Oral History Interview: Virginia Harris

This interview is one of series conducted concerning the Oral History of Appalachia. Mrs. Virginia Harris was an African American woman who lived in West Virginia. She discusses: racism and discrimination she faced; segregation in schools (including Barnett Elementary and Douglass High School); the Civil Rights Movement; World War II; the Vietnam War