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3) Whiteness: Hegemony, Invisibility and Fragility (Room H-105)
(John M. Lawton, Community College of Baltimore County-Essex)
This interactive session will examine how whiteness, a racial category, has been deliberately socially constructed as the cultural norm, the universal standard, and an unquestionable system of power. It is designed to assist educators who endeavor to understand, connect with, and engage diverse student bodies. By examining the role of ‘White Fragility’ and ‘White Invisibility’ in our curricula, teaching practices and general consciousness, participants will have the opportunity to reevaluate common assumptions about pedagogy and what it means to be white.
4) Preparation and Navigation for Falling Down to Achieve Success (Room E124A)
(Dr. John T. Wolfe, Jr., Avant-Garde Educational Services & Solutions Inc. and former Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Academic Leadership Development for the University System of Maryland)
This session offers a perspective on two essential elements for achieving success in one’s career pursuits. First is PORTFOLIO PREPARATION---the acquisition of knowledge, skills, qualifications, and versatility. Critical to this element is developing an ever-evolving understanding of how to navigate life particularly interpersonal and organizational relationships. Second is the necessity, the inevitability of FALLING DOWN. No success (however defined) is achieve without the life lessons of stumbling and falling down. SUCCESS is achieved when one recognizes the inextricable interdependence of preparation, navigation, and falling down, but is able to get up!