Grinnell Professors Awarded $20,000 AALAC Workshop Grant

Grinnell College Professors Leslie Gregg-Jolly (Biology) and Katya Gibel Mevorach (Anthropology and American studies), along with Phoebe Lostroh ’94 (Associate Professor, Molecular Biology) from Colorado College, have been awarded a prestigious workshop grant of $20,000 from the Alliance to Advance Liberal Arts Colleges (AALAC). This grant recognizes their outstanding work and will enable them to host an enlightening workshop for liberal arts faculty. 

The workshop, titled “Unteaching Racism: Understanding and Handling Misuse of Racial Categories,” aims to provide faculty members with a comprehensive understanding of the historical context, deployment, and impact of racial categories. By examining how these categories have been misused to perpetuate racist ideologies, the workshop seeks to empower faculty to challenge and dismantle these harmful practices. 

One of the primary objectives of the workshop is to support faculty members, particularly those in fields where racial categorization is common, such as the life sciences, to develop effective strategies to teach about racism. By equipping educators with the tools to address implicit and explicit remnants of scientific racism, the workshop aims to disrupt and ultimately eradicate misinformation that perpetuates discriminatory practices. 

The AALAC grant underscores the significance and potential impact of this workshop, reflecting the dedication and expertise of Gregg-Jolly, Gibel Mevorach, and Lostroh. Their collaborative effort will foster meaningful dialogue and critical engagement with issues of race and racism within the academic community.