Bard College is one of four new institutions selected by the American Association of Colleges and Universities to receive funding to establish a Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Campus Center.

The new center, which is part of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s TRHT effort, will work to diversify the college’s leadership team by increasing inclusivity and promoting racial justice. The center will also host a series of events, including Rx Racial Healing Circles, which aim to open up conversations about race and personal stories.

“Inclusive Excellence at Bard aims to empower students, faculty and staff to explore their intersectional identities to holistically develop their own inclusive practice,” said Bard Dean of Inclusive Excellence Claudette S. Aldebot. “Establishing a Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) Campus Center at Bard will provide us the perfect opportunity to foster and enhance our commitment to inclusive excellence and racial justice while also expanding our efforts beyond Annandale. We are excited to work with Bard Network partners through the TRHT framework. The work of inclusion belongs to us all and we are eager to move forward.”

The Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Campus Centers initiative was founded in 2017 with the goal of partnering with higher education institutions to develop at least 150 self-sustaining, community-integrated centers. The effort seeks to promote inclusive and community-based healing activities that aim to change community narratives and broaden the understanding of diverse experiences among people. The TRHT effort is based on the idea that historical and contemporary effects of racial inequities can be addressed by building sustainable capacity to promote deep, transformational change.