What is CEB, and who is Rooted in Love?

[Email sent on behalf of President Angélica Garcia 3/15/24]

“SRJC is a recipient of the Equal Employment Opportunity Innovative Best Practices Grant offered by the State Chancellor’s Office to fund a new initiative called Cultivating an Ecosystem of Belonging (CEB) Program to address faculty of color retention challenges. SRJC is partnering with Rooted in Love, a leading Race, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (REIJ) consulting firm for this initiative. For more information on Rooted in Love, please watch this introductory video. Through this grant, SRJC will engage with new faculty of color and key stakeholders at SRJC to create a strong sense of belonging, support network, and a climate that fosters their engagement. Further invitations to engage in this work will follow. “

*Rooted in Love was initially brought on board through the CEB initiative to collaborate with SRJC. However, they have since taken on additional roles in other IDEAA initiatives across the campus, which are distinct from the CEB program. While Rooted in Love continues to support the broader institutional culture shift at SRJC, their work with the CEB initiative remains focused on its specific goals. Although these initiatives are separate, they are united in their commitment to advancing equity and inclusion at SRJC.

Learn about Rooted in Love and our approach below.

Rooted in Love's Approach to Fostering Justice-Centered Institutional Culture for SRJC

[Excerpt from RFP]

Rooted in Love, a transformative organization in Race, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (REIJ), aims to be a force multiplier by cultivating justice-centered, radical love as a catalyst for change within educational and corporate spheres. When we work with our partners, like SRJC, our goal is to amplify (and multiply) the work that is already being done in the interest of justice, by creating and curating brave spaces where personal and institutionalized blind spots are laid bare and, ultimately, redressed. Our expressed goal is to provide strategy and training that lays the groundwork for the development and adoption, both at the individual and institutional levels, of an antiracist growth mindset (ARGM) for SRJC. The ARGM will position SRJC members—as long as they are willing to approach this work with an open heart and an open mind—to radically reimagine how a department, division, and/or institution can be predicated on a love for justice. The ARGM is designed to be an individual and collective catalyst for change. ARGM adopters will be empowered, encouraged, and equipped to contribute to paradigm-shifting ways to transform the educational experiences for all students/peoples SRJC serves.

The Imperative of Justice Beyond Diversity

For many years now, there has been a push to increase diversity in California community colleges. This is especially true in faculty ranks, (as classified personnel is generally far more diverse than faculty is). This push became more exigent vis-a-vis the racial reckoning catalyzed by the murders of George Floyd, Brianna Taylor, Tony McDade, and many others in 2020 and beyond. While we would agree that the push for faculty diversity is necessary, many of the efforts borne out of these moments seemed reactionary or worse, performative. While diversity initiatives are crucial, Rooted in Love asserts that justice-centered work goes far beyond hackneyed concepts of “diversity”.

Even prior to 2020, the general feeling was to increase diversity at all costs. However, if we look to pushes to diversify STEM education for hypermarginalized students, for example, pushes that I chronicled in my first book, Revolutionary STEM Education: Critical Reality Pedagogy and Social Justice in STEM for Black Males (Sims, 2018), we will realize that it's not enough to simply push for anachronistic notions of diversity in educational spaces or corporate spaces for that matter. Rather, intentionally working to prepare the “soil” that will ultimately receive the increased levels of diverse peoples must be concomitant work.

Simply bringing BIPOC peoples into predominantly white spaces may fulfill a nebulous diversity quota; but, this is not justice. Justice requires leadership to determine whether or not their institutional culture, their soil, is healthy enough to support the growth of the peoples that find themselves placed within spaces that are inimical to them based on their perceived ethnoracial identity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or any other identity contingency that denotes a distance from a white supremacist, hegemonic standardized identity. Working to develop soil health--so that the institutional barriers that BIPOC peoples face will be mitigated (and eventually eradicated)--is what justice-centered work requires.

This is precisely why we believe that SRJC’s commitment to Cultivating an Ecosystem of Belonging (CEB) is the correct approach. This ecosystem should mirror a healthy garden.

Our experiences in institutionalizing equity and justice frameworks, especially in higher education, has confirmed the need to foster a robust institutional culture, akin to tending to rich, healthy soil, in order to see growth for the seeds we plant. Moreover, our strategy in this endeavor acknowledges that achieving justice necessitates evaluating and reshaping aspects of SRJC's environment in order to ensure commensurability with justice. We are after radical inclusivity for SRJC precisely because radical inclusivity both foments and safeguards radical human dignity. This kind of humanizing work can only be achieved if there is synchronicity between the individuals and the “soil” they occupy.

