EU Windows on the World 2020-02-21-Howard Stevenson
Dr. Howard Stevenson on "Why We Must Breathe: Racial Literacy as Nonviolence for Heart, Body, Mind and Soul". Howard is the Constance Clayton Professor of Urban Education, and Professor of Africana Studies, in the Human Development and Quantitative Methods Division of the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. Howard is a nationally sought expert on how racial stress and racial trauma can affect every stage of life. Dr. Stevenson writes: "In the service of others, we are often inspired to change the way dehumanizing systems perpetuate injustice. But how do we translate inspiration into action? Often, facing a racial encounter can be so threatening that individuals will run, freeze, or fight and make dangerous decisions. What if we could make a healthy decision during an unjust racial moment and instead of deer-in-the-headlights, we spoke truth to power Racial literacy allows us to read, recast, and resolve racially stressful encounters to become the "drum majors for justice" we aspire to be".