Keynote speaker to focus on looking inward when facing diversity – March 22
March 21, 2018
The University of South Carolina Upstate will welcome more than 180 student teachers to campus Thursday, March 22, 2018 to participate in the School of Education’s Diversity Conference.
The conference, now in its 24th year, is an opportunity for students from USC Upstate, Benedict College, USC Aiken, Lander, South Carolina State University and Claflin University to talk to student teachers around the state, as well as learn lessons about diversity and the impact it has in classrooms.
Keynote speaker for the event will be Jim Charles, Ph.D., associate dean of USC Upstate’s School of Education, who will talk about diversity by sharing perspective and experiences from his own life.
“I think most people look in the mirror, but they don’t realize that they, too, have had experiences that led them to think differently, react differently,” he said.
Charles will relate his experiences of growing up at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C., and his neighborhood being selected to integrate an all-black high school in the area. While Charles admits it was a way for the county to skirt the Brown V. Board of Education ruling, it provided an opportunity he would never forget and would often reflect back on.
“I never looked at this situation as fearful or dreadful,” Charles said. “I really looked at it as an opportunity to grow. I use my story as a vehicle to remind students to look inward and then to reflect outward the opportunities they have had. It brings so much to the table.”
Charles, who has written extensively about his work with American Indians, said that he remembers conversing with them and being asked, ‘why are you so interested in us, you need to figure out who you are.’ But those conversations didn’t come easily. Charles said he spent about 10 summers in Oklahoma working at a store that had mostly Indian clientele. He said one family must have taken pity on him and sort of adopted him during his time there each summer. He would tagalong and learned so much through the things he experienced about Indian culture, even having the opportunity to attend some celebrations and ceremonies.
“Each year, I would look forward to visiting them and would look forward to tagging along with their family,” Charles said. “I learned so much through those opportunities.”
He said that being able to draw from experience helps an individual to be a better educator.
“You don’t have to look too far, take an inward glance at your family background,” Charles said. “Maybe your immigrant grandfather couldn’t pass the citizenship test because it wasn’t given in a language that he understood – that may change the way you look at standardized testing.”
In a world where things happen all around us, Charles said he wants to remind student educators that diversity is in each one of us and to choose new experiences that help aid their growth and development.
“Look inward and ask, ‘what in my life has led me to where I am today,’” Charles said.
Kela Goodman, Ph.D., associate professor of early childhood education, along with Kelvin Wu, Ph.D., an assistant professor in health and exercise science, are co-chairing the Diversity Conference. Goodman said that in addition to the keynote address, students will have the opportunity to participate in a number of breakout sessions focusing on dialect, sexism, homelessness, gender education, equality and equity.
About USC Upstate
The University of South Carolina Upstate is a regional, comprehensive university that offers more than 40 bachelor’s degree programs in the liberal arts and sciences, business administration, nursing, and teacher education, and master’s degrees in education, informatics, and nursing. These degrees help students to transition easily to careers in the Upstate region. USC Upstate is committed to fulfilling regional and state workforce needs and thus the university is a major engine of social and economic development. Comprised of a diverse and dynamic community of approximately 6,000 students from 26 states and 17 countries, USC Upstate is a wonderful blend of traditional and nontraditional students who reflect the Upstate’s rich international character. USC Upstate offers a balance of strengths that, when added up, results in a learning experience that is hard to match. The academic programs are accredited and highly ranked, with amazing research and internship opportunities for students. USC Upstate has its main campus in Spartanburg, the George Dean Johnson, Jr. College of Business and Economics and the UPSTATE Gallery on Main in downtown Spartanburg, a location in Greenville, and a growing number of programs online. The USC Upstate Spartans, which fields 17 varsity sports, compete on the NCAA Division I level as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. Nearly 30,000 alumni have earned degrees from USC Upstate and approximately 85 percent choose to remain in the Upstate region to build their lives and careers, making a significant impact of the region’s economy and quality of life. Learn more at www.uscupstate.edu.
