IUPUI Receives $25,000 Grant for White Racial Literacy Project

White students, faculty, and staff at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis will have an opportunity to improve their racial literacy next fall.

The Lumina Foundation awarded the university $25,000 from its Racial Justice and Equity Fund for the White Racial Literacy Project. It will include workshops, a speaker series, and a social media campaign.

Lori Patton Davis, professor of urban education in the IUPUI School of Education, says the project is an opportunity to specifically engage white people and combat racist incidents. In 2016, fliers with white supremacist messages appeared on IUPUI’s campus.

“I would love for the people who are participating in this [project] to feel as if they can hold another white person accountable,” Patton Davis says.

The project will begin in the fall and last through May 2019. IUPUI will contribute funding in addition to the grant.

Correction: An earlier version of this post included the incorrect title for Lori Patton Davis. She is a professor of urban education in the IUPUI School of Education.