Melissa Lewis, a junior majoring in elementary teacher education,
received the award for her promotion of racial and cultural awareness
regarding issues of diversity and social justice in the classroom and
extracurricular activities. As President of ASPIRE, a student-centered
program committed to educators from diverse backgrounds, Lewis works
directly with underrepresented members of the UD community, helping them
become confident and successful teachers. She holds this position while
balancing an 18-credit course load, a 20-hour work schedule and other
academic and extracurricular commitments.
Lewis also holds a Spanish minor and is conducting research on
English-language learners whose first language is Spanish, a
consistently underrepresented and understudied population.
“Ms. Lewis is a remarkably thoughtful, goal-oriented student,” said
Stephanie Del Tufo, assistant professor in the College of Education and
Human Development, in her nomination letter. “In my EDUC210 class, she
excelled, consistently demonstrating an ability to think and communicate
analytical questions regarding the integration of racial and cultural
awareness in the classroom. These questions are a natural extension of
her focus on inclusive learning.”
The Louis L. Redding Lecture
The Louis L. Redding Lecture Series was developed by the Office of
the Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion to remember the first
African American attorney admitted to the Delaware Bar in 1929. A
world-renowned civil rights advocate, Louis Redding led the 1954 U.S.
Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education. In this landmark
case, he argued that issues of race and class were still embedded in
American culture.
This year, the Defamation Experience headlined the lecture. The
Defamation Experience is a three-phase, interactive diversity program
that explores the highly charged issues of race, class, religion, gender
and the law. Featuring a riveting courtroom drama by award-winning
playwright Todd Logan, the premise is a civil suit in which an African
American female business owner sues a Jewish male real estate developer
for defamation. Guided by legal defense for both the defendant and the
plaintiff and a judge, the audience gets to hear both “sides” of the
story.
The twist of the Defamation Experience is that the audience is part
of the performance, playing the jury in the case. The audience is asked
to adjudicate and then “vote” on which person has the most compelling
case based on the depositions presented. The program is followed by a
facilitated discussion where the performers engage the audience on how
and why they made their decisions. The experience is intended to
generate honest conversation and challenge people’s preconceived notions
about race, class and religion, leading to greater empathy and
understanding about different lived experiences.
“The Defamation Experience brought a fresh perspective on issues of
diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Vaughan. “The themes derived
from the program are parallel to the University’s guiding principle of
inclusive excellence and our commitment to fostering a climate of
fairness, civility, dignity and equity on campus. Its interactive format
allowed UD faculty, staff, students and members of the general public
to ask tough questions and hear the viewpoints of others, which is
critical because we all have very unique and diverse life experiences,
cultural perspectives, identities and backgrounds.”
Article by Brooklynn Hitchens; photos by Lane McLaughlin
Published May 7, 2020
