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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A New Approach
On this episode, Dr. Vernard Gant shares his approach to the issue of diversity, equity, and inclusion from over 40 years of experience in the civil rights movement and urban ministry.
Dr. Vernard Gant is the director of the A.C.E. Student Success Center with the Association of Christian Schools International. Dr. Gant’s department oversees more than 650 Christian schools throughout the nation. It targets and serves academically disenfranchised, culturally diverse, and/or economically disadvantaged children (A.C.E. students). Dr. Gant is a graduate of Columbia International University, Birmingham Theological Seminary, and Trinity University.
Dr. Gant has been the recipient of numerous awards including the prestigious Jeffersonian Award by the Jeffersonian Award Foundation in Washington, DC. And the Paul Harris Fellow Award presented by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. He helped develop two Christian schools in Birmingham, AL serving A.C.E. students and has assisted in the start-up of several similar schools across the nation.
Dr. Gant has served on several boards including the Life Skills Alternative School, the Spreading Hope Network, the National Association of Street Schools, the Black Alliance for Educational Options, the American Center for School Choice, Discovery Institute’s American Center for Transforming Education Parental Choice Advisory Board, and chaired the Colorado State Advisory Committee for the US Commission on Civil Rights. Dr. Gant has been involved in urban ministry for nearly forty years and in the parental choice movement for over 20 years. He currently resides in Colorado Springs, CO. with his wife, Cynthia.
Top Takeaways
- Dr. Gant talks about a new approach to the issue of diversity, equity, and inclusion, sharing some of his own story of dealing with racism from a young age. I mention listening to his presentation at The Brooklyn Tabernacle and you might watch that video for some more context.
- Later in the episode, we talk about the Christian’s responsibility in affecting social change and the limits of legislating or regulating morality in a complex world. I mention a book by French sociologist, Jacques Ellul and you can find that here.
- Dr. Gant mentions the challenges in defining terms when we are trying to address issues. Making sure we know what we mean when we are talking about issues is important. We would all do better to make sure we know what we’re talking about when we are talking about something.
- At the end of the conversation, we talk about the positivity of civil dialogue. It’s challenging to talk about contentious issues in a polarized culture. But engaging in dialogue is essential to moving away from argument and toward solutions. For more on that, check out this article on the why definitions matter.