Social and Racial Equity

Equity Center, Lane Center for Social and Racial Equity logo

Celebrating diversity. Practicing inclusion. Striving for Equity.

The Lane Center for Social and Racial Equity is an extension of Wesleyan’s work on campus that began in earnest more than eighteen years ago, and its commitment to foster diversity and inclusion and uphold equity and justice in all areas of the College. This includes making transparent Wesleyan’s commitment to creating an anti-racist community on campus, and supporting social and racial justice work in the Macon community.

The Equity Center has also provided DEIJ (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice) training, workshops, and facilitations for Wesleyan and Macon community constituents. Since 2020, through the support of the Crafting Democratic Futures Project, we’ve created opportunities for Macon community members to come together physically and virtually through the College and our community partner, the Tubman Museum. Our community outreach work was also supported by our partnerships with the Interactivity Foundation and the E Pluribus Unum Fund

Crafting Democrating Futures

Wesleyan was one of nine institutions invited to participate in this three-year national project supported by the vision of Dr. Earl Lewis and the Center for Social Solutions at the University of Michigan. Through a series of community-based discussions, artists’ lectures, and community events, we worked collaboratively on areas of need in Macon, such as more diverse representation in public art and more visible and accurate representation of Macon’s rich African-American history. 

Through this grant, Wesleyan’s Equity Center hosted meetings for the the Macon Bicentennial Subcommittee on Historic Markers and funded a group research trip to the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum and The National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, in 2023. The work of the Bicentennial Subcommittee and the passionate vision of Mrs. Muriel McDowel-Jackson and Mr. George Fadil Muhammad created a series of markers dedicated to preserving African-American history in Macon. These include commemoration of Macon’s first thriving African-American business district on Historic Cotton Avenue, as well as the first markers in the city to acknowledge the horrors of Macon’s participation in the slave strade by commemorating those who suffered at the Poplar Street slave trade markets and at the site of the Old Bibb County Courthouse.

Through this grant, Wesleyan also partnered with Storytellers Macon to participate in empathy-building storytelling workshops and community-led events, such as the Still Bending the Arc series. 

The Crafting Democratic Futures Project also supported scholarly research into Wesleyan’s own history as an institution founded during the antebellum, slave-holding era of the U.S. South. This work will continue beyond the grant period, as Wesleyan has partnered with Sewanne University’s “Locating Slavery’s Legacies” research network of colleges and universities across the U.S. South working to address the long history of white supremacy and Lost Cause narratives interconnected with U.S. higher education.

For more information about the work of the Equity Center, please contact Dr. Brandi Simpson Miller, Co-Director of the Lane Center for Social and Racial Equity. 

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brandi miller headshot


Assistant Director of the Lane Center
for Social and Racial Equity

 

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR - Dr. Brandi Simpson Miller,
assistant professor of history

Faculty Coordinators

Each of these campus leaders bring unique perspective, knowledge, expertise, and skills to further the mission of the Center.

Ex-officio
  • Meaghan Blight, president of Wesleyan College
  • Kristi Peavey, director, Willet Library

 

 

Advisory Council

The Advisory Council is co-chaired by the Wesleyan College president and chief diversity officer and includes faculty, staff, trustees, and alumnae. The faculty diversity liaison, chair of faculty council, and chair of staff council serve as ex-officio members. 

The council provides leadership, develops strategies, and models respect and inclusivity to promote diversity, inclusion, and equity and respond to issues of social justice in all areas of the College. These issues include: diversity in student populations; curricular diversity; recruitment, mentoring, and retention of a diverse faculty; creating a campus climate that accepts and appreciates diversity; implementing diversity-themed programming to promote collegial relationships on campus and in the larger Macon community; and other issues as they arise and complement the committee’s charge. 

Programs

Throughout the year the Center collaborates with other campus organizations to provide presentations and events that promote the mission of the Center.

  • Transforming the South – This annual lecture brings a visiting scholar to campus 
  • Convocations – Lectures, panel presentations, fine arts events, films
  • Diversity and Inclusion Discussions 
  • Antiracism Leadership Development
  • Oral Histories of Wesleyan alumnae and members of the Macon community 
  • Black History Month
  • Hispanic Heritage Month
  • Women’s History Month
Campus Collaborative Partners

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Diversity and Inclusion Dialogues

Phase I – Bring your leadership team to the Center to experience Diversity and Inclusion Dialogues led by Center staff and volunteers.

Phase II - Train your leaders to be DID facilitators in your school, business or organization.

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Equity Audit

Consult with Center staff to conduct an equity audit in your school, business, or organization.

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Speaker’s Bureau

Contact Dr. Brandi Simpson Miller, Assistant Director of the Lane Center
for Social and Racial Equity.

 


 

Calendar of Events

Wesleyan College is privileged to steward many arts and cultural events and share them with the community. Most are free and open to the public. Wesleyan art galleries are open M-F 1-5PM and on Wesleyan Market Saturdays from 10AM-2PM.

Event listing

NCAA Division III Athletics

Wesleyan College is home to five NCAA Division III sports: soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, and softball. In addition, we offer an award-winning Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Equestrian program.

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