New Radio Show Discusses Social Justice and Equity

Joliet, Ill. – As Joliet’s university, the University of St. Francis (USF) has a rich tradition of being dedicated to the facilitation of healing. The new Pause for Justice Radio Show, which airs every Wednesday on WCSF 88.7 FM and streams worldwide on wcsf.streamon.fm, discusses social justice and equity through powerful conversations to promote healing.

While the show is still in its infancy, Allison Heard, the show’s host and USF Director of Institutional Diversity and Title IX Coordinator, already has several impressive guests lined up to appear throughout the coming months. Guests include: Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce’s new DEI Council chairs Mike Clark and Kristen Hamilton and Joliet Chamber president Jen Howard; Dr. Vishakha Desai, Senior Advisor for Global Affairs and Senior Research Scholar in Global Studies, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs; David Masciotra, USF adjunct faculty member and author of “I Am Somebody: Why Jesse Jackson Matters”; global non-profit One Collective; and the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate Anti-Racism Committee. The show, which is produced by WCSF station manager Anthony Musiala and USF social work intern Jewel Andy, will also feature several USF faculty members and other administrators.

On Wednesday, June 16, 2021, Pause for Justice will feature Stedman Graham, American educator, author, businessman, and speaker. Graham will speak about his book, Identity Leadership. As noted in Graham’s book, “Identity Leadership is self-leadership, based on the philosophy that you cannot lead others until you first lead yourself.” The discussion will explore ways that leadership is cultivated and nurtured as society imagines a world based upon justice and equity. 

Heard credits the Healing Illinois grant that USF received earlier this year for helping to support the show’s creation and content.

“The Healing Grant allowed us to work with Anthony Musiala to help us design the outline for the segments and to train Institutional Diversity staff on the best format to present information in a credible format to listeners. Credibility is important which is why we want to work on information that is research-based and accurate. All of our guest speakers have agreed to volunteer their time and knowledge for free and we are so appreciative to them for the information they are willing to share,” she said.

Although the show launched one month ago, Heard said the idea and spirit behind this work actually originated last summer.

“Pause for Justice at USF was developed in June 2020 during COVID-19 when we were working from home due to the pandemic. I remember watching the many images on TV, listening to the news, reading articles online and feeling like I was on information overload. There was something to be upset and angry about every minute of the day. I think it is okay to be upset and angry but what is unbearable is feeling like you ‘have no power’ to do anything about it,” Heard said.

Heard added that the death of George Floyd on May 25 was a call for conversation and change.

“When the news broke about George Floyd, I remember getting a few text messages and some were notes of encouragement. A few people asked how I was doing. The natural inclination is to tell people you are okay but during that time, I had watched a video that was sent to me and a person in that video cried and said they were not okay. That is exactly what I was feeling. We are often programmed and taught to say we are okay when we are not. Progress and Change can only be actualized when there is room to grow. There were many people who were not okay. People who wanted to pray but who also wanted to do something. Pause for Justice became the medium for gathering, praying, learning, and aligning actions with emotions of the heart. The Pause for Justice Radio series was born out of this history,” she said.

Heard acknowledged that conversations on social justice and equity can create feelings of vulnerability, but she added that they can also result in a desire to act.

“Being vulnerable is often regarded as something negative but it can be very positive when our spirit is moved to a desire to help those who are less fortunate than us. The hope is that if people know better, they will do better. So many mistakes of the past is due to the fact that people don’t know history, or they are not able to critically analyze all of the information the world throws at them. The goal is to match education and information with a person’s inner desire to have a positive impact on society and to facilitate equity and justice for vulnerable populations, she said.

