Center for Truth, Racial Healing, and Social Justice

The Center for Truth, Racial Healing, and Social Justice is envisioned to exist in three dimensions:

  1. An interior physical space,
  2. An outdoor space, and
  3. A virtual space.
Avila University Center for Truth, Racial Healing and Social Justice

Although a temporary interim space may be necessary, plans are to ultimately locate The Center for Truth, Racial Healing & Social Justice in Dallavis Hall alongside the “Doorways to Social Justice project;” the Avila Food Pantry; the Center for Digital Advocacy; and the Thornhill Gallery

The Center’s unique vision is to provide a safe and private place for students to gather, relax, reflect, meditate, pray, and hold honest conversations about societal healing, unity, and acceptance.

Also, the Center is a place to challenge and understand intolerance in its many forms. This space will be reserved for respectful reflection and communication about issues pertaining to increasing awareness regarding privilege, power, prejudice, implicit or explicit bias, microaggressions, and blind spots.

  • Extinguishing racism, ableism, xenophobia, misogyny, sexism, heterosexism, gender binarism, and any other form of exclusion or discrimination.
  • Fighting stigma, stereotyping, social stratification/caste-based discrimination, targeted police violence, prison population representation, housing/healthcare discrimination, voter suppression, and other forms of societally anchored bias.
  • Heeding the call of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet to work to bring loving unity to a divided world through the belief that everything is connected, everyone is included, and everyone is sacred.

The Center is to be organically grown with students serving as stewards of the space. Faculty, staff, and the community are also invited to this space to facilitate or join conversations about current issues. The juxtaposition with The Avila Food Pantry, The Center for Digital Advocacy, The Doorways to Social Justice Project, and the Thornhill Gallery places the Center at a high traffic point while adding synergy to the benefits of clustering and community.

Please use this web page as your resource. It will provide information about celebrations, observations, events, and activities that will enhance undergraduate and graduate degrees for students, as well as the professional development of faculty members and staff persons.

Visit often. We will be updating frequently!

The Center for Truth, Racial Healing, and Social Justice, the Feed Your Friends Food Pantry, the Center for Digital Advocacy, Doorways to Social Justice Project, and the Thornhill Gallery are all located on the southeast corner of the Avila campus in the Dallavis Center.

Contact

Joseph Snorgrass, Ph.D., Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Professor
P: 816-501-2494 / E: janthony.snorgrass

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