Terrain V01 - Journal - Page 13
Sterling College | 11
“We recognize that climate change and environmental degradation disproportionately
impact communities of color,and thus the
intersection of environmental and social
justice and creating conditions of genuine
inclusion is our responsibility.”
-Dr. Lori Collins-Hall, Interim President
Rachael Blansett
Sterling Appoints Rachael Blansett as Diversity & Inclusion Fellow
A collaborative effort by Sterling and Maine’s College of the Atlantic (COA) to bolster antiracist
initiatives has led to the hiring of a Diversity & Inclusion Fellow to support both institutions.
After an exhaustive national search, Rachael Blansett has been appointed to the new position,
which is made possible with a generous grant from The Endeavor Foundation. She began her
fellowship on August 1.
“As two ecologically focused institutions, Sterling and COA prioritize the relationships between
humans and the natural world and deeply value the diversity of nature and human cultures. By
partnering, these two small colleges can efficiently share resources, hold each other accountable, take advantage of scale where it makes sense, and learn and grow together in their effort
to effectively become anti-racist institutions,” President Emeritus Matthew Derr said.
Blansett’s expertise includes student activism and agency. She values intersectional critique
and analysis, developing self love and healing from trauma, and building coalitions and relationships across queer communities of color. She comes to this role from the University
of Michigan, and most recently from the University of California-Berkeley where she was
the resident director for a residential community of over 600 students and the Asian Pacific
American Theme House.
Blansett offered, “I look forward to building relationships between both institutions, providing
support for marginalized communities on campus, and developing and facilitating trainings
covering issues such as anti-Blackness, decolonization, and building solidarity.”
Blansett’s work will include deeper faculty-driven engagements with the Abenaki (Vermont)
and Wabenaki (Maine) nations; coordinated visits by experts, scholars, and activists of color to
lead and to participate in academic programming; encouragement and mentorship for student
activists of all races and identities; and student life support to broaden the social and academic experience for students of color and link the communities on both campuses virtually for
regular group meetings and shared programming.
Rachael’s recommended reading:
Plantation Politics and Campus Rebellions:
Power, Diversity, and the Emancipatory Struggle in Higher Education
(Williams, Squire & Tuitt, 2021)
Photo: Compliments of Rachael Blansett