Pitt-Greensburg, Westmoreland workshops to explore racism, diversity and social justice - TribLIVE

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The time has come for residents of Westmoreland County to have some tough conversations, says Al Thiel, director of the Student Center and Student Involvement at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg.

“This has been an unprecedented year for American life, and I believe that more people than ever are ready to make the changes and get the education needed to move the country and Westmoreland County forward,” Thiel said. “The county is over 95% white and has had the overall population drop for the last 30 years.

“The county must become a place that is accepting and welcoming to all people if that trend is going to change.”

Pitt-Greensburg and the Westmoreland Diversity Coalition will delve into the topic with Growth Through Knowledge and Understanding, a series of six workshops and speaker events exploring diversity, social justice, racial equality, Black Lives Matter, racial justice, privilege, becoming an ally and the future.

“This series is especially important because it is designed to educate the community on a number of social justice and related issues that are relevant in today’s environment,” said Carlotta Paige, coalition founder and co-chair.

The online series begins Tuesday with “Judaism Explained,” a workshop led by Rabbi Lenny Sarko of Congregation Emanu-El Israel in Greensburg. Time is 2-4 p.m.

“I call it Judaism 101,” Sarko said. “The Jewish community here is fairly small, and people of most other religions don’t understand where it comes from, how it differs from other religions and how it relates to Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism.”

Sarko will outline the foundational concepts of Judaism and answer questions from participants.

Subsequent sessions include:

• Life Experience in Westmoreland County, 6 p.m. Sept. 15 — Panel discussion by diverse Westmoreland County natives and long-time residents on their experiences living in a white-majority county with a rich cultural heritage that is adverse to change. Moderator will be James Paharik, director of Seton Hill University’s National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education and sociology professor.

• Good and Necessary Trouble, 10 a.m.-noon Sept. 29 — Diane Hightower, YWCA Westmoreland board president and Carnegie Mellon University director of academic support, will discuss the Black Lives Matter movement that started as a call to action for racial justice, prompting a national debate and causing a racial divide not seen in the United States since Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka went before the Supreme Court in 1954.

• Privilege 101, 2-4 p.m. Oct. 13 — Sheila Confer, director of Pitt-Greensburg’s Academic Village, will define privilege, both broadly and within the context of racial and social justice. The discussion will include recognizing and acknowledging privilege, to help participants see how they can use their privilege to lift others up and work toward a more equitable and just society.

• How to Be an Ally, 2-4 p.m. Oct. 27 — Carol Calloway, president of Carol Calloway Consulting, will define the concept and identify what it takes to become an effective and powerful ally. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss their own ally experiences, including the benefits and challenges of maintaining such relationships.

• Education: From the Hearts and Minds of Our Youth, 6 p.m. Nov. 10 — Pitt-Greensburg President Robert Gregerson will moderate a panel of local university students discussing the future they envision in light of the call for social justice through Black Live Matter and other forums, as well as the concept of learning discrimination.

“Whether you talk race, color or creed, it all ends up to be one thing,” Sarko said. “If you respect one, you tend to respect all.”

“If we are going to get to that point, then we must address the systematic and systemic issues that have developed in the United States and Westmoreland County. We need to address our own bias, conscious and unconscious, and come to terms with what it means to have privilege,” Thiel said. “This is uncomfortable, and the goal of this series is to bring those conversations and give people the tools to have them in their individual communities.”

Participation is free to students and $5 per session for others. The link and password to each workshop will be provided upon registration at wdcoalition.org.

Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley at 724-836-5750, smcmarlin@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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Pitt-Greensburg, Westmoreland workshops to explore racism, diversity and social justice - TribLIVE

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