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Faculty activists from the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB) are building on decades of scholarship to conduct the important work of dismantling racism through the newly formed Dismantling Racism through Education, Advocacy and Mobilization (DREAM) Collective.

DREAM Collective members include the SEHHB’s Dean Robin Hughes, PhD, and education faculty Jennifer Hernandez, PhD, Jessica Krim, EdD, J.T. Snipes, PhD, and Nate Williams, PhD.

“The DREAM Collective is committed to serving the southern Illinois and greater St. Louis area through supporting community members, educational organizations and professionals in the process of naming, addressing and dismantling racism through education, advocacy and mobilization,” said Hernandez. “We seek to create effective programming and foster cultural competency in responsive educators and community members.”

“As scholar-activists, we believe that this work of dismantling racism and white supremacy is never done and requires constant inward reflection and outward engagement with societal injustices,” she added. “The DREAM Collective seeks to examine institutional structures, and both challenge and redefine lasting actions with the goal of stopping the dehumanization of Black, indigenous and other people of color (BIPOC).”

According to Hernandez, the goal of this series is to clearly identify the systems, structures, and practices that maintain institutional racism and white supremacy in PK20 educational institutions.

“Through collective bodies, we will explore actionable steps to identify, disrupt, and ultimately, dismantle systems of white supremacy,” she explained. “Meaningful change, which restores the lost opportunities of the BIPOC, requires that the people of institutions engage in self-reflection, examination of practices and policies, and actions that translate to structural and systemic change. Anything less would follow a dehumanizing trend of educators and educator leaders perpetuating the status quo.”

The Collective launched with its first event, a virtual discussion on the topic of Dismantling Institutional Racism in Higher Education, held Thursday, June 11. More than 400 nationwide attendees tuned in for a powerful discussion that offered insight and tangible advice on combating racism.

Panelists included Lori Patton Davis, PhD, of The Ohio State University, SIUE’s Dominic Dorsey, MSEd, and Timothy Lewis, PhD, Tomika Ferguson, PhD, of Virginia Commonwealth University, David Stovall, PhD, of the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Denise Taliaferro Baszile, PhD, of Miami University of Ohio.

Among the numerous points made and questions asked was, “Can you discuss the role of white co-conspirators when it comes to activism, or engaging or resisting white supremacy?”

Lewis responded by noting that the most impactful act of white allies, or co-conspirators, does not take place at the activism event itself, such as a march, rally or protest. He emphasizes that impact is made when white people allow the space for Black people to advocate for their own issues.

“Do not ask, ‘what can I as a white person do?” Lewis said. “Because, there is nothing you can do in a system that is meant to oppress people of racial minority. The question you should posit is, ‘what can I change?’ You must acknowledge that operating outside of the system to change the system is the only way by which to achieve racial equity.”

Lewis suggested real change comes when you pull your child off the little league team whose coach you know is racist, or stop using the lawn service of a person you know is racist. “You are to perform as many visible acts of disruption as possible,” he stated.

He charged that white allies will likely find themselves having two conversations, the first with them being the only or one of a few white people “listening to Black people tell you what they would like to see happen in response to institutional racism.”

The second will likely be a reverse in demographics with there being one or no Black people present. According to Lewis, acts of disruption to this audience will cause discomfort following initial rejection, laughter or even punishment. When that white ally is asked back for another conversation with the predominantly white audience, Lewis notes, “What you should do is bring that Black ally to the conversation, and you should be attentive and listening. Black people can advocate for their own issues, if they are allowed the space to do so. But, the system keeps them out of that space.”

The DREAM Collective is actively planning future events. On Friday, June 26, a webinar will be hosted featured Lawanda Ward, an assistant professor of education and research associate in the Center for the Study of Higher Education at the Penn State College of Education. Ward’s expertise includes civil rights and education, education and law, race and ethnicity, and social issues.

The Collective is also producing a 30-podcast series entitled “Say their Names: What Each of Us Can Do Right Now” focused on learning, activism and anti-racist action.