Association of Black Faculty, Administrators, and Fellows (ABFAF)

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WELCOME to the home page of The Association of Black Faculty, Administrators and Fellows (ABFAF). ABFAF strives to support and advocate for the University's Black community. We provide a means of communication, interaction and counseling for members through seminars, discussion groups, and social gatherings. The Association of Black Faculty, Administrators and Fellows is a university-wide group, and is open to all faculty, administrators, fellows and staff.

We have 3 new Harvard sponsored email addresses: erg_abfaf@harvard.eduerg_abfaf_events@harvard.edu, and erg_abfaf_members@harvard.edu

Please be sure to add these addresses to your directories so that you don’t miss any communications. To be added to our mailing list, please send a request to us.

Visit our Calendar of Events for a list of upcoming events, including ABFAF First Fridays!

The mission of the Association of Black Faculty, Administrators and Fellows (ABFAF) is advocacy on behalf of the University's Black community.  It provides a means of communication, interaction and counseling for members through seminars, discussion groups, and social gatherings.

UPCOMING CALENDAR OF EVENTS

 

Harvard University

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Connections

Thursday, August 18 - Friday, August 19, 2022

9AM - 1:30PM

Register: HERE

2022 BIPOC Connections at Harvard

You’re invited to join Harvard University’s Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Connections, a virtual two-day welcome event for all incoming students, staff, faculty, postdocs, fellows, and researchers of color and those who want to learn more about resources to support BIPOC community members at Harvard. Sessions are rooted in antiracist and social justice frameworks and will discuss navigating Harvard and the Boston area, connecting to resources, and creating professional and social networks.

All sessions will be live online and recorded for future viewing. Stay tuned for optional in-person events to be announced. This event is hosted by the Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (OEDIB) in partnership with the DIB Leadership Council and key collaborative partner.

 

Harvard and the Legacy of Slavery

After President Bacow released the report on Harvard’s involvement with slavery and the legacy it created, some in the Black community at Harvard have expressed a need to gather in community with each other in a safe space to express their thoughts, feelings, concerns, and other emotions related to learning or, for some, acknowledging this challenging information about Harvard. In response to this expressed need, ABFAF will host a gathering on Thursday, May 12, 2022, from noon until 1:30pm on Zoom. Dr. Stephanie Pinder-Amaker will facilitate this session and help us manage our emotions in the wake of receiving this information. Please plan to attend even if you cannot stay for the entire 90 minutes. Attendance will require registration. If you have questions let us know. You may reach us at erg_ABFAF_events@harvard.edu.

Registration link: https://harvard.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIufu-gqj0iHNTSQuS_xNJg05C8rqKGaySl

 

PAST EVENTS

 

The Strong Black Woman

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Noon until 1:30pm on Zoom

Registration is required: https://harvard.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3b1a3o6z6ztdBPM

This event is co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) African, Black, American and Caribbean (ABAC) ERG and ABFAF.

 

The Strong Black Woman Lecture

FAS 2021-2022 Diversity Dialogue Series

https://hr.fas.harvard.edu/fas-diversity-dialogues

Led by experts in the field, FAS Diversity Dialogues are forums for FAS staff and faculty to build awareness around a range of issues related to diversity and inclusion. At these Dialogues, employees are able to learn from experts in the field about topics such as unconscious bias, cultural competency, and being an active bystander. The Diversity Dialogue series is open to all in the FAS and to the Harvard community at large.

 

PAST EVENTS

ABFAF First Fridays

 

Book Discussion: The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap

The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap

Our next gathering will be on February 4, 2022. At that time, Dr. Pamela Mason, Senior Lecturer on Education, Faculty Director Language and Literacy at Harvard and Faculty Co-Chair of ABFAF, will moderate a discussion with Professor Mehrsa Baradaran, University of California, Irvine School of Law, based upon her book “The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap”.

 

Friday, February 4, 2022

Noon until 1 PM

Zoom link: https://harvard.zoom.us/j/93531791753?pwd=RUFmS0d4QUVVNjZhRUZtbjRHTDdndz09

 

 

FAS Winter 2022 Diversity Dialogue

 

Black Fatigue and Strategies to Achieve Sustainable Antiracist Impact

Special guest speaker Mary-Frances Winters
Thursday, February 10, 2022
10:00am - 12:00pm EST
Register now for this Dialogue via Zoom

Black Fatigue is a term that describes a harmful syndrome which is prevalent for many in the Black community. It can impact every aspect of an individual’s life including their ability to work at their best level due to things such as disillusionment, insecurities, lack of engagement and lack of trust.

At this Diversity Dialogue, we will hear from and engage with Mary-Frances Winters. She is the author of the book “Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body and Spirit” within which she coined the term “Black Fatigue” and defined the syndrome.