For more information on the show, contact Heard by email at aheard@stfrancis.edu or by phone at 815-740-5025.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 52,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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USF to Host Free Executive-Level Workshop on Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Workshop

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis will host a free executive-level virtual workshop and strategy session to help Joliet/Will County area organizations and businesses match mission, hiring, and technology efforts with diversity and inclusion. The workshop, made possible by a grant through the Illinois Department of Human Services and The Chicago Community Trust, will take place virtually on Wednesday, March 31, 2021 from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

During the workshop, participants will learn how to align leadership and vision with inclusive practices geared towards healing. Sessions during the workshop include:

  • “Our Town and How USF Can Help It Grow” with Arvid C. Johnson, Ph.D. (USF President);
  • “Doing the Right Things in Human Resources” with Julee Gard, CPA, CMA (USF Vice President for Administration & Finance);
  • “Practical Ways to Stay Focused on Core Mission” with Sr. Mary Elizabeth Imler, OSF, (USF Vice President of Mission Integration & University Ministry) and;
  • “IT Challenges Raised by COVID-19” with Terry Cottrell, Ed.D. (USF Vice President for Information Technology & Planning).

All attendees will receive a free copy of the book, “Our Towns: 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America” by James Fallows and Deborah Fallows. Books can be picked up at the main USF campus in Joliet, either at the Welcome Center (located at 520 Plainfield Road) or the Safety & Security Department (located at 605 Taylor Street) before or after the event.

For additional information or to register, please contact Allison Heard, USF Director of Institutional Diversity & Title IX Coordinator, by email at aheard@stfrancis.edu or by phone at 815-740-5025.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 51,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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Virtual Discussion of Jon Meacham Book Set for March 17

Joliet, Ill. – Join the University of St. Francis (USF) for the next event in the university’s “Our Town: Healing Joliet and Will County through Courageous Conversations” initiative on Wednesday, March 17, as professor Julie Victa leads a book discussion on His Truth is Marching On by Jon Meacham. The event will take place from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. virtually on Zoom. To register for the event, contact USF Director of Institutional Diversity and Title IX Coordinator Allison Heard by email at aheard@stfrancis.edu or by phone at 815-740-5025. The first 50 registrants will receive a free copy of the book (funded through the Healing Illinois grant).

About the Book Discussion

John Lewis was a visionary and a man of faith. He was violently beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge because he was committed to speaking up and out about injustice in America. He was willing to put his life on the line and participate in non-violent tactics, not only as an action but as a philosophy and biblical imperative. This discussion will focus on historical and current events and will be awe-inspiring for people of faith and of all backgrounds who yearn to cling to their better selves in this urgent call to action.

About Julie Victa

Professor Julie Victa has taught political science at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill., for over 30 years. During her time at USF, Victa has prepped over 30 courses covering topics including American national government, international relations, and public administration and policy. She has a passion for people and aligns her expertise in politics and government with ensuring systems are inclusive and work for the good of all.

About Our Town: Healing Joliet and Will County through Courageous Conversations

The University of St. Francis (USF) has a rich tradition of being dedicated to the facilitation of healing. Through its foundational connections to Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi, its commitment to anti-racism as evidenced in the university’s Founding Congregation – the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate – and their corporate stance against racism in all its forms, and through its educational programs in the areas of nursing, radiation therapy and other health sciences, USF is dedicated to serving Joliet and the Will County area, especially in times of need. Now in these unprecedented times, USF is stepping forward to help our community heal through a series of events made possible by grant funding awarded through the Illinois Department of Human Services’ “Healing Illinois” Grant Program.

USF’s initiative, “Our Town:  Healing Joliet and Will County through Courageous Conversations”, is designed to help the Joliet region’s university to engage residents in dialogue and educational initiatives that result in community understanding and healing of racial and social inequities. “Our Town,” as emphasized by USF President Arvid C. Johnson, Ph.D., suggests that we must work collaboratively to create the type of community that is life-affirming and one that affords each person equal dignity and respect. 

For more information on the following events or to learn of new, upcoming events, visit the Healing Joliet and Will County through Courageous Conversations Facebook page at facebook.com/usfhealingjolietgrant or call USF Director of Institutional Diversity and Title IX Coordinator Allison Heard at 815-740-5025.

