Summer Race, Reflection & Discussion Series

Since the June 2015 fatal shooting of nine Black individuals by a white man at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC, the the Center for Race, Ethnicity, & Diversity Education (CREDE) created space for faculty and staff to process and discuss race and racism in response to this tragedy and other acts of racial violence– The Summer Race, Reflection & Discussion Series. The series emerged from a need for colleagues to come together and address the complex issues of race and the pervasive impact of racism within our campus community.

Over the years, the series has grown into a critical professional development opportunity, where participants engage in meaningful and transformative conversations. Held annually in June, the extended lunch-and-learn format features facilitated discussions with prompts designed to foster shared learning, reflection, and a deeper exploration of these complex concepts.

The Summer Race, Reflection & Discussion Series has expanded as a co-sponsorship by the Office of Inclusive Excellence Education & Development (OIEED), the Center for Race, Ethnicity, & Diversity Education (CREDE), the Office of Leadership and Professional Development and various other campus partners each year.

Summer 2025

The series format this summer is a book discussion of Heather McGhee’s The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together.

All faculty and staff colleagues are invited to register for the upcoming discussion dates as you schedule allows:

Location: McBride Gathering Space and Zoom (In-person lunch is available beginning at 11:45am; program begins at 12pm)

A Moodle site was created as a companion resource for the 2025 discussions. On Moodle, search for “summer race” then select “Summer Race Reflection Series 2025” to self-enroll and access updated information about the series.

Past Discussions

For more information contact the Carla Fullwood (cfullwood@elon.edu) or the Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity Education (crede@elon.edu).