 

ABFAF First Fridays

December 2021 Gathering “Association Reset for 2022”

December 2021 Gathering

Please join us on FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3rd at Noon for our last Zoom gathering of 2021. At that time, we will engage in an interactive discussion of ABFAF’s work during 2021 and the direction YOU would like YOUR Association to take in 2022.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2021

12:00 PM (EST)

Join Zoom meeting: https://harvard.zoom.us/j/94788429217?pwd=MHZpMkVqdHNNbHM3Y1prajJNMHdJUT09

Please think about and be prepared to share your ideas on how we can make ABFAF even better in 2022!

 

FAS 2021-2022 Diversity Dialogue Series

The Theme for the 2021-2022 Diversity Dialogues is

Talking Loud and Saying Something - Progressing from Moment to Movement

Diversity Dialogue Series 11.18.21

Details for this and all 2021-2022 Diversity Dialogues series will be shared soon on the FAS HR website.

FAS Diversity Dialogues

Cultural Appropriation and the Native American Community

with special guest speaker

Carolina Castoreno

Thursday, November 18, 2021

10:00 am - 12:00 pm EST

REGISTER HERE

Join FAS Human Resources for "Cultural Appropriation and the Native American Community" with guest speaker Carolina Castoreno. Cultural appropriation is a phrase that has been in the news for many years but never more than in the past few years. And there are definitely differing opinions on the veracity of claims of cultural appropriation. At this Diversity Dialogue, Carolina Castoreno, Executive Director of The American Indian Center in Indiana, will discuss what cultural appropriation is and how it impacts the Native American (and other) communities, primarily communities of color. The discussion will be followed by a question and answer period. All are invited to send your questions in advance to Andrea Kelton-Harris at alharris@fas.harvard.edu.

This program will be recorded and uploaded to the FAS Human Resources YouTube channel after the session.

ABFAF First Fridays (rescheduled)

HUECU Workshop: Improving your Money Habits

ABFAF Workshop 11.18.21

ABFAF invites you to attend this workshop on best tips and strategies for managing debt and understanding your credit history.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18

2:00-3:00 PM (EST)

Zoom Link:https://harvard.zoom.us/j/97620968686? pwd=MTFsQ1dEeEZhb3NNZDQrNWZhaUl4UT09

ABFAF First Fridays

The POWER of My PLN (Professional Learning Network):

Growing at Your Own Pace

PLN Event - Oct 2021

Dr. Josue Falaise

Friday, October 1st, 2021 – 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM via Zoom

Click on Invitation: https://harvard.zoom.us/meeting/tJYoce-orzsrEtHwHKSYlZLxJXvvETftjclI/ics 

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Connections Welcome Event

BIPOC Welcome Event - Aug 2021

August 19–20, 2021

New to Harvard? Join us for the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Connections, a two-day, online welcome event for all incoming students, staff, faculty, postdocs, fellows, researchers, and other people of color.

All sessions are rooted in an antiracist, social justice framework, with welcome remarks from Harvard President Lawrence S. Bacow and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Sherri Ann Charleston.

Registration Information

ABFAF First Fridays

Learn about opportunities to advance your career trajectory!

Friday, August 6, 2021

12 pm – 1 pm (EDT)

Via Zoom

We hope to see you there!

ABFAF First Friday - August 2021

Juneteenth Celebration 2021

Pride Month 2021

Black History Month Celebration 2.26.20

Hack for Inclusion 2020

Black History Month Flyer 2020

Mental Health and Ethnicity Event - Nov 18

2019 Summer Panel

Save the Date for Our 2019 Summer Panel
Mental Health as an Invisible Dimension of Diversity

Thursday, August 22, 2019

1:00 - 3:00 P.M.
Harvard Hillel

52 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge, MA

As a dimension of diversity, mental illness is often an 'invisible disability' that is not always apparent to others but can significantly impact one's daily work environment. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, one in five adults in the U.S. (46.6 million people) experiences mental illness in a given year. Mental health issues intersect with all dimensions of diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender and sexual identity, religion, socio-economic status, and more. How can we support those around us who live with a mental illness?

Moderated by Callie Crossley, WGBH host of Under the Radar, our panel of experts will share information about mental health, discuss challenges that may present in the workplace, and share best practices in creating an inclusive and supportive work environment.

Information about the summer panel, including registration information, will be available on the FAS HR website. Space is limited so please mark your calendars now and plan to attend when registration opens.

Registration will be available on Eventbrite August 1, 2019. This event will be live streamed on the FAS Human Resources YouTube channel.

