baldwin's essay, "A Report From Occupied Territory." Baldwin, an American novelist, playwright, and activist, explored intricacies of racial, sexual, and class distinctions in Western societies.

 

Participants come together for a photo after the screening and discussion of The Hate U Give.

The Hate U Give Movie Night

September 27, 2019

The screening and facilitated discussion of the movie, The Hate U Give was co-sponsored by Student Services and HEARD, the Hub for Equity, Anti-Oppression, Research, and Development. Dr. Ann Tiao and Imani Harvin facilitated the discussion.

 

Introduction to LaTeX Workshop

April 12, 2019

Learn to use LaTeX with Dr. Manuel González Canché, Associate Professor of Education at the Introduction to LaTeX Workshop. This powerful tool saves researchers effort and time when preparing manuscripts.

 

Grant Crafting Series with Nelson Flores, Associate Professor of Education

April 4, 2019

Dr. Nelson Flores, Associate Professor of Education, was the recipient of a Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2017. He will discuss what the grant aimed to accomplish and his steps for successfully receiving this award.

 

Staff Reading Initiative: Linguiscism

March 29, 2019

Dr. Diane Larsen-Freeman, Visiting Senior Fellow in Education Linguistics, will facilitate a discussion on “Linguiscism.” We will discuss various readings that interrogate structures of power and the re/production of forms of oppression related to language.

 

Grant Crafting Series with J. Cameron Anglum, Ph.D. Student in Education Policy

March 19, 2019

J. Cameron Anglum, recipient of the National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, discussed his thorough process and steps for successfully receiving this prestigious award with students, faculty, and staff.

 

Baltimore Rising Screening

January 29, 2019

Dr. Atiya Strothers, Postdoctoral Fellow for Diversity, facilitated a discussion with members of the Penn GSE community about Baltimore Rising. Baltimore Rising follows the Baltimore demonstrations and protests in the wake of the death of Freddie Gray, an African American man who died in police custody.

 

Staff Reading Initiative: Mental Health

January 25, 2019

This session was facilitated by Jinxi Yu, Wellness Coordinator for Penn GSE’s Student Services. We began the session by watching a video in the Netflix Original Series entitled “13 Reasons Why.” This video chronicles events in the life of a student as she confronts mental health challenges. The screening was followed by a discussion on the topic.

 

Staff Reading Initiative: Why Women Still Can’t Have It All

November 30, 2018

Dr. Ann Tiao facilitated a discussion on the article “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All,” by Anne-Marie Slaughter. In her article, Slaughter discusses the balancing act that women face while working and raising children. She also outlines what needs to change both in workplaces and in society to create equal opportunities for all working women.

 

Grant Crafting Series: Gaining Insight from the Real-World Student and Faculty Perspectives

November 27, 2018

Our inaugural grant-writing workshop was facilitated by Dr. Manuel González Canché, Associate Professor of Education, and Higher Ed Ph.D. students: Adam Edgerton, Ji Yeon Bae, and Taylor K. Odle. 

 

An Evening with Brian Burt

November 6, 2018

In an informal conversation with faculty, staff, and students, Dr. Brian Burt discussed his recent NSF Award and challenges of navigating the professoriate as a faculty member of color. Dr. Burt was a participant in Penn GSE’s Visiting Faculty Scholars of Color Lecture Series.

 

Staff Reading Initiative: The Racial Wealth Gap

October 26, 2018

Dr. Alex Posecznick facilitated the discussion about a short video in the Netflix Original Series entitled “Explained – The Racial Wealth Gap.” In this video, Cory Booker and others discuss how slavery, housing discrimination, and centuries of inequality have compounded to create a racial wealth gap.

 

Inaugural Staff Reading Initiative: Violence Against Women of Color

September 28, 2018

Dr. Jessie Harper led the discussion about Kimberle Crenshaw’s article, “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color.” In her article, Crenshaw explores both the gendered and racial dimensions of violence against women of color.

Groups & Committees

Committee on Race, Equity, and Inclusion (REI)

A standing committee on Race, Equity, and Inclusion has been appointed. The Committee has faculty, staff, and student representation. Its charge is to address ongoing issues of school climate and safety around race and diversity at Penn GSE and to develop proposals about how the School might best marshal its resources in order to make Penn GSE a more inclusive school.

Learn more by visiting our Race, Equity, and Inclusion webpage. 

Current REI Members:

  • Matt Hartley, Chair
  • Howard Stevenson, Chair
  • Raquel Arredondo
  • Vivian Gadsden
  • Ariane Thomas
  • Ann Tiao
  • Ed Brockenbrough
  • Miriam Harris
  • Leland McGee – Student
  • Taylor Odle – Student
  • Cecilia Fries – Student
  • Etienne LeGrand – Student
  • Kristine Chin
  • Patrick Sexton
  • Kat Stein
  • Nakia Jones
  • Gerald Campano
  • Jasmine Marshall-Butler

Active Working Groups

  • Racial Literacy
    • This group explores how best to provide preparation in anti-racist pedagogy and racial literacy training for all students, faculty, and staff at Penn GSE. The group aims to create content that is applicable to all our community members, and information that will be specific to different stakeholder groups.
  • Policing in Schools
    • Taking a broad definition of how police and policing ideologies harm Black and other students of color, this group will seek to read and learn from scholars and activists to maintain an ongoing dialogue about these issues. The group will also collaboratively explore how we, in our capacity as teacher educators, can better prepare our students and faculty at Penn GSE to dismantle racism in schools and create more just teaching and learning environments.
  • Investing in the West Philadelphia Community
    • Penn GSE will engage with community members in West Philadelphia to hear how Penn GSE can best support these community-driven goals through educator preparation and Penn GSE’s ongoing work in schools and communities. 
  • Student and Faculty Diversity
    • In our community conversations, the question was raised of how we assure diversity among not just our standing faculty but our full-time professional faculty as well. In response, we will be drafting new proposals and changes in practice to better ensure diversity among faculty hires, including both standing and professional faculty. The working group will also investigate how we can work to diversify our student body.

Affinity Groups

Penn GSE’s affinity groups focus on various topics related to diversity and inclusion.

  • The Black Affinity Group
  • The Asian Affinity Group
  • The Affinity Group on Whiteness
  • Latinx Affinity Group
  • LGBTQ+ Affinity Group

Get Involved

If you would like to get involved with any equity and anti-oppression working groups at Penn GSE or join an affinity group based on your experiences and interests, please email HEARD: gse-heard@gse.upenn.edu.

Contact Us

HEARD

University of Pennsylvania
Graduate School of Education

3720 Walnut Street, Solomon B51
Philadelphia, PA 19104