Penn State announces creation of a new Center for Racial Justice. Here’s what it will do
After publicly committing in February to establish an anti-racist center, Penn State formally announced Wednesday that it will form a new Center for Racial Justice “as part of ongoing efforts to address the challenges of racism, racial bias and community safety.”
According to the university, the center — which will be housed within the Social Science Research Institute — will be dedicated to research and scholarship around racism and racial bias. Lora Weiss, senior vice president for research, will oversee a national search for the center director and will be tasked with working with the research institute to bring together other experts.
“Integrated into our research engine, the new Center for Racial Justice will allow us to leverage our strengths as a university to promote and shepherd vital research around racial justice, as we facilitate multidisciplinary collaboration among leading experts at Penn State and other institutions,” Weiss said in a written statement.
No specific timeline was offered in the announcement, and it’s not yet known when the center might start operations.
The idea for the center was set in motion more than a year ago. Weeks after the May 2020 death of George Floyd, a Black man killed by Minneapolis police, and months after the January 2020 publication of a scathing report looking at the hiring and retention of Penn State’s African American faculty, university President Eric Barron announced a series of commitments “to fight ignorance and intolerance.”
Among those commitments was the naming of the Select Penn State Presidential Commission on Racism, Bias and Community Safety — a group that made recommendations to the administration and helped develop the initial objectives of the new center. Among them:
- Create a fellowship program that enables faculty to focus on critical research topics within the scope of center activities through seed grants that can lead to external funding or through term appointments that foster broader collaborations.
- Create an opportunity for students (undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral fellows) through scholarships and project support.
- Coordinate additional relevant research-based activities in collaboration and partnership with other institutes and centers in the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research.
- Drive service and outreach opportunities that promote public discourse and the broad transfer of knowledge.
In a news release, the university credited several of the group’s members for help with the center’s creation, including co-chairs Danielle M. Conway, dean at Penn State Dickinson Law; Clarence Lang, dean of the College of the Liberal Arts and professor of African American studies; and Beth Seymour, past chair of the faculty senate and associate teaching professor at Penn State Altoona.
Barron also praised their work.
“While this is just the beginning, the formation of Penn State’s Center for Racial Justice is the result of our university community taking action together toward continued growth,” he said. “And I am grateful for the commitment of the leaders guiding this effort.”
