Panel discussion to kick off Black History Month at Cal U
By Christine Haines
chaines@yourmvi.com
California University of Pennsylvania is hosting a series of virtual events to mark Black History Month, starting with a panel discussion Thursday morning.
The theme for this year’s events is “The Spiral of Social Justice: Re-emergence of ‘The Dream.’” Sheleta Camarda-Webb, the director of Cal U’s office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, said the theme came after reflection on the events of the past year.
“Historically, there are events that bring social justice to the forefront, Rosa Parks, the March on D.C.,” Camarda-Webb said. “Time and life and circumstances spin it away from us.”
Camarda-Webb said, the journey continues, with social justice issues spiraling back into public attention as they did last summer following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, prompting marches and rallies throughout the country.
“For me, being an optimist, while history is repeating itself, hopefully, we are moving forward,” she said.
Camarda-Webb said the deaths sparked difficult conversations in our society.
“We need to stretch ourselves to go beyond. I’d like to think these things aren’t happening in vain,” she said. “It’s not just Black History Month. We want to do this all year round. It’s a chance to listen and have people get to know each other. When we talk about the re-emergence of the dream, we want to have a campus where we can have those conversations always.”
The first event for the month addresses one of the difficult topics in a panel discussion, “Policing in Dichotomous Worlds: Black Law Enforcers/Black Lives Matter.” The panelists are members of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. Criminal justice associate professor Dr. Mathilda Spencer, who will moderate the discussion, said Black police officers often find themselves in a difficult situation.
“They’re automatically the enemy when it comes to anyone who is protesting,” he said. “They know they are cops first and foremost.”
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