Four faculty/staff members participate in Authentic Dialogue Toward Real Change

Four Elon faculty and staff members participated in the third in a series of dialogues on racism and injustice titled “Authentic Dialogue Toward Real Change.” They were joined in the discussion by Randy Williams, associate vice president for inclusive excellence and civic engagement, and Gabie Smith, dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences.

Panelists in the dialogue will include:

• Damion Blake, assistant professor of political science and policy studies
• Amy Johnson, executive director of Elon’s Core Curriculum and associate professor of history
• Buffie Longmire-Avital, associate professor of psychology
• Brandy Propst, director of the Elon 101 program and assistant director of academic advising

USE THIS FORM TO ADD YOUR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS

You can contribute to these dialogues and help make future programs in the series successful by submitting your questions and comments.

Previous Authentic Dialogues

Five Elon University alumni participated in the second in a series of dialogues on racism and injustice with President Connie Ledoux Book and Associate Vice President for Inclusive Excellence and Civic Engagement Randy Williams.

Alumni featured in this “Authentic Dialogue Toward Real Change” were:

Teddy ’89 and Deborah ’87 Blackwell. Teddy is a trainer who has spent his entire career working in the Cleveland Indians farm system. Deborah recently retired after a 30-year career as a K-12 teacher. Both have been active in the Elon Black Alumni Network for many years.

Akilah Weaver ’00, who is a senior benefits consultant with Bank of America. While at Elon she was a Jefferson Pilot Business Fellow and active in many student organizations, including service as the first black female president of the Student Government Association.

Dorian Wanzer ’09, who is an Advocacy Manager for International Paper’s Global Government Relations Office in Washington. She is also a Program Volunteer for the National Museum of African American History & Culture and a member of the DC Society of Health Policy Professionals.

Trés McMichael ’19, who serves as co-director and teaching artist for two theater ensembles at the Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in Washington, D.C.

The first dialogue in the series was posted on June 11 and featured four Elon students. The video is shared below:

The student participants included:

• Jewel Tillman, a rising senior from Greensboro, North Carolina. Tillman is a political science major and an African American Studies minor. She is the president of her sorority, vice president of the Elon African Society and a member of the Elon Committee on History and Memory.
• Charles Hannah, a rising junior from Brockton, Massachusetts. Hannah is a project management major, an orientation leader and a member of the men’s basketball team.
• Eukela Little, a rising junior from Charlotte, North Carolina. Little is a psychology major with minors in African-African American Studies and Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies. She is also a Lumen Scholar, an Odyssey Scholar, a student success coordinator for the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education and a member of the President’s Student Leadership Advisory Council.
• Khaaliq Van-Otoo, a rising junior from Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. Van-Otoo is majoring in journalism with a sport management minor. He is a student coordinator in the CREDE and leads the center’s social justice branch.