At a moment when our country’s inequalities have come into sharp focus, many colleges and universities are looking to make their institutions more inclusive. But what does a meaningful commitment to diversity actually look like? In this week’s installment of Batten Expert Chats, Dana Laurens (COL ’09, MPP ’10), senior associate for policy and advocacy at Education Reform Now, and her colleague, Michael Dannenberg, Director of Strategic Initiatives for Policy, will speak and take questions on the types of policies needed to hold institutions, including the University of Virginia, accountable for following through on pledges and statements about racial equity and inclusivity.

In the wake of past injustices, truth commissions offer divided communities the chance to reach a common understanding of their history. For his Applied Policy Project (APP) at Batten, George Rudebusch (MPP ’20, Law ’20) studied eight historical truth commissions from across the nation.

When it comes to the healthcare you receive, the color of your skin can make a significant difference, social psychologist Sophie Trawalter told an online audience last week.

We all want to change the world, but where do we start? Irma Palmer (BA '10, MPP ‘15) offers some tips and tricks. 

“We’re at the intersection of past and present—and we're teetering a bit,” Batten professor Brian N. Williams told an online audience last week. “Evolution or revolution? Reform or riot? Progress or more protests? Should we defund and divest or deconstruct and reconstruct?”

Earlier this week Governor Northam of Virginia declared June 19 as a day to reflect on the meaning of Juneteenth. The University of Virginia and Batten School also honor this day.

“It was a huge wake-up call for me,” Ian Solomon told me. “It’s too easy to put the blame on individuals and not recognize what’s below the surface. We put all the blame on a person’s failings, and they do have failings. But my brother did not fail to be a human being, right? It’s easy to dehumanize people for their errors, for their mistakes, for their addictions, for their pasts.”

For the latest edition of Batten’s Expert Chat Series, Dean Ian Solomon led the Batten community in a discussion of the University’s fight against racism and inequity.

What can America’s higher education system do to reduce the use of excessive force among police? As a public policy scholar who examines the interplay between race, policing and public governance, I see multiple things that colleges and universities can do to make a difference.

Malcolm Brogdon (MPP '16) had a megaphone in his hand and family history on his mind. It was May 30 in his native Atlanta, and hundreds were listening to Brogdon address the fury that had swept America since the death of George Floyd.