{"id":1241,"date":"2022-01-13T21:04:26","date_gmt":"2022-01-13T21:04:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/faculty-engagement\/?p=1241"},"modified":"2022-01-13T21:04:26","modified_gmt":"2022-01-13T21:04:26","slug":"building-healthier-communities-to-advance-equity-and-justice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/faculty-engagement\/2022\/01\/13\/building-healthier-communities-to-advance-equity-and-justice\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Building Healthier Communities\u2019 To Advance Equity And Justice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cHousing is a fundamental human right, along with access to nutritious food, appropriate healthcare and a quality education. We must build a better, more just world for our children and youth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those are the familiar words of Stetson Professor Rajni Shankar-Brown, PhD<\/a>, the Jessie Ball duPont Endowed Chair of Social Justice Education. And she is backing them up. Again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2021 Poverty and Homelessness Conference<\/a>, an event Shankar-Brown founded in 2013, is scheduled to take place virtually on July 10, 9 a.m. to noon (Eastern time). Registration currently is open, and all are welcome to join.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conference is a collaborative effort among Stetson, Volusia County Schools, Volusia United Educators and, most recently, the Florida Educators Association. Also, the conference partners with the National Coalition for the Homeless<\/a> (NCH), where Shankar-Brown now is a vice president and continues as a longtime executive board member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The NCH is a national network of people who are currently experiencing or who have experienced homelessness, along with activists and advocates, community-based and faith-based service providers, and others. Its singular mission: to end and prevent homelessness while ensuring the immediate needs of those experiencing homelessness are met and their civil rights are respected and protected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Since its debut, the PHC has held a similar mission while steadily being recognized throughout the state and nation as an exemplary model for equity-centered community-engagement and social justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe conference is a grassroots movement that prioritizes child well-being, and our initiatives are deeply rooted in equity and designed through impactful campus-schools-community partnerships, with the goal of building healthier communities and advancing justice in our world,\u201d Shankar-Brown said. \u201cWe must disrupt injustice and mindfully focus on equity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe conference is a true embodiment of Stetson\u2019s mission and values, especially as it actively reflects social responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the conference is being held virtually this summer \u2014 to continue promoting public health and to expand access during these challenging times \u2014 the hope is for the conference to return to an in-person format on the Stetson campus in spring 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2020 conference was canceled the day before it was scheduled last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the 2019 conference, DeLand Mayor Robert F. \u201cBob\u201d Apgar presented a proclamation and thanked Shankar-Brown for her transformative vision and leadership to fight poverty and homelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number of adults, families, children and youth living in poverty and experiencing homelessness has doubled in the past decade and continues to surge across the nation, especially in the state of Florida. Meanwhile, the pandemic has \u201cmagnified and exasperated social inequalities and an already dire housing crisis,\u201d Shankar-Brown said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In pre-pandemic years, the PHC was heavily attended on campus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHousing instability and lack of basic human rights were daunting realities long before the pandemic due to systemic and structural issues that enable and perpetuate injustice, but COVID-19 has further pushed millions into poverty and homelessness. Economic and racial justice merit our immediate attention,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate courses at Stetson, Shankar-Brown is deeply immersed in public policy and civic engagement efforts at the federal level, state and local levels. The PHC continues to mobilize a wide audience and intentionally bring together diverse stakeholders, including but not limited to district leaders, preK-12 teachers, school administrators, counselors, social workers, nonprofit leaders, congressional members, child advocates, students, academics, community thought leaders and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each year, the conference invites key experts to lead educational workshops while also amplifying the voices of individuals with lived experience of homelessness, including children and youth, and discussing intersectional connections to race, gender, sexuality and the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPoverty and homelessness are deeply connected and rooted in racism, and anti-racism efforts must be centered if we are to end and prevent homelessness,\u201d Shankar-Brown noted. \u201cIt is imperative to understand intersectional connections too, such as the fact that LGBTQI+ youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness, and that there are critical connections including homelessness and environmental justice, homelessness and disability justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The PHC leadership team: (l-r) Rajni Shankar-Brown, PhD; Primrose Cameron, PhD; Dianne Martin-Morgan and Jennifer Watley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn addition to illuminating human rights issues connected to poverty and homelessness, courageously and collaboratively brainstorming innovative solutions, and actively working to support the academic and social-emotional well-being of our children and youth, the PHC aims to affirm diverse voices and cultivate empathy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shankar-Brown believes that affirming diversity and growing empathy are vital to this work. \u201cIt is imperative to bending the arc toward justice,\u201d she commented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shankar-Brown has dedicated her life to addressing injustices through getting in \u201cgood trouble\u201d and living her values. A past recipient of Stetson\u2019s Hand Award for Distinguished Faculty Achievement and Stetson\u2019s prestigious McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching, she thoughtfully models civic engagement and actively supports students, along with her own two children, in developing multifaceted skillsets and being positive change agents as she finds inspiration in the teachings and wisdom of legendary civil rights leaders. They include Congressman John Lewis, who says, \u201cGet in good trouble, necessary trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Keynote speaker Matt Morton \u201906<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This year, the conference features alumnus Matt Morton \u201906, PhD, as the keynote speaker. He holds a doctorate degree and Master of Science in evidence-based intervention and policy evaluations from the