HayU Blog

Matthew Hayutin and Professor Anndretta Lyle Wilson from the Department of Ethnic Studies at CSU East Bay (CSUEB) sat down to discuss Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice (DEIJ) challenges and solutions for independent schools and their larger communities.

With the CSU system blazing the trail as our nation’s largest public university school system to require a class in Ethnic Studies for all degree-seeking undergraduates, our conversation with Professor Wilson is especially of time and essence.

Please click on the links to hear and watch our dialogue, and peruse some key quotes from Dr. Wilson to get a sense of why it’s worth a listen.

View the transcript.

We as educators have the responsibility. It is our vocation. It is our business to help young people develop into future leaders.

Some of the students who might have caused harm either intentionally or unwittingly are not necessarily excited about coming to the table to have a conversation about the harm that they caused. In some cases, it's because they don't want to be shamed, and in other cases it might be because they haven't yet developed the language to discuss issues around diversity.

View the transcript.

In the case of our schools, we often ignore the single most important reflection of diversity, equity and inclusion, and that is curriculum. Nothing speaks more to the priority of that educational institution than the courses required for graduation. If required courses do not include significant attention to racial disparities, to ethnic based oppression in this country... then that is a clear message to students of all backgrounds that such topics are not important.

Successes moving forward mean incorporating parents, alumni, neighbors to the school into community learning activities. This is not something that we want to compartmentalize. We want it to be a continuum of learning so that we all demonstrate we have a stake in it, and it's important to all of us.

We’ve partnered with Professor Wilson and Ethnic Studies Center to listen and talk about how we can do better by one another in the DEIJ space as students, parents, administrators and equals in a larger community.

Please join us in bringing awareness to Dr. Wilson’s offerings through the Ethnic Studies Center. This is pivotal work we can all do now: one by one, school by school, community by community.

~Matthew Hayutin, M. Ed
Founder & Partner, Hayutin & Associates

About Ethnic Studies Center: Anndretta Lyle Wilson, Ph.D., is the director of Ethnic Studies Center. High school students can register for virtual courses with college professors and instructors from CSUEB. Participants will learn about race and racism in America, receive an introduction to student activism, and explore the use of visual arts for social justice. These courses are open to all high school students for a fee. Learn more about these vital and empowering course offerings and register your high school student today for an upcoming workshop. Group rates and school integration options are also available.