By Dianne Anderson

Young activists, students and staff are keeping the lines of communication open at the upcoming second annual Chaffey College event, where the crux of discussions focus on possible solutions to systemic failure.

“This is far-reaching, not just for our students, but also for the community. We really focused on the bridge, faculty, staff, students and the local community, both Black and brown,” said Chaffey College Communications Studies Professor, Taisha McMickens, Ph.D.

On Wednesday, November 1,  the “Black and Brown Minds & Mattering Conference” is open to the public, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with a free event hitting on many top topics that the community knows all too well.

This year, McMickens is on the planning committee, and said the event promises more than just conversation starters.  Last year, her workshop drew strong participation, and focused on how dialogue can be used as a tool for talking about contentious issues across culture.

She said students this year will also walk away with tangible skills, and information they need to apply to their lives.

“I think Black and Brown voices have been silent for so long, particularly in this heavy political and social climate right now. We are seeing a lot of systemic issues facing these communities. It’s not really being talked about enough,” she said.

Among the workshops for the professional track, keynote speakers will examine how critical whiteness and invisible structures of white privilege can perpetuate racism and racial inequity. Other discussions look to Afro-Latinx identity and inclusion, along with an overview of learning from the experiences of Black and Brown system-impacted scholars.

For high school students, workshops will look to student leadership, mentorship, and college resources. They will also explore the obstacles experienced by Latino and African American community college students.

On the entertainment side, Black Greek step dancers are coming down from Los Angeles, featuring Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and Zeta Phi Beta sorority.

The conference breaks out a range of thought-provoking issues and solutions focused on faculty and staff working to achieve equity. Presenters include Dr. Daisy Gonzales, Deputy Chancellor of California Community Colleges, and Dr. Tina M. King, President of San Diego College of Continuing Education. Also presenting is artivist and author Nikkolas Smith, film illustrator for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

Students will also hear from formerly incarcerated students.

“We’re going to have people that will cover issues that undocumented students are facing. We’re going to talk about white supremacists, and unpack that. It’s not just dialogue,” she said.

The campus has been getting the word out to partnering local high schools about transfer workshops to Chaffey, the UC and the CSU system. Students will also learn how to apply for scholarships.

“It’s to learn about who I am as a Black and Brown person in this society,” she said. “Once people understand and they see titles of workshops, you can’t help but be excited about it. There’s definitely a buzz.”

Culturally speaking, McMickens reflects on the irony of her own surname – unique in that she is Black, and not Irish.

“My family started diving into ancestry and from what I understand our last name has gone through different iterations across enslavement. I don’t know how we landed on the McMickens out of all the options,” she said.

Besides so many overwhelming social issues facing Black and Brown students daily, there are economic challenges. For struggling students, the campus has a food pantry, along with grants available for various items or necessities they may need.

Discussions are on the agenda for mentoring for Black men. Statewide, there have been retention issues with Black males at community colleges.

“We want you to talk about these conversations and the impact on your communities,” she said. “If it’s economic, lack of economic growth, this is the space to attend workshops and talk about these things.”

Melissa Pinion, spokesperson for Chaffey College, said their students have also tapped a lot of support since the pandemic. Through federal funding from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, she said that millions of dollars in emergency grants were provided to their students, including grants covering books and supplies as well as other expenses.

“We provide robust basic needs support, including a twice-per-month food pantry distribution, giving students bags of food and other supplies to help them push through. We have also held numerous phone bank events where we have called students who have drifted away, providing them the support and encouragement they need to return to Chaffey,” she said.

As student loan payments kick in at the national level, money and academic savings are at the top of everyone’s thinking.

This year, a special session geared toward high school students and also open to college students will cover topics such as applying for scholarships, transferring to four-year universities and financial literacy.

Yet another big concern for education advocates in many areas of the nation is supercharged efforts to knock down ethnic studies in K-12 through book banning and censorship of the 1619 Project.

Pinion said they are aware of issues, and how it is being handled in other areas of the country.

“Chaffey College is fortunate to have introduced an ethnic studies program in fall 2022. Students now learn about social justice, social responsibility and social change through this program, which is taught by a team of talented full- and part-time faculty,” she said.

To register for the event, see https://www.chaffey.edu/spops/bbmm-conference.php