University of Oxford, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Stetson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Morton has expertise in youth development, youth homelessness and the evaluation of complex interventions and evidence-based practice. He has led the youth homelessness agenda at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. He has worked as an adviser in the U.S. Administration for Children and Families, and he was a key contributor to the development of the U.S. government\u2019s national strategy to end youth homelessness and efforts on addressing child trauma. Additionally, he has worked on youth, poverty, gender and labor programs and policy as an economist and social protection specialist at the World Bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further, Morton\u2019s prior work experience encompasses teaching graduate-level courses at the University of Oxford, consulting for the European Commission and other organizations on policy evaluation, and serving as a Congressional Fellow in the U.S. Senate and as a Policy Fellow at the Eckerd Family Foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shankar-Brown and Morton have crossed paths for years, even before Shankar-Brown joined Stetson\u2019s faculty, both sharing a passion for humanity, sustainability and social justice. They are in the process of collaborating, with plans to engage in research and civic engagement projects together, especially with Morton and his family recently moving back to Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Christina Garcia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Christina Garcia is another featured speaker. She is Taina\/Chicana, originally from San Francisco. When she was a child, her family experienced homelessness and housing instability. And, with both of her parents struggling with drug addiction, she was subjected to sexual and physical abuse and neglect. She grew up in the foster system and subsequently with gangs in the Mission District<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an adult, Garcia spent years living on the street addicted to drugs. Ultimately, she was sent to prison, where she completed two consecutive rehabilitation programs upon release. Today, she serves as the senior director of housing assistance at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, with the focus on helping to get others off the street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Donald Whitehead, NCH\u2019s executive director<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Among the other conference speakers is Donald Whitehead, NCH\u2019s executive director. Whitehead brings more than 20 years of serving and advocating for persons experiencing homelessness, including five years of experiencing homelessness himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDonald is my colleague, friend and co-conspirator in justice, and he also served as a keynote speaker for the PHC previously,\u201d Shankar-Brown noted. \u201cNCH has recently launched a national campaign focused on ending homelessness, and I am looking forward to having Donald share more at our conference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Autumn Johnson \u201920 spoke at the conference in 2019.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Also notably, two of Shankar-Brown\u2019s mentees \u2014 both Stetson alumni \u2014 serve on the PHC steering committee and will be conference speakers: Chan\u2019tial Vasquez \u201916 and Autumn Hope Johnson \u201920.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am incredibly proud and grateful for Chan\u2019tial and Autumn,\u201d Shankar-Brown said. \u201cThey are both multi-talented, resilient, dedicated, and amazing advocates and human beings. They embrace multidisciplinary knowledge. They embody compassion and lead purposeful lives as engaged global citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chan\u2019tial Vasquez \u201916 with her mentor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Both Vasquez and Johnson describe Shankar-Brown as a \u201clifelong mentor\u201d and an \u201cinspiring role model\u201d who continues to genuinely support their journeys and serve as an enduring light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe PHC is truly a collaborative enterprise. I am grateful to each member of the PHC leadership team, each dedicated and passionate community trailblazers who I also have the joy and privilege of calling my dear friends,\u201d Shankar-Brown added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That description also fits her former student Gina Calbeto \u201919, chair of the Student Leadership Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calbeto, graduating with a bachelor\u2019s degree in elementary education, teaches in Volusia County and is pursuing a graduate degree in the higher education program at Florida Gulf Coast University. Calbeto shares that Shankar-Brown, whom she met at a presentation and talked with during Hatter Saturday, was one of the primary reasons she chose Stetson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gina Calbeto \u201919<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGina was selected as the 2021 First Year Teacher of the Year for DeBary Elementary School during this uniquely challenging year. I am proud of her, and this award is extra special, as DeBary is where Gina attended elementary school. And now here she is giving back in the school and community where she grew up and actively enriching the lives of children,\u201d Shankar-Brown said. Partnering with FGCU, Shankar-Brown serves as Calbeto\u2019s graduate internship supervisor and remains her mentor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Shankar-Brown, education and social justice are her \u201clife\u2019s work and daily alarm clock,\u201d along with her children, Valen Siddhartha and Romila Sitara, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is evident that she abundantly invests in her students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even after graduating from Stetson, students continue to stay in close contact with her \u2014 a powerful testament to Shankar-Brown\u2019s impact as a teacher-scholar and as a leader making a difference on a global scale.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cHousing is a fundamental human right, along with access to nutritious food, appropriate healthcare and a quality education. We must build a better, more just world for our children and youth.\u201d Those are the familiar words of Stetson Professor Rajni Shankar-Brown, PhD, the Jessie Ball duPont Endowed Chair of Social Justice Education. And she is backing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/faculty-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/faculty-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/faculty-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/faculty-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/faculty-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1241"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/faculty-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1241\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1242,"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/faculty-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1241\/revisions\/1242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/faculty-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/faculty-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/faculty-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}