FA L L 2 0 2 0 – I S S U E 6
1 3
NORTHCENTRAL
UNIVERSITY'S
RESPONSE TO
RACIAL INJUSTICE
AND VIOLENCE
From the Office of Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion:
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
collaborated with the President's Office to write and
disseminate responses following racial injustice and
violence. One example is here: https://www.ncu.edu/
blog/values-matter-responding-racism-hatred-and-
intolerance. Additionally, the Office of Diversity, Equity,
and Inclusion collaborated with the Provost to host two
different roundtables to connect about injustice and
advocacy. The first roundtable was hosted by Provost
LaNear and University Diversity Committee Co-Chairs,
Drs. Bakari and Goodwin. The second was hosted by
the same, but also included a staff member, current
student, and alumni. You can find the recordings here:
https://youtu.be/mudJ4Vc1CXg
https://youtu.be/tkaalGjYqGU
Also, the Black, Brown, and African American Connection
group was formed in The Commons (a community
networking space accessible to all NCU students, faculty,
and staff) as a way to promote community and connection.
There are over 200 members within the group.
- Annabelle Goodwin, PhD
Director of Equity and Inclusion
From the MFT Program Directors:
As the racial tension and climate in the United States has
increased, there has been a global and resounding call
for the equitable treatment toward communities of color
and particularly that of Black lives. These calls for social
justice range from a call to acknowledge that disparate
treatment indeed occurs for marginalized communities to
more specific demands, which for example include the
reallocation of resources to better support the ongoing
systemic needs of communities.
It is important to note that the role of marriage and family
therapists (MFTs) is not void of these calls for engagement
in these important conversations. The Code of Ethics for
Marriage and Family Therapists states the following:
Marriage and family therapists are defined by an enduring
dedication to professional and ethical excellence, as well as
the commitment to service, advocacy, and public
participation. The areas of service, advocacy, and public
participation are recognized as responsibilities to the
profession equal in importance to all other aspects
(American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy
[AAMFT], 2015, Commitment to Service, Advocacy and
Public Participation).
One of the many assets of NCU is that we provide
educational opportunities to individuals that are located
across the United States and around the world. Students in
the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy
(MAMFT) program frequently serve a diverse range of
clients, many of whom come from underserved communities.
This is even more so the case now with the increased use of
telehealth facilitated by the onset of COVID-19.
Similar to how life has changed for so many of us as
individuals, we too at NCU have had to adjust. These
adjustments are needed in order to better train and equip
our MFT students with the skills necessary to not only 'do no
harm' when working with diverse populations, but also to
understand the role and impact of social (in)justice on the
lived experiences of our clients. All of this influences how we
as clinicians show up in the room and the work that is done
in the therapy room.
