Dislaimer: The views and opinions expressed in resources provided by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Arizona State University (OLLI at ASU), "Reflections on Race" by OLLI at ASU staff, instructors, and members, and other conversations talking about racial inequity in OLLI at ASU programs, projects and/or events are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of OLLI at ASU. Agreeing to the terms and conditions of the OLLI at ASU Student Member Code of Conduct is mandatory to become an OLLI at ASU member.

Racial Equity Resources

OLLI at ASU members are encouraged to share these resources with friends, family, and peers. 

The mission of the OLLI at ASU Racial Equity Task Force is to spread awareness, understanding, and education of current movements which advocate for inclusion, equity, and respect. In accordance with ASU’s Charter, OLLI at ASU strives to be “measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed.” Through opportunities for learning, educational resources, and the development and sustenance of local partnerships with individuals and organizations, OLLI at ASU will encourage members to not only consider and be vigilant of racial inequity, but combat it where and when possible.

Reflections On Race

In our "Reflections on Race" series, we encourage OLLI at ASU members, staff, and instructors to reflect on their past experiences, give space for their present emotions and thoughts, and provide insight and hope for the future. What do you want the younger generations to know about your experiences with race? What can we learn from the things you have heard, seen, participated in, felt, done? What has the present moment reminded you about the past? 

We will be sending this project to ASU students, so they may learn from us as we learn from them.

Click here to submit your Reflection on Race.

Click here to read Member Reflections on Race.

Click here to read Staff Reflections on Race.

Articles

(more coming soon!)

  • How Higher Ed Can Fight Racism: Speak Up When It’s Hard

    "Over the past week, protests against police officers' use of force against black men and women have rocked American cities. American institutions are facing a reckoning, and higher education is not excluded. That’s because colleges have their own problems with racial inequity, says Sirry Alang, an associate professor of sociology and health, medicine, and society at Lehigh University."

    Click here to read article
  • On Views of Race and Inequality, Blacks and Whites Are Worlds Apart

    "A new Pew Research Center survey finds profound differences between black and white adults in their views on racial discrimination, barriers to black progress and the prospects for change. Blacks, far more than whites, say black people are treated unfairly across different realms of life, from dealing with the police to applying for a loan or mortgage. And, for many blacks, racial equality remains an elusive goal."

    Click here to read article
  • How 2020 is similar to 1968 — and how it is not

    "ASU Now spoke to Brooks D. Simpson, an ASU Foundation Professor of history about what’s happening on America’s streets, how it compares to the 1960s and what history teaches us about the importance of media coverage of protests."

    Click here to read article
  • A History of Race and Racism in America, in 24 Chapters

    "Many Americans might not know the more polemical side of race writing in our history. I’ve selected the most influential books on race and the black experience published in the United States for each decade of the nation’s existence — a history of race through ideas, arranged chronologically on the shelf. Together, these works tell the history of anti-black racism in the United States as painfully, as eloquently, as disturbingly as words can. In many ways, they also tell its present."

    Click here to read article