September 13, 2022

The St. Petersburg Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation center chose eight students, two each from four Pinellas County universities and colleges, for the year-long Racial Justice Student Fellowship.

The fellowship will put college students at the center of creating systemic change by providing opportunities to inform policy and address barriers through a racial justice lens. Students will learn about mechanisms that enable racial healing and serve in summer internships to work on projects that support racial healing and transformation in the local community. Each student will receive up to $2,000 during the 2022-2023 academic year.

“We hope that SPHERE’s one-year fellowship and summer community internships will introduce our students to a lifetime commitment of addressing racial injustices,” said Judith Scully, a professor of law and director of the Social Justice Advocacy program at Stetson College of Law. “Our curriculum is merely a foundation for our students to stand upon as they begin to see themselves as courageous leaders with a focus on racial equity.”

The eight fellows selected this year are: Marizzol Medina and Jordan Nielubowski from Eckerd College; Katherine Mack and Dean Mucaj from St. Petersburg College; Zenea Johnson and Jessica King from Stetson University’s College of Law; and Dala Daniels and Kima Sibayan from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus.

“I’m so proud to see our second cohort of SPHERE Racial Justice Fellows stepping up to this challenging and rewarding program,” says Amanda Hagood, an Eckerd College Animal Studies instructor and SPHERE Curriculum Committee Member. “It helps our students engage deeply and courageously with the problems of systemic racism at both campus and community levels, and builds the leadership skills needed to take all of that heart-work and headwork forward. We, as the faculty and staff supporting this process, can learn so much from our student fellows.”

Fellows follow a curriculum that covers issues on racial history, diversity, equity and more, have regular meetings with mentors and will complete a six-week internship in the summer of 2023 that focuses on deepening their understanding of systemic racism and developing opportunities to drive healing and transformation. Last year, Racial Justice Student Fellows completed internships with organizations such as the NAACP, the city of St. Petersburg, the St. Pete Youth Farm and Community Tampa Bay.

Over the course of the academic year, students will also be involved in several approved activities, events or discussions related to race equity and racial justice and are able to participate in biweekly planning meetings with consortium institution representatives to help shape the vision, goals and activities of a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center for Pinellas County. This can include participating in other meetings at their home institutions as well as engaging with community members.

ST. PETE TRHT is a joint initiative between Eckerd College and Stetson University College of Law, funded by a seed grant from the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg. The collaboration emerged out of a community task force that was convened to connect efforts in addressing inequalities that exist in the region. These institutions have been collaborating since the fall of 2020 to create a partnership working to dismantle racial hierarchies in the region.

Student testimonials for wanting to be a fellow:

Marizzol Medina – Eckerd College – Animal Studies Major

“I believe by learning about everyone’s culture, race, or background it will help all of us better understand each other and we won’t be so quick to make assumptions based on appearance.”

Jordan Nielubowski – Eckerd College – Human Development Major

“The significance in building these interpersonal relationships lies in active and empathetic listening to the needs of those we are aiming to serve, not just assuming what is in their best interest. Actively practicing advocacy and empathy will immensely strengthen my ability to better support my future clients and their families.”

Katherine Mack – St. Petersburg College – Public Policy & Administration Major

“There comes a time in everyone’s life where the call to action rings in our ears like church bells. The person can choose to ignore the call to action and continue to live in a superficial world or answer the call and become part of the legacy of change. I want to be part of that legacy. Being part of the Fellows Program will allow me to be exposed to mentors and teachers who will continue to cultivate the flame of resistance that lives in me.

Dean Mucaj – St. Petersburg College – Business & Entrepreneurship Major

“I believe this fellowship will help me become a better leader.”

Kima Sibayan – USF St. Petersburg campus – Psychology Major

“This opportunity would be exceptionally beneficial to my career and leadership development because, as a psychology major, my career will revolve around helping all people, of all cultures and races.”

Dala Daniels – USF St. Petersburg campus – Political Science Major

Zenea Johnson – Stetson University’s College of Law – Juris Doctor Candidate, concentration in Social Justice Advocacy

“I have been inspired more than ever to start advancing my career in racial justice and equity.”

Jessica King – Stetson University’s College of Law – Juris Doctor Candidate

“I believe this fellowship would direct me and keep me focused on my ultimate goal, to make America a more equitable place for all regardless of color, identity, or any other social label.”

September 3, 2021

By Joe Opaleski, The St Petersburg Catalyst

A consortium of local colleges, universities and the Foundation for a Healthy St. Pete is seeking eight students to help fight racial hierarchies in Pinellas County.

Eckerd College, St. Petersburg College, Stetson College of Law and The University of South Florida St. Petersburg make up the participating schools, and the consortium is selecting two students from each to serve as fellows during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Julie Rocco, director of strategic investments for the foundation, says the main focus of these fellowships will be working through social issues with a racial justice lens, especially in regards to participants’ own lives and experiences. “It will be a journey of self reflection,” she said.

Fellows will be required to participate in seven approved “activities, events or discussions” having to do with race equity during the academic year, as well as a relevant six-week internship during the summer of 2022. They will earn up to $2,000 each while working in the program, made possible by the Foundation for a Healthy St. Pete via a grant.

Read the entire article here.

September 21

By Amanda Hagood, The St Pete Catalyst

At a time when cultural and political upheavals in our country call for drastic changes, slowing down to focus on building a collective truth and healing racial division may not feel like the most immediate or intuitive path toward justice. But a new effort to establish a Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation center, spearheaded by a consortium of St. Pete higher education institutions including University of South Florida St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg College, Stetson University College of Law, and Eckerd College, aims to do precisely that.

The process began in summer of 2020, when USF St. Petersburg’s regional chancellor Dr. Martin Tadlock first convened a taskforce of campus and community leaders focused on finding solutions to pervasive racial injustice in St. Petersburg. Stakeholders from local nonprofits, colleges and universities, and the City of St. Petersburg came together to explore models of social justice advocacy and discovered the W. K. Kellogg Foundation’s Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation™ (TRHT) framework.

The framework identifies “false beliefs in a hierarchy of human value” as central to creating and sustaining racism, and understands dismantling those beliefs as a first step toward achieving racial equity.

Read the rest of the story here.

June 15, 2021

By Clinton Engelberger and Julianna Jung, USF Oracle

In an effort to create an action plan to dismantle racial hierarchies on college campuses, representatives from four universities in the St. Petersburg area, including the USF St. Pete campus, are forming a consortium to address racial disparities.

Regional Chancellor of USF’s St. Pete campus Martin Tadlock said the goal of the consortium, which also includes Eckerd College, Stetson University College of Law and St. Petersburg College, is to provide a sense of learning and understanding among students and faculty about recognizing racist tendencies and providing support to people of color.

“Our goals as a partner in this consortium is to make sure that all of our students, faculty and staff are able to engage in understanding the racial issues that exist in this community, and how to be anti-racist,” Tadlock said. “[Students will have] many opportunities to educate themselves through a variety of workshops and seminars and opportunities to engage in the community.”

In order to put this plan into action, a team of three representatives from each university will be attending a four-day summer institute, from June 22-25, sponsored by the American Association of Colleges and Universities, according to Tadlock.

The institute will be developing an action plan to address these issues, as well as bring teams from other colleges together to communicate ideas about different strategies in combating racial inequity.

Read the rest of the story here.