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Tuesday’s mass murder in Atlanta returns us to terrible, familiar ground, as we try again to make sense of violence, and calm the terror that was already building within an entire cultural community.

There is one more week to give your feedback for the recommendations from the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force. The feedback form is open through close of business Friday, March 19.

Mason Lighting the Way: Creston Lynch

As associate director of the LGBTQ+ Resources in the Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment (CCEE), formerly ODIME, Kinchen advises student groups, sits on many committees and does a lot of consulting and training with schools, colleges, and departments across the university that want to learn more about working with LGBTQ+ students.

Junior Dominique Dowling has been working to enact social change since high school. She joined the GMU NAACP chapter in her second year at Mason, and now she is the group’s vice president. Through the chapter, she has been involved in numerous panels and committees, which inspired her to do more anti-racism work on campus.“Being part of the NAACP has exposed me to different initiatives and people who have been doing this work for years,” said the integrative studies major. “It made me realize that anti-racism work requires an ongoing dedication because there is always work to be done.”

Mason's annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Evening of Reflection event on Thursday included a discussion between President Gregory Washington and a student panel about the opportunities they have to make changes to improve social justice and equity. Spirit of King award winners were also announced.

MLK Evening of Reflection

Of the more than 4,000 lynchings of Black Americans that took place in the United States between 1865 and 1950, at least 43 cases occurred in Maryland. ����AV’s John Mitchell Jr. Program (JMJP), housed within the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, has been helping research several of these cases since 2019 to support the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In October, they received news that they will be taking their research to the next level, thanks to a $300,000 Department of Justice grant they helped secure for the commission.

Understanding what anti-racism, diversity and inclusion mean for ����AV was just one of the goals of Monday’s Freedom and Learning forum hosted by President Gregory Washington. Ensuring a common definition of the terms helps create meaningful dialogue, and helps the Mason community understand the work of the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force.

Members of Mason’s Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force have been analyzing the state of the university, making recommendations, and preparing for the work ahead. We recently spoke with the task force leadership to see how the initiative is going.

Prior to a high stakes election, ����AV’s campus is normally buzzing with activities, dialogue and events. That’s more of a challenge this year due to COVID-19, but Justin Gest is determined to keep the momentum alive.

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