 

L and L Series 1

LANGUAGE AND LITERACY SPEAKER SERIES

Featuring: Oneeka Williams MD, MPH

Friday, April 12, 2019

12pm-1:30pm

HGSE, Larsen Building, room 214

Lunch will be served

RSVP: https://doodle.com/poll/knwgz5s2m9nhk53w 

 

Diversity Dialogue Poster

FAS DIVERSITY DIALOGUES 2018 - 2019

FAS Diversity Conference: A Decade of Dialogue

Tim Wise, Keynote Speaker

Over the last ten years, the FAS Diversity Dialogue Series has sparked conversation about diversity, equality and inclusion in the FAS community and beyond. Join us for a retrospective look at diversity and inclusion, a discussion of current issues, and practical guidance on how we can move toward greater inclusion and belonging at Harvard.

We are pleased to announce that our keynote speaker will be Tim Wise, prominent anti-racism writer, educator, and activist. A moderated discussion with Tim will be led by Renee Graham, an associate editor and
columnist at the Boston Globe.


Thursday, April 25, 2019, 8:00am to 1:00pm
Location: Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center, 1350 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138

Registration is required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fas-diversity-conference-a-decade-of-dialogue-tickets-59724027173

LIVE STREAM WILL BE HERE

The morning will include:

Introduction by:

John Wilson
Senior Advisor and Strategist to the President

Opening Remarks by:

Professor Philip J. Deloria
Professor of History and Chair of the Committee on Degrees in History and Literature

Panel Discussion Moderated by:

Renee Graham featuring:
Sandra Upton, Cultural Competence
Allison Manswell, Race Relations
Stephanie Huckel, LGBTQ Workplace Equity
Michael Fosberg, Anti-Bias/Storytelling

Keynote by:
Tim Wise, Writer, Educator and Anti-Racist activist

Special Presentation:

Nina Livingstone, Journalist and Spoken Word Artist

Book Signing and More

https://hr.fas.harvard.edu/fas-diversity-dialogues

 

DIB 2019 Conference

DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, & BELONGING CONFERENCE

May 21st, 2019 at Farkas Hall and the Smith Campus Center,

9:00am – 5:00pm

Learn more here: https://dibconference.harvard.edu

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dib-conference-2019-registration-59350291319?aff=Opencall

We are bringing together Harvard staff who are on the ground level of diversity work to exchange ideas, share action steps, and build a support network and we want you to join us!

This inaugural conference will host speakers, panels, networking, workshops, and a poster session focusing on the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging work here at Harvard.

Our goal is to create a space to share work and promote/support best practices on campus.

As Harvard works to adopt the recommendations of the Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion, staff are often on the front lines of institutional change. Implementing change is complicated, and staff have valuable insights that can help to accelerate and sustain important improvements in how we work. The Conference on Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) will bring together support staff and mid-level managers to work toward 3 main goals:

  1. Translating big ideas into practice. We will focus on the perspectives of those executing ground-level action steps, both in our programming and in our facilitation.
  2. Strengthening community. This conference will be an opportunity for staff in the DIB space to break down silos, learn from each other, and build supportive relationships.
  3. Taking action. Our discussions will emphasize concrete and specific ways for Harvard to be a more inclusive place to work and learn.

 

HARVARD HEARS YOU: THE 2019 SUMMIT FOR GENDER EQUITY

https://titleix.harvard.edu/harvardhearsyou

The Weatherhead Center for International Affairs and Harvard University Title IX Office are proud to announce Harvard Hears You: The 2019 Summit for Gender Equity, which will take place on April 2, 2019. Please save the date for this University-wide event, which will include two exciting events as part of the launch of the University’s Student Survey on Sexual Assault & Misconduct.

The daytime portion of the Summit, open to all Harvard community members, will include events at the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center. The day will bring together experts in our community: students, faculty, and staff, as well as invited guests to present in a variety of formats including on-stage interviews, performances and panel presentations. Candid discussions about key issues in the current climate, including gender discrimination on university campuses, due process, and intersectional approaches to equity will be encouraged. This Summit will begin a necessary dialogue, strengthened by lessons learned here and elsewhere, as Harvard strives to be a harassment-free community. The evening will feature a special guest panel at Memorial Church, and will include important discussion on gender equity and gender stereotyping across industries, popular culture, advertising, and consumerism.

Attendance to daytime and evening portions of the Summit is free. Additional information on panels, speakers, and performers will continue to be updated.

 

Askwith Forum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ASKWITH FORUMS – BLACK EDUCATORS AND THE STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE IN SCHOOLS

        Harvard Graduate School of Education
        Longfellow Hall
        13 Appian Way
        Cambridge

        Thursday, March 28 2019, 4:00 P.M. – 5:30 P.M.
PLEASE NOTE: Seating for this forum will be available on a first come, first seated basis.

Black educators were essential to the legal victory that was Brown vs. Board of Education, but over time, they saw the promise of greater access and greater equity grow dimmer, undermined by the way this now-iconic legal milestone was actually implemented. In a forum ranging widely over the past, present, and future of the long fight for justice in American schools, Emory University historian Vanessa Siddle Walker will explore the pedagogical and advocacy models that black educators developed, despite Jim Crow, that they hoped would be enhanced with the dismantling of racist school policies. She’ll describe how these practitioners came to make sense of what ultimately became a desegregation compromise, as the ruling took effect. And in a follow-on conversation moderated by HGSE assistant professor Jarvis Givens, Walker will be joined by Edith Bazile, the president of the Black Educators’ Alliance of Massachusetts, to examine the contemporary legacy of Brown — and how the perspectives of those earlier practitioners can create a new lens through which to view the continuing critical challenges of race and education today.

Organization/Sponsor: HGSE
Speaker(s): Vanessa Siddle Walker, Ed.M.’85, Ed.D.’88, president-elect, American Educational Research Association (AERA); Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of African American and Educational Studies, Emory University, Edith Bazile, President, Black Educators’ Alliance of Massachusetts, Moderator: Jarvis Givens, Assistant professor of education, HGSE; Suzanne Young Murray Assistant Professor, Radcliffe Institute

Cost: Free and Open to the Public
Contact Info: askwith_forums@gse.harvard.edu
More info: www.gse.harvard.edu…

 

THE ASSOCIATION OF BLACK FACULTY, ADMINISTRATORS, AND FELLOWS (ABFAF) CELEBRATE THE APPOINTMENT OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN LEADERS AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY 

https://aaas.fas.harvard.edu/news/association-black-faculty-administrators-and-fellows-abfaf-celebrate-appointment

October 30, 2018

On Wednesday, October 30, 2018, the Association of Black Faculty, Administrators, and Fellows (ABFAF) held a meeting to celebrate the appointment of African American women leaders at Harvard University. ABFAF celebrated the appointments of Deans Tomiko Brown-Nagin (Radcliffe), Claudine Gay (FAS and AAAS), Bridget Terry Long (HGSE), and Michelle Williams (HSPH) as well as Chief of Staff Patricia Bellinger (President's Office).

At the event, Dean Bridget Terry Long talked about her origins and Dean Tomiko Brown-Nagin talked about her vision for the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. Dr. John Silvanus Wilson (HGSE) attended the event as well and spoke briefly about the University-wide work on Inclusion and Belonging. As Dr. Wilson neared the end of his speech the lights went out in the room, then he stated that he’ll take that as his cue to end his speech, and the crowd erupted in laughter and applause. Shirley Greene, the Associate Dean of Students, closed the event by urging everyone to “reach back.”

The event was organized by Pamela A. Mason (HGSE and Co-Chair of ABFAF), Andrea Kelton-Harris (FAS and Co-Chair of ABFAF), Shirley Greene (DCE) and Andrena Mason (HGSE). The event was held in Longfellow Hall at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Faculty Co-Chair
 
Pamela Mason, Graduate School of Education
Senior Lecturer on Education
Director, Language and Literacy Program
Jeanne Chall Reading Lab
The Partnership for Just Educators
 
Staff Co-Chair
 
Andrea Kelton-Harris, Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Director for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
 
Treasurer
 
Shirley Green, Division of Continuing Education
Senior Associate Dean of Student Affairs

Harvard Black Alumni Society

http://hbas.sigs.harvard.edu

Harvard Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

https://dib.harvard.edu/

Harvard University Disability Resources 

https://accessibility.harvard.edu/

The Center for Workplace Development

https://hr.harvard.edu/learning-development

The Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations

https://harvardfoundation.fas.harvard.edu

The Hutchins Center for African & African American Research

https://hutchinscenter.fas.harvard.edu/home

The Office of Faculty Development & Diversity

https://faculty.harvard.edu

The Office for Gender Equity

https://oge.harvard.edu/

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Harvard Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Resources

FAS Office for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

https://odib.fas.harvard.edu/

 

FAS Division of Science Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

https://dib.science.fas.harvard.edu/

 

GSAS Office of Diversity and Minority Affairs

https://gsas.harvard.edu/student-life/harvard-resources/office-diversity-and-minority-affairs

 

Harvard University Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

https://dib.harvard.edu/

 

HGSE Diversity and Inclusion

https://osa.gse.harvard.edu/diversity-and-inclusion

 

HKS Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (ODIB)

https://www.hks.harvard.edu/more/about/diversity-inclusion-and-belonging/office-diversity-inclusion-and-belonging

 

HSDM Office of Diversity and Inclusion

https://hsdm.harvard.edu/office-diversity-inclusion

 

HSPH Office of Diversity and Inclusion

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/diversity/

 

SEAS Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
https://www.seas.harvard.edu/office-diversity-inclusion-and-belonging/committee-dib