Photo courtesy of Nikhil Kumaran / MPR
On Monday, President Marcheta P. Evans, PhD, was a guest speaker on Angela Davis’ show. During the segment, President Evans reflected on the values instilled during her upbringing, what drew her to ɫӰ, and St. Kate’s growth in enrollment in the face of declining trends. She and Davis also discussed the importance of continued advocacy in response to the U.S. presidential election and the regression of some organizations from diversity, equity, and belonging initiatives.
“What’s been your message to students who are concerned about the outcome of the presidential election, [and] also concerned about the messages that seemed to be directed to women, specifically women of color?” asked Davis.
“I always tell my students, ‘I want to see you, hear you, and value you,’ said President Evans. “What do we do next? The work is still here, what we’re doing is extremely important, so we have to move forward — that is that message of hope. How do we still advocate for marginalized communities? …We still have to move forward.”
Photo courtesy of Nikhil Kumaran / MPR
President Evans also discussed The Reflective Woman (TRW), a required course for all first-year St. Kate's students, as a way to “navigate your space and place in this world, where it’s positive, where you’re valued, seen, and heard. In that course, we bring in these social issues [and] have conversations… In a space like ɫӰ, we have an opportunity to say you are seen here, we listen to you, and these are some things you have to navigate as a whole.”