Faculty & Staff Professional Development- “How to Talk About Race: Setting the Foundation for Anti-racism Work” Presented by Poet Jordan

Poet Jordan presents “How to Talk About Race: Setting the Foundation for Anti-racism Work”

WSU Tri-Cities faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to join this diversity, equity and inclusion training focused on building shared understanding of terminology and concepts critical to having productive dialogue around race and racism. This interactive session will enable our campus community to begin a focused effort around anti-racism work, and provide key knowledge to support our students in these conversations as they “return to campus” for student employment and their fall semester studies. This workshop is for people at all levels of awareness and engagement in their multicultural competency journey. The MOSAIC Center for Student Inclusion is excited to collaborate with local community leader, artist and activist, Jordan Chaney, to provide this training.

Jordan Chaney is a Black Indigenous Person of Color, poet, speaker, writer, youth-mentor and all-around creative residing in Pasco, Washington.

In 2018, Jordan co-founded Hope Builders “a court to community pipeline”, and with a team of dedicated community-leaders they created the Community Hope Wall, a hope-based community mural project that raises awareness of the importance of having hope, making art, and listening to the incarcerated youth-voice.

Jordan’s many accomplishments include:

In 2017, Jordan was presented with the Commitment to Diversity award by the African American Community Cultural & Educational Society for his work in the community on race, politics, and social justice.

In 2014, Jordan created Urban Poets Society, a youth-leadership program that promotes public speaking, performance arts, peer-to-peer community engagement and outreach for the disadvantaged and marginalized youths in his community.

He has published three works of poetry and is the author of Art of the Spoken Word – a workbook/curriculum for enhancing communication skills, creativity, and confidence. He is also a guest columnist for the Tri-City Herald.

Jordan Chaney currently mentors youth in the arts at the Benton-Franklin Juvenile Justice Center. Chaney is one of two Tri-Citians appointed by Governor Inslee to the Task Force on Independent Investigations of Police Use of Force. For more information about Jordan and his work visit poetjordan.com.

​