Just as soil quality dictates the health of plants, institutional culture shapes the experiences of BIPOC individuals within organizations. Healthy soil has four main components, which we will use to describe our approach to this project:

(1) Minimize Disruption—This entails purposeful efforts to safeguard elements of institutional culture that uphold radical inclusivity, profound dignity, and deeply humanizing practices. It involves identifying key individuals who can intervene and adeptly manage any potential disruptions to these efforts.

(2) Maximize Soil Cover—This underscores the need to protect the work centered on justice and equity advancement. Specifically, it necessitates that allies and co-conspirators are not marginalized or silenced, as their contributions can provide a protective layer for these endeavors.

(3) Maximize the Presence of Living Roots—Within a thriving garden (i.e., institutional culture), mentorship plays a vital role. Individuals who exhibit unwavering dedication and capability in promoting equity and justice—regardless of their hierarchical status—should be trained to serve as educators, guides, and mentors. These individuals act as "living roots," transmitting justice-focused, equity-promoting practices and offering continuous support to those in need.

(4) Maximize Biodiversity—This disrupts patterns of stagnation and disease and, instead, encourages growth. This is why SRJC is actively cultivating an ecosystem of belonging, recognizing that a diverse and inclusive environment fosters resilience and propels collective progress.

Events

Upcoming CEB Community Events

PART 1. IDEAA 101: Understanding and Implementing Inclusive, Diverse, Equitable, and Accessible Approaches (Monday, September 23rd 3:00-5:00pm)

In "IDEAA 101," we delve into the foundational principles of Inclusive, Diverse, Equitable, and Accessible Approaches (IDEAA) and their transformative impact on the classroom. This workshop will empower educators to deconstruct and reconstruct their pedagogical practices, fostering environments where every student can thrive. Through critical reflection and practical strategies, we will explore how to embed IDEAA principles into the fabric of our teaching, ensuring that our classrooms are not just inclusive in theory but radically humanizing in practice.

PART 2. Culturally-Sustaining Communication (Wednesday, October 16th 12:00-2:00)

"Culturally-Sustaining Communication" challenges participants to interrogate the superficial understanding of cultural sensitivity and move towards a genuinely inclusive mode of interaction. This workshop will provide tools to navigate and honor the diverse cultural landscapes of our students, promoting communication that is respectful, empathetic, and profoundly inclusive. We will engage in exercises and discussions that highlight the importance of context, identity, and lived experiences, ensuring our communication practices are as diverse and dynamic as the communities we serve.

PART 3. Equity-Minded Syllabus (Friday, November 8th 12:00-2:00)

In "Equity-Minded Syllabus," we will reimagine the syllabus as a powerful tool for equity and inclusion. Participants will learn to craft syllabi that not only outline course logistics but also reflect a commitment to justice-centered education. This workshop will guide educators in creating syllabi that are transparent, accessible, and attuned to the diverse needs of their students. By centering equity in our syllabi, we signal to our students that their success and humanity are paramount, fostering a learning environment where everyone has the opportunity to excel.

PART 4. Radically Humanizing Pedagogy (Tuesday, December 3rd 3:00-5:00 pm)

"Radically Humanizing Pedagogy" invites educators to embrace teaching practices that affirm the dignity and humanity of all students. This workshop will explore pedagogical approaches that prioritize relationship-building, critical consciousness, and transformative learning. We will examine how to create classrooms that are not merely sites of knowledge transmission but spaces of liberation and empowerment. Through reflective activities and collaborative discussions, participants will leave equipped to implement pedagogies that honor the full humanity of their students, paving the way for more inclusive and equitable educational experiences.

Past Events

Call to Action Reception Presentation, 30 April 2024

To work in a spirit of solidarity, Rooted in Love sought input from SRJC community members who had been actively working to create a radically inclusive and humanizing atmosphere at the college. The event emphasized the need for their powerful voices to ensure that the work remained intentional, equity-centered, and justice-advancing. Through the CEB grant, SRJC engaged with new faculty of color and community partners to foster a strong sense of belonging, build a support network, and create a climate that encouraged their engagement.

(Our Values Tree Activity: SRJC Community Partners, CEB Call to Action Reception, April 30th, 2024.)