For more information on the grant program, visit dhs.state.il.us and search “Healing Illinois Grant”.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 51,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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Community Programming to Address Racial and Social Inequities

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) has a rich tradition of being dedicated to the facilitation of healing. Through its foundational connections to Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi, its commitment to anti-racism as evidenced in the university’s Founding Congregation – the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate – and their corporate stance against racism in all its forms, and through its educational programs in the areas of nursing, radiation therapy and other health sciences, USF is dedicated to serving Joliet and the Will County area, especially in times of need. Now in these unprecedented times, USF is stepping forward to help our community heal through a series of events made possible by grant funding awarded through the Illinois Department of Human Services’ “Healing Illinois” Grant Program.

USF’s initiative, “Our Town:  Healing Joliet and Will County through Courageous Conversations”, is designed to help the Joliet region’s university to engage residents in dialogue and educational initiatives that result in community understanding and healing of racial and social inequities. “Our Town,” as emphasized by USF President Arvid C. Johnson, Ph.D., suggests that we must work collaboratively to create the type of community that is life-affirming and one that affords each person equal dignity and respect. 

For more information on the following events or to learn of new, upcoming events, visit the Healing Joliet and Will County through Courageous Conversations Facebook page at facebook.com/usfhealingjolietgrant or contact USF Director of Institutional Diversity and Title IX Coordinator Allison Heard at 815-740-5025 or aheard@stfrancis.edu.

Virtual Book Discussion with Ernest Crim III, Author of Black History Saved My Life
Tuesday, January 26 | 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Event administered virtually through Zoom

Author Ernest Crim III will discuss how his viral hate crime led to an awakening. Join us for an engaging conversation to discuss how we can use these tragedies as the driving force and impetus for healing oneself and our communities. This workshop is open to everyone, with a particular emphasis on young adults and men. The first 75 attendees will receive a free, autographed copy of Black History Saved My Life. A book trailer is also available on YouTube and can be found by searching the keywords “Black History Saved My Life Ernest Crim III”.

To register for this free event, visit healingjolietandwillcounty@gmail.com. For additional information, please contact Allison Heard at 815-740-5025 or aheard@stfrancis.edu.

Healing Racism and the Urgency of Now with Troy Cicero, Consultant and Trainer, MulticultuREAL Communications, Inc.

Tuesday, February 2 |  6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Event administered virtually through Zoom

Join Troy Cicero to discuss the unique characteristics of Joliet and Will County and how we can work together in this new year to heal racism.  Troy Cicero will discuss the urgency of doing something now and the responsibility we have for contributing to that synergy of success.

To register for this free event, visit healingjolietandwillcounty@gmail.com. For additional information, please contact Allison Heard at 815-740-5025 or aheard@stfrancis.edu.

Virtual Community Book Discussion with Dr. Stacy Dewald, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
Tuesday, February 23 | 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Event administered virtually through Zoom

Dr. Stacy Dewald teaches Criminal and Social Justice at the University of St. Francis. Her research focuses on implicit bias in the Criminal Justice system and how systemic racism perpetuates the normalization of unfair practices designed to immobilize people of color. This book discussion will illuminate segregationist  policies and practices through the eyes of the book’s author, Michelle Alexander. This community discussion focuses on strategies we must develop to dismantle racism in an effort to create a societal paradigm shift. Pre-reading is not required but is strongly encouraged. The first 20 registrants will receive a copy of the book.

To register for this free event, visit healingjolietandwillcounty@gmail.com. For additional information, please contact Allison Heard at 815-740-5025 or aheard@stfrancis.edu.

About the Illinois Department of Human Services’ “Healing Illinois” Grant Program

Healing Illinois is a racial healing initiative of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), in partnership with The Chicago Community Trust, designed to distribute $4.5 million grants to organizations across the state to begin, or continue, the work of racial healing.

The major goals of this project are to: build and advance knowledge and understanding of racial healing and racial equity in communities across the state; increase trust and relationship-building, among the residents of Illinois; provide opportunities for communities and individuals to begin to heal from the harms caused by racism, and build the foundation for long-term racial healing and anti-racism in Illinois.

For more information on the program, visit dhs.state.il.us and search “Healing Illinois Grant”.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 51,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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USF Invites You to Pause for Justice Every Monday in June

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) Office of Institutional Diversity, in partnership with the Criminal and Social Justice Department, History and Political Science Department, Social Work Department, Diversity Council, Safety and Security Department, and University Ministry, invites the community to join with members of the USF community every Monday in June as part of the Pause for Justice Series. At 8:46 a.m. and 8:46 p.m. on June 8, 15, 22 and 29, USF will host virtual sessions lasting 8 minutes and 46 seconds each.

“Although we mourn the loss of George Floyd, we celebrate the thought that this is a social justice movement and urgent call for change. Pause for Justice has been coordinated to show support for Black Lives while listening, compassionately, to the experience and stories of others,” said USF Director of Institutional Diversity and Title IX Coordinator Allison Heard.

“Each program lasts for a total of 8 minutes and 46 seconds which is the amount of time that a Minneapolis Police Officer had his knee on George’s Floyd’s neck while he called out the words, ‘I can’t breathe. Please help me. Mama!’  Often times when people die, we say, ‘Rest in Peace.’  Peace is achieved when there is equal justice and service under the law and when systems and institutions are not created to oppress people of color and vulnerable populations.  Each Monday program is presented in a different format and is designed for people to come together in an effort to empathize with the plight of others. Wayne W. Dyer is quoted as saying, ‘Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be.’ In that respect, we invite members of the Joliet and neighboring communities to come and discuss life as it is,” Heard added.

Individuals interested in participating should email Allison Heard at aheard@stfrancis.edu to confirm attendance and to receive a private meeting link.

Visit stfrancis.edu/institutional-diversity or follow @usf_diversity on Instagram for more information on upcoming programming and events.

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Currently celebrating 100 years of higher education rooted in Franciscan values, the University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 50,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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Office of Institutional Diversity to Host June 2020 Virtual Hot Topics Series

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) Office of Institutional Diversity, in partnership with the Criminal and Social Justice Department, Diversity Council, Safety and Security Department, and University Ministry, will host a virtual “Hot Topics” June Summer Series. Participation in the series is free of charge and open to the community.

Upcoming sessions in the series include:

  • Recognizing Institutional Racism and Systems of Oppression (June 10 from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.) This discussion will help people identify systemic forms of racism above and beyond conscious and unconscious bias and microaggressions;
  • COVID-19 and Racism-20 (June 17 from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.) This discussion will review our global pandemic and how racism, if unchecked and unchanged, travels through society like a disease. The theme of COVID-19 has been to “stop the spread.”  Like COVID-19, we encourage participants to identify things they can do to help cure the disease of racism and to stop the spread, and;
  • Voting as a Form of Power and Empowerment and Prayer at the Virtual Peace Pole (June 24 from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.) This program discusses the civic action of voting and the important correlation to promoting structural, cultural, and institutional change. This program will highlight voting as an opportunity and action and will focus on what USF is doing to promote voter registration (conversation about specific candidates or the promotion of specific political parties will not be permitted).  The Office of Institutional Diversity, Diversity Council, and Social Work Department have also partnered with the League of Women Voters, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. to promote voter registration.  Campaigns will take place online during the summer months and both online and in-person when school begins. 

Individuals interested in participating should email USF Director of Institutional Diversity and Title IX Coordinator Allison Heard at aheard@stfrancis.edu to confirm attendance and to receive a private meeting link.

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Currently celebrating 100 years of higher education rooted in Franciscan values, the University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 50,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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