Side-by-side headshots of two female academics

The 25th annual MLK symposium

Across campus, students, faculty, and staff will gather for the 25th annual Commemorative Symposium honoring the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. from Jan. 15 through Feb. 1.

Kristina García ・

The Washington Post

America’s schools are more diverse than ever. But the teachers are still mostly white

Richard Ingersoll of the Graduate School of Education and School of Arts and Sciences discussed the lack of diversity in teaching. “It’s not enough to recruit,” he said. “If we don’t improve retention, I’m not optimistic for closing the gap.”

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FiveThirtyEight

Why the Democrats have shifted left over the last 30 years

Dan Hopkins of the School of Arts and Sciences was cited for his research, which found that racial prejudice in white Americans has decreased since 2007, particularly among Democrats.

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The Washington Post

‘Set your price for a slave,’ a fifth-grade work sheet read. It landed the teacher on leave

Ebony Elizabeth Thomas of the Graduate School of Education spoke about best practices for, and common missteps in, discussing slavery in the classroom. “We’re really wrestling with how to teach about the trauma of the past,” she said.

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Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

New UPenn scholarship aims to diversify urban planning

Lisa Servon of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design spoke about the new Moelis Fellows Program, which aims to diversify the field of urban planning by providing financial support to grad students. “This has really enabled us to go after some the best students and get them to come to Penn,” she said.

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WHYY (Philadelphia)

UPenn library acquires the papers of Ashley Bryan, a pioneering African American poet and artist known for children’s books

Lynne Farrington of the Libraries spoke about the acquisition of the Ashley Brian papers, which trace the author and illustrator’s 60-year publishing history. “He sees art as his salvation, as a way to deal with what’s happening in this country,” said Farrington.

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