Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Campus Center

American Association of Colleges and Universities video, "What is Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT)?"

MC’s Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) Campus Center will build cross-racial relationships that lead to racial healing and an exploration of ways to transform the College and community for greater inclusion and equity. Read the press release.

According to AAC&U, the TRHT Campus Center promotes inclusive and community-based healing activities and policy designs that seek to change community narratives and broaden the understanding of diverse experiences among people.

The TRHT Campus Center will engage campus and community stakeholders to uproot biases and to inspire the next generation of leaders and thinkers to advance justice and build more equitable communities.

Learn more about the TRHT Campus Centersnew window.

What is a Racial Healing Circle?

Through racial healing circles, we intend to embrace the true reality of the human family, and the myth of a hierarchy of human value is a barrier to that intention.
Circle processes are rooted in the spiritual and community-sustaining models of many Indigenous cultures.
Rx Racial Healing helps participants move beyond that myth and immerse themselves in the commonalities of our shared human journey.
The Rx Racial Healing approach makes story an action. The focus, attention, and deep listening generate powerful changes in perception that help break down biases.

What Healing Circles Are Not

They are not anti-racism trainings or workshops on dismantling structural racism.
Racial healing circles are not “conversations about race.
They also are not the old twentieth-century race relations work, designed to promote “tolerance” of the other.

Message from the Director

A Racial Healing Circle brings our community together in equally shared space. We tell stories, give perspective, and stumble upon wisdom found in another’s truth. Racial Healing Circles promote vital self-discovery pertinent to Montgomery College’s mission: to empower our students to change their lives, enrich the life of our community, and be accountable for our results. Our highest gratitude to the Meyer Foundation, the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), and Dr. Gail C. Christopher for providing the necessary resources and framework to build a campus center dedicated to truth, racial healing, and transformation at Montgomery College. We hope you’ll be inspired to join us.

Dr. Irene Moshesh, TRHT Campus Center project director

Events

MC invites students, faculty, staff, and community members to TRHT Campus Center events.

Racial Healing Circle, Wednesday, April 12th from 10 a.m. - noon on the Rockville Campus, Room MK 102. (Register herenew window)
Racial Healing Circle, Thursday, April 13th from 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. on the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, room ST 301. (Register herenew window)

Testimonials

"The Racial Healing Circle was a great opportunity to be exposed to the diversity of experiences of our colleagues from all over the college. Learning how we have all been affected by racism is an essential first step. I hope we can build on this step and discuss concrete ways to fight racism in future healing circles." Ray Gonzales, Department Chair, Rockville Campus

"The Healing Circle provided a safe, welcoming, and much-needed environment for all of us. The very personal things that people shared stayed with me for days after the event. I felt honored to be trusted with their very touching experiences." Stacey Peterson, Department Chair, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus

"The Healing Circle experience allowed me space and time to connect with my colleagues at MC, learn about each other, and build relationships so we can better work together on issues of importance to our students." Karla Silvestre, Director of Community Engagement

TRHT Campus Center Ambassadors

Rabbee Awan, Literacy GED Program Coordinator, Workforce Development and Continuing Education
Eric Benjamin, Interim Vice President/Provost, Rockville Campus and Arts, Business, Education, English, and Social Sciences
Demetra Crawford, Early College Coordinator
Richard Forrest, Training and Development Coordinator, ELITE
Rose Garvin Aquilino, Associate Senior Vice President for Advancement and Community Engagement (Executive Sponsor)
Fiona Glade, Dean, English Language for Academic Purposes (ELAP), Linguistics, and Communication Studies
Stacey Gustavson, Acting Director of Collegewide Access and Enrollment
Sue Haddad, Interim Associate Dean of Student Success and Rockville Student Affairs
Glenda Hernandez Tittle, Professor, School of Education
Donna Kinerney, Dean of Instruction, Adult ESOL & Basic Skills for College and Careers, Workforce Development & Continuing Education
Irene Moshesh, Professor of Mathematics
Milton Nash, Dean of Mathematics, Statistics and Data Science
Kenneth Nelson, Director, Business and Community Outreach, Workforce Development and Continuing Education
Sonia Pruneda-Hernandez, Acting Dean of Education and Social Sciences
Clevette Ridguard, Governance Director and Manager of Presidential Projects
Yanira Rodriguez, Community Engagement Manager
Karla Silvestre, Director of Community Engagement
Hamrawit Tesfa, Community Engagement Specialist
Francene Walker, Development and Gift Planning
Jacquelyn Williams, Job Opportunity and Development Specialist

This list is updated regularly.