Alumni of Color Advisory Council
In collaboration with the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI), the Alumni of Color Advisory Council assists the continuous development of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at Hope College through identifying and organizing opportunities for students and alumni of color.
Established in 2020, the Alumni of Color Advisory Council is composed entirely of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) alumni, and advises the college on ways to intentionally empower and strengthen relationships with students and alumni of color. Through bi-monthly meetings, the council plans to develop programming, promote mentorship and advocate for institutional change towards a more equitable and inclusive environment.
Council MEMBERS
- Angela Matusiak ’04, President
- Alexis Koehl ’23, Vice President
- Jake Taber ’04
- Chris Jackson ’11
- Jasmine Harris-Mathis ’13
- Quinette Yarbrough ’10
- VIDEO LIBRARY — Anti-Racism In Action at Hope College
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Tools for Tackling Micro-Aggressions in the Workplace | Hope College Connection LIVE
Vanessa Greene talks with LEDA
To Achieve Our Country: Pathways to an Anti-Racist Future
Hope College No Justice, No Peace - Read, Listen, Discuss
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We encourage friends of the Alumni of Color Advisory Council to join us in reading, listening and discussing the following titles:
- “1619” is a New York Times audio series, hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones, that examines the
long shadow of American slavery. For more information about the series, visit
- Black Fatigue by Mary-Frances Winters
- Racism is killing Black people. But it's not just the atrocities that break into the mainstream news cycle. It's also what award-winning diversity, equity and inclusion expert Mary Frances-Winters calls Black fatigue: the crushing physical and psychological toll of dealing with a constant stream of racist acts and attitudes, from the clueless to the cruel to the criminal. Black Fatigue faces the disparate outcomes of intergenerational exhaustion that affect the intimate, daily lives of Black people. Winters writes, "I ask white people to read this book not only to be educated on the history of racism but also to be motivated to become an antiracist, an ally and a power broker for systemic change. For Black people, I hope that it will be educational and affirming, and when one of your white colleagues asks you to educate them, you can refer them to this resource, so as not to exacerbate your own fatigue."
- Looking for more? Check out more titles, podcasts, movies and more on
- “1619” is a New York Times audio series, hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones, that examines the
long shadow of American slavery. For more information about the series, visit
- Anti-Racism Glossary and Resources
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- Anti-Racist — A conscious decision to make frequent, consistent, equitable choices daily. These
choices require ongoing self-awareness and self-reflection as we move through life.
In the absence of making antiracist choices, we (un)consciously uphold aspects of
white supremacy, white-dominant culture, and unequal institutions and society. Being
racist or antiracist is not about who you are; it is about what you do. (National
Museum of African American History and Culture, ).
- BIPOC — Black, Indigenous, People of Color, the term is used to highlight the unique relationship
to whiteness that Indigenous and Black (African American) people have, which shapes
the experiences of and relationship to white supremacy for all people of color within
a U.S. context. ()
- CDI — Hope College's Center for Diversity and Inclusion
- DEI — Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Diversity — The range of human differences, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability or attributes, religious or ethical values system, national origin, and political beliefs.
- Equity — A measure of fair treatment, opportunities and outcomes across race, gender, class, and other dynamics; differs from equality, which focuses on the equal distribution of resources rather than equal results.
- Inclusion — Refers to the intentional, act of ensuring that all members of a community have
equal access to the benefits inherent to that community, and that the flourishing
of any individual or group is not prevented by policies or practices that privilege
one group to the exclusion of another.
- Decolonization — The active resistance against colonial powers, and a shifting of power towards
political, economic, educational, cultural, psychic independence and power that originate
from a colonized nation’s own indigenous culture. This process occurs politically
and also applies to personal and societal psychic, cultural, political, agricultural,
and educational deconstruction of colonial oppression.
- Individual Racism — Occurs between individuals. These are public expressions of racism, often involving
slurs, biases,or hateful words or actions. (National Museum of African American History
and Culture, ).
- Micro-aggression — Brief, commonplace, subtle or blatant daily verbal, behavior or environmental indignities,
whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative
racial slights and insults toward people of color. () Three types of microaggressions:
- Microassault — Most similar to what is traditionally thought of as “overt discrimination.” Microassaults can be verbal, nonverbal, or environmental.
- Microinsult — A comment or action that communicates insensitivity or disregard of a person's identity.
- Microinvalidation — A comment or action that ignores or dismisses the thoughts, feelings or experiences
of a member of an oppressed group. ()
- POC — People of Color, often the preferred collective term for referring to non-white
racial groups, rather than “minorities.” Racial justice advocates have been using
the term “people of color” (not to be confused with the pejorative “colored people”)
since the late 1970s as an inclusive and unifying frame across different racial groups
that are not white, to address racial inequities.
- Privilege — Unearned social power accorded by the formal and informal institutions of society
to all members of a dominant group (e.g., white privilege, male privilege, etc.). Privilege
is usually invisible to those who have it because they are taught not to see it, but
nevertheless it puts them at an advantage over those who do not have it. (Colours
of Resistance Archive, “”)
- Racism — Different from racial prejudice, hatred or discrimination. Racism involves one
group having the power to carry out systematic discrimination through the institutional
policies and practices of the society and by shaping the cultural beliefs and values
that support those racist policies and practices.
- Structural Racism — The overarching system of racial bias across institutions and society. These systems
give privileges to white people resulting in disadvantages to people of color. Example:
Stereotypes of people of color as criminals in mainstream movies and media. (National
Museum of African American History and Culture, ).
- White Supremacy — A form of racism centered upon the belief that white people are superior to people of other racial backgrounds and that whites should politically, economically and socially dominate non-whites. While often associated with violence perpetrated by the KKK and other white supremacist groups, it also describes a political ideology and systemic oppression that perpetuates and maintains the social, political, historical, and/or industrial White domination. (Race Forward, "")
To view these definitions and more resources, please visit the following external resources:
- Anti-Racist — A conscious decision to make frequent, consistent, equitable choices daily. These
choices require ongoing self-awareness and self-reflection as we move through life.
In the absence of making antiracist choices, we (un)consciously uphold aspects of
white supremacy, white-dominant culture, and unequal institutions and society. Being
racist or antiracist is not about who you are; it is about what you do. (National
Museum of African American History and Culture, ).
- Inaugural Council Members
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workP. 616.395.7775
alumni@hope.edu