When we think about Horace Mann’s famous quote, that education is the great equalizer of men (people), we must recognize this is achievable only when there is true access...That is what BSU stands for and has represented for 180-plus years: access to learning and access to opportunity. My interest in joining Action is that I can help showcase the many ways our university carries out that mission, one story at a time.”
If it’s true that past is prologue, it makes sense that Dr. Jakari Griffith and Diane Bell have been named co-publishers of Action: Racial Justice and Equity at Bridgewater State University, the campus newsletter devoted to racial justice and equity. Both individuals have devoted a good part of their lives and careers to furthering these causes.
The new Action co-publishers were named by President Clark following the May departure of the newsletter’s first publisher, Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Karim Ismali. The two served as key members of BSU’s Presidential Task Force on Racial Justice.
Both Ms. Bell and Dr. Griffith recall formative events in their lives that likely put them on the path of service.
For Ms. Bell, it was, among other things, having a racial slur directed at her while she and her sister walked home from school, after the family moved south from her native Chicago.
“We didn’t know what that word meant,” she said. “So, my parents sat us down and told us.”
She saw Klan pamphlets in her Georgia high school and had been politely disinvited to the birthday parties of two white friends because their fathers would not allow her in their house because of the color of her skin.
Ms. Bell, vice president of the Division of Outreach and Engagement, has lived in seven states and visited all the others in the continental United States. She’s met people from all walks of life, and she credits these experiences with teaching her some important things.
“I’ve always had a very diverse group of friends, and they’ve always been great people,” she said. “Racism has been all around me, and I know it’s not just and not the right way to be. There are more things about us that are the same than are different. And I’ve always gone with that.”
Dr. Griffith, who after a stint at Salem State College, came to Bridgewater State in 2013 as assistant professor of management and is a 2019 Award for Academic Excellence recipient, one of many honors he has received. He is now interim assistant provost for global engagement and senior international officer.
Growing up the son of a New York City police officer and former military man helped shape some of Dr. Griffith’s core beliefs and research concerns. So, too, did the death of his younger brother in 2008, a victim of gun violence.
“Growing up in a military household, it’s hard not to internalize the importance of justice, decency, fairness,” Dr. Griffith said. “You also come to appreciate that we all have a sacred obligation to lift as we climb, to be good stewards of our inherited bounty, and to take care of your neighbor…this naturally includes helping to advance social and racial justice. I think from that perspective, working to ensure everyone can live out their full potential and has access is somewhat second nature to me.”
There’s a direct connection between this outlook on life, his past and his most recent research: finding ways to help ex-offenders find suitable employment once they’re released from prison. More specifically, his work examines the impacts of criminal records on employment selection practices, social and political aspects of criminal records in work, and the link between criminal records and job performance. His most recent book is Employing our Returning Citizens, co-edited with Nicole C. Jones Young.
Ms. Bell earned a Bachelor of Arts in drama from Spelman College, an MBA in marketing from Clark Atlanta University, and a Master of Science in sport administration from Canisius College in Buffalo. Among the positions she held before coming to Bridgewater State in 2004 was manager of the Atlanta Braves community relations and foundation. She has always been an active volunteer devoted to social justice issues, among others. At BSU, she advised several student clubs and currently serves as the campus advisor to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., an international organization she’s been a member of for 29 years.
Dr. Griffith received a PhD in management from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a Master of Arts in public administration from Florida A&M University, and a Bachelor of Arts from the School of Business & Industry, also at Florida A&M University.
Ms. Bell once dreamed of being a journalist (with music as another possible calling). Thus, sharing the helm of Action plays to one of her strengths. It’s also about passion and a sense of duty.
“Being a member of the President’s Special Task Force and working alongside a wonderful group of colleagues was a huge and emotional undertaking,” said Ms. Bell. “Being a part of the Action team is an interesting way to examine all the things we’re doing with the recommendations about how to make BSU more equitable. Karim and the team did a great job, but we still have a way to go.”
Ask Dr. Griffith about what inspired him to become part of Action, and the flame burns just as brightly.
“When we think about Horace Mann’s famous quote, that education is the great equalizer of men (people), we must recognize this is achievable only when there is true access,” he said. “That is what BSU stands for and has represented for 180-plus years: access to learning and access to opportunity. My interest in joining Action is that I can help showcase the many ways our university carries out that mission, one story at a time.”
Their hands on the wheel, Dr. Griffith and Ms. Bell speak of a shared vision for the future of this publication.
“I hope that it continues to highlight all of the work that makes BSU a place of opportunity and a leading example for others,” Dr. Griffith said. “We must always remember we’re all tied together in an inescapable network of mutuality, as Dr. King said. And forgetting this principle would make the work of advancing any form of justice way more difficult.”
For Ms. Bell, she hopes future issues will serve as a call to action for all those who care about racial justice and equity.
“I’m hoping for a couple of things, to continue celebrating the work that’s being done and educating our community about what’s going on around campus,” she said. “And with the title of Action, I hope that the readers will be compelled to act.”
“Mostly,” she added, “I definitely want to keep looking forward. Our work is not done, but let’s look to those out there doing the work and follow their lead. I hope this publication inspires all of us in ways big and small.”