TCC staffer shines at national conference

Tidewater Community College Coordinator Khadijah Peak-Brown is part of the Emerging Leaders for NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising.

Peak-Brown recently presented at NACADA’s (National Academic Advising Association) national convention held in Portland, Oregon. She facilitated two workshops, one on “Understanding Double Consciousness: The Path to True Inclusive Advising.” The other was on “Academic Efficacy: The Great Equalizer.”

“Presenting these specific topics successfully means that I conquered a fear that could have hindered me from doing meaningful student advocacy work,” Peak-Brown said. “Though the students I serve affectionally referred to me as their bodyguard, I recognized that I was nervous to openly share my thoughts on how race, racism, and colonialism impact education. Moreover, I was hesitant to advocate for changes that support efficacy-building practices for our students. I’m grateful that NACADA provided me with the opportunity to present on two topics that challenge administrations to alter their policies and procedures.”

Peak-Brown also serves on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee for NACADA. In this role she helps evaluate DEI training across the association. This in turn helps to support programming efforts within their divisions, communities and regions.

“Being selected to help support and provide my input regarding DEI initiatives for NACADA is an honor. I am thankful they believe in my ability and passion for this work to allow me to help train and develop programming for faculty and academic advisors,” Peak-Brown said

Norfolk Public School students at the Excellence Institute on Norfolk Campus last summer.

Peak-Brown serves as TCC’s Connect2TCC coordinator. She develops a summer program for Norfolk Public School high school seniors called the Excellence Institute. Students engage in activities that build their academic and professional efficacy and, in turn, increase their persistence in their higher education pursuits.

For more information about the 2023 Excellence Institute, reach out to Peak-Brown at kpeak-brown@tcc.edu.

TCC welcomes students and the community for second year of “My Thoughts. My Voice. My Art.”

Tidewater Community College welcomes students and the community to participate in programming for “My Thoughts. My Voice. My Art.” MTMVMA is a series of online events addressing the themes of diversity, adversity, inequality, social justice and empowerment during a time of social change. Events include art exhibits, music and theatrical performances, lecture and panel discussions, literary presentations and more.

The offerings:

Sept. 30

Pandemic and Post-Pandemic Challenges for Latinx Across the Borders
4 – 5 p.m. — via Zoom | https://vccs.zoom.us/j/86023731487 | Passcode: 23501
Produced by Dr. Gabriela Christie Toletti
Presented in partnership with Global and Intercultural Learning Committee

Dr. Juan Raúl Ferreira is a lecturer, journalist, writer, human rights activist and international consultant. He has been a Uruguayan representative and senator, ambassador in Argentina, and president of the National Institution of Human Rights. Dr. Ferreira will analyze the unique challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has posed for Latinx across the borders. Some Latin American governments have “used” this crisis to impose unpopular policies knowing that there would be no mobilization against them. Dr. Ferreira will address underlying inequities and threats that the pandemic has unveiled, and he will present strategies to advance human rights.

Oct. 12

Theater as an Agent of Social Change
7:30 – 8:30 p.m. — YouTube Live | bit.ly/tcc-roper
Produced and moderated by Paul Lasakow

Through tragedy, comedy and satire theatre has held up a mirror to the world. Drawing on the experience of guest panellists, this program will engage participants on how the art form can both reflect society and help propel it toward justice and equity for all. Panelists include Philip Crosby, Richmond Triangle Players; Dr. Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, Virginia Commonwealth University and The Conciliation Project; Tom Quaintance, Virginia Stage Company; and Deborah Wallace, Old Dominion University. Questions and comments from the audience may be submitted through the YouTube live stream chat function.

Oct. 19

Healing Through the Arts: A Conversation with LGBTQ+ Artists in Hampton Roads
7:30 – 8:30 p.m. — YouTube Live | bit.ly/tcc-roper
Produced by Paul Lasakow and moderated by Casey Butler
Presented in Partnership with the Norfolk LGBT Life Center

Casey Butler, the community engagement coordinator for the LGBT Life Center, will lead an engaging talk with local LGBTQ+ artists. The group will discuss their past experiences, current barriers and opportunities for LGBTQ+ artists in Hampton Roads, and future practices to achieve equity for the most marginalized within the community. Questions and comments from the audience may be submitted through the YouTube live stream chat function.

Oct. 26

Clay Jenkinson on the Native American Photography of Edward S. Curtis: Art, Advocacy, Appropriation and the Myth of the Vanishing Indian
7:30 – 8:30 p.m. — YouTube Live | http://bit.ly/tcc-roper
Produced by Clay Jenkinson and Paul Lasakow
Featuring Clay Jenkinson, humanities scholar and star of public radio’s “The Thomas Jefferson Hour,” with Thomas Siegmund, professor of photography at TCC.

Humanities scholar Clay Jenkinson and Professor Tom Siegmund will discuss the thirty-year photographic odyssey of Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952). Believing that Native American culture would soon disappear from the American landscape, Curtis travelled through the American west to photograph Native Americans “before it’s too late.” The result was the twenty-volume North American Indian, the most ambitious ethnographic and photographic undertaking in American history. Everyone has seen some of Curtis’ most iconic photographs, even if they don’t know Curtis by name: “Canyon de Chelly,” “The Vanishing Race,” “Chief Joseph,” and “Vash Gon.”

Topics will include Curtis’ achievement and romanticization of Native Americans, his occasional manipulation of individuals and tribal authorities, his misguided notion that Native Americans were about to vanish permanently from American life, and his transgressions of crossing the boundaries of the sacred. Questions and comments from the audience may be submitted through the YouTube live stream chat function.

Nov. 18

Poetry from the Pandemic
12:30 -1:30 p.m. — Zoom | https://vccs.zoom.us/j/86023731487 | Passcode: 23501
Produced by: Dr. Gabriela Christie Toletti

This event features poetry readings by local poets, professors and students who have resorted to poetry as a mode to connect with others and as a springboard to overcome challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Through poetry, we can empower others, build new connections, and embark on a personal growth journey. For information about submitting poetry for this event, please e-mail gtoletti@tcc.edu.

National speaker LaTosha Brown to speak virtually at TCC

Tidewater Community College celebrates Black History Month 2021 with a keynote address by LaTosha Brown, a national speaker, professional moderator and owner of TruthSpeaks Consulting, LLC.

Brown has appeared on a variety of media outlets including MSNBC, ZoomwithOprah.com, CBS, HBO and CNN.

Brown will share a message entitled “Can’t Stop: The Movement for Black Lives in America” with students and the community during a virtual event on Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. To register for the Zoom event visit here.

Brown is a contributor to the “The New York Times” op-ed page and a fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She is also co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund organization.

The program will be followed with a question-and-answer session, moderated by Tiffanye Sledge, TCC professor of sociology and chair of the Portsmouth Campus Faculty Senate.

The national theme for Black History Month 2021 is “The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity.”

TCC’s Black History Month celebration includes an assortment of virtual events throughout February. All events are open to the public.

Each year, Tidewater Community College honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during Black History Month with a distinguished service award to a TCC faculty or staff member and provides a scholarship to a TCC student. To view the 2021 honorees visit here.

For more information contact Alicia Phillips at aphillips@tcc.edu.

Black History Month Events

Feb. 18 at Noon
Live via Zoom – visit here to register
Distinguished Speaker Series: “The Business of Justice – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” with Jordyne Blaise, Esq.

Jordyne Blaise, Esq., is a renowned diversity, inclusion and equity consultant and strategist. She earned her bachelors in English, with a minor in African American studies, and her juris doctor from Georgetown University. She is licensed to practice law in the state of Florida. Jordyne’s expertise in Civil Rights enforcement and diversity change management comes from her work with various organizations including Harvard Law School, NC State University and the District of Columbia Government.

*This event is sponsored by the Business, Computer Science and IT Pathway & the Virtual Student Center.

Feb. 18, 21, 25, 28 at various times
Register here for the live Zoom events
African HEAT (Healthy Energetic Authentic Transformation)

African dancer and Zumba Instructor Rita Addico Cohen presents African HEAT, a one-hour dance fitness class that includes cultural details with every step. Cohen is founder and executive director of the Tidewater African Cultural Alliance.

Feb. 21 from 4 – 6 p.m.
Register here for live Zoom event
“Health Equity, Inclusion & the African American Community”

Award-winning filmmaker and health advocate and educator Terrance Afer-Anderson will screen excerpts from “The Black Walnut,” his film about the alarming prostate cancer disparity impacting African American men.

Afer-Anderson will lead a panel discussion on health equity issues in the Black Community. Panelists include Mark Fleming, M.D., past president, Virginia Oncology Associates; Natalie S. Burke, president and chief executive officer, CommonHealth ACTION; Mekbib Gemeda, vice president, diversity and inclusion, Eastern Virginia Medical School; and Angela Mercer, M.D., vice president, Greater Norfolk Medical Society of South Hampton Roads.

Viewers are encouraged to submit questions and comments via the YouTube comments window.

This event is sponsored by My Thoughts. My Voice. My Art and the Arts & Humanities Pathway.

Feb. 23 from 12:30 -1:30 p.m.
Live via Zoom. Password:23501
Empathy Matters

This event was inspired by questions posed by Tidewater Community College students. In looking for answers, a panel of experts address the subject of empathy and its role in restoring balance and fostering positive change. The discussion centers around the power of empathy to transform relationships, circumstances, context and trajectory. Information about TCC student success and support resources developed in response to changing needs will be provided.

This event is sponsored by My Thoughts. My Voice. My Art and the Arts & Humanities Pathway.

Feb. 26 from 11 a.m. – Noon
Live via Zoom
Martin Luther King Jr. Recognition Program

Tidewater Community College honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during Black History Month with a distinguished service award to a TCC faculty or staff member and provides a scholarship to a TCC student. This year’s virtual event includes remarks from featured speaker Ruth Jones Nichols, president and chief operating office, Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore. Since 1998, Tidewater Community College has presented these awards to faculty, staff and students whose lives best exemplify Dr. King’s visionary legacy.”

For information on additional events celebrating diversity and inclusion visit here.

MLK honorees Professor Gabriela Toletti and student Tomelade Aigbokhan.

TCC invites the community to be part of unique music, visual arts, theatre and humanities programming

Arts, theatre and humanities faculty and staff at Tidewater Community College, along with local and regional artists and professionals, will connect students and Hampton Roads residents to diverse, eclectic and engaging programming that speaks to the times in which we live.

“Giving students and the community a place to engage during these times is vital,” said Kerry Ragno, Ed.D., dean of TCC’s Arts and Humanities pathway. “We’re delighted that since its inception last fall, the series is connecting people through the arts with topics that are relevant to all of our lives.”

The events — all virtual, free and open to the public — include a panel discussion on empathy; an artists’ showcase featuring performances from students and local actors and singers; monologues exploring topics and issues relevant today; and in-depth conversations with artists about their work.

The series kicks off Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. with Health Equity, Inclusion, and the African American Community.

Details for all events can be found at the TCC Roper Performing Arts Center’s Website.

The offerings:

Health Equity, Inclusion and the African American Community, YouTube live, Feb. 21, 4-6 p.m. View here.

Award-winning filmmaker and health advocate and educator Terrance Afer-Anderson will screen excerpts from “The Black Walnut,” his film about the alarming prostate cancer disparity impacting African American men. Afer-Anderson will lead a panel discussion on health equity issues in the Black Community. Get involved and submit questions and comments via the YouTube comments window.

Empathy Matters, set for Feb. 23 from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m., was inspired by questions posed by TCC students. A panel of experts will talk about empathy and its role in restoring balance and positive change. The discussion centers around the power of empathy to transform relationships, circumstances, context and trajectory.

Three professional artists address racial equity in the performing arts in Lifting the Curtain: Addressing Racism in Dance, Music and Theatre on March 16 at 12:30 p.m. Panelists include Anthony Stockard, producing artistic director of Norfolk State University Theatre Company; Theresa Ruth Howard, former company member of Dance Theater of Harlem; and Ismar Gomes, an internationally acclaimed cellist, recording artist, and member of both the Richmond and Virginia Symphony Orchestras. Get involved by submitting questions and comments via the YouTube comments window.

Visiting artist Ronald Jackson uses unique portraiture and relative speculation to imagine the personal experiences and stories of African Americans from the early 20^th century. Join us for Songs of Stories Untold on March 30 from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Caged Birds Sing: Voices from Quarantine is hosted by Tory Slade on April 6 at 6 p.m. The artists showcase features performances from students and local performers, including original works.

Designing for Good, April 22 from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m., features visiting graphic designer Benjamin Gaydos, a designer, educator, co-founder of goodgood, and chair and professor of design at the University of Michigan -Flint where he directs the Community Design Studio. Gaydos finds beauty in the details, humanity through collaboration, joy in the act of creating, and wholeheartedly believes that design can sustain, heal and empower.

On April 26 from 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. Breaking Through: A Showcase of Actors. CORE Theatre Ensemble and the TCC Roper Performing Arts Center team up to present curated live monologues submitted by student, amateur and professional actors exploring topics and issues that are especially relevant to humankind today. For information about participating, contact roper@tcc.edu.

Submit your questions by Oct. 22 for upcoming college-wide webinar

Tidewater Community College students, faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in a webinar on diversity and inclusion on Monday, Oct. 26.

Tia Brown McNair will lead the one-hour webinar titled “From Equity Talk to Equity Walk Q&A,” starting at 2 p.m. Email any and all relevant questions here prior to Thursday, Oct. 22.

Access the webinar at this link.

Tia Brown McNair is the vice president in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Student Success and executive director of the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Centers at the Association of American Colleges and Universities in Washington. She leads AAC&U’s efforts on equity and inclusive excellence.

In March 2020, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education named Brown McNair one of 35 outstanding women who have tackled higher education’s most difficult challenges with extraordinary leadership skills.

McNair Brown earned her bachelor’s in political science and English from James Madison University and hold a master’s in English from Radford University. She holds a doctorate in higher education from The George Washington University.