Building a More Just Society

Perhaps no issue is more divisive than racial injustice in the U.S.

"That's according to a November 2021 Pew Research Center report that actually focuses on political polarization. But what it underscores is the importance and relevance of the role race plays in American society, and what justice – or lack of – means to different communities.

New research from the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus focuses on the role of educators as instigators of open dialogue, information and issue identifiers.

Current studies and projects highlighted here include the creation of long-absent curriculum that spotlights contributions of Black Americans and other minority groups whose contributions to science, history and other arts have long been marginalized in school textbooks.

Through the tireless efforts of Denise Davis-Cotton, the campus’ director of the Florida Center for Partnerships for Arts-Integrated Teaching (PAInT), this curriculum will have a wide-reaching impact as the U.S. Department of Education awarded $8.5 million in grant monies to support a nationwide implementation effort.

In a cross-institutional effort, the campus teamed up with Bethune Cookman University to examine and launch a joint-university think tank to address high rates of minority unemployment in the hospitality industry during COVID-19.

One study examines how to change the language of teaching models to embrace social justice, equity and democracy in classrooms – and even when is the best time in one’s life to learn a new language.

And in the age of rapid response to marketing and advertising insensitivity, one faculty researcher lifted the veil on how companies are under pressure to show “they’re a culturally and racially inclusive company.” To support her findings, she instituted student-led projects with local minority-owned businesses to identify and modify racially charged marketing campaigns.