Educating While Black: Persistence, Resilience, Trauma & Triumph - 7/26/2021

Conversation Overview

Access to education in America has historically been a contentious subject and for Black Americans, and other members of the BIPOC community, most notably Indigenous Americans, it has been downright traumatic. From the time that reading and writing were illegal activities for African Americans to engage in to the present, Black Americans have had to fight for the right to enter the classroom, fight to be treated equitably while there and fight to be able to take that walk across the stage to be handed a diploma.

In this Messy Conversation, our confabulators will explore how their unique experiences of navigating through the current higher education system as students, faculty and staff has shaped their perspectives on Black education as well as solidified their commitment to their communities. Please join LaCoya Katoe Gessesse, Jacqueline Rose, & Cynthia Ruffin of the AULA Black Student Union for a Messy Conversation about learning and teaching in the USA.

LaCoya Katoe Gessesse is a faculty member in the Antioch University Los Angeles’ Undergraduate Studies Program. A graduate of Antioch’s MFA program, she is also a writing tutor in the Teaching and Learning Center, a freelance writer, and a teaching artist who has facilitated literature, poetry, and writing workshops for underserved teens in Chicago and Los Angeles. LaCoya is currently the AULA BSU faculty co-sponsor.

Jacqueline Rose is a new student at Antioch University Los Angeles currently in attendance as a Bachelors's Program Liberal Arts major, emphasizing creative writing. She anticipates completing an MFA in Creative Writing at Antioch. With more than 20 years of combined professional and volunteer efforts in education, including former ventures as a Cultural Diversity Outreach Scholarship Program Administrator with the Noel Compass Foundation, Teaching Assistant for the International School of Naples, Men Aiming Higher, Inc. Fundraising Chair, and Stevens Point Area School District Communication Liaison in Wisconsin. It has been a rewarding career helping students fulfill their educational goals from primary to secondary education through successful college matriculation. After completing her education, the intent is to work with children who wish to use poetry as an outlet for expression and understanding the world around them.

Cynthia Ruffin (she/her/hers) currently serves as the Director for COLORS LGBTQ Youth Counseling Services, which provides free and unlimited mental health services to LGBTQ+ identified youth and their families and partners. Cynthia received her BA in Liberal Studies at AULA and is currently completing her Master’s degree in Non-Profit Management. Cynthia’s life has been dedicated to the non-profit sector and, over the years, has worked with communities ranging from incarcerated youth to individuals experiencing homelessness, drug addiction, and engaging in survival sex. BA in Liberal Arts AULA 2013. Master in NonProfit Management 2021. Founder and Director, Revolutionary Angel Productions, a groundbreaking mission-based and value-driven production company investing in communities by producing socially relevant content for businesses, nonprofits, and educational institutions. By questioning and disrupting the status quo, RAP's films ignite the imagination and reflect a deep and abiding love for humanity. Staff Co-Sponsor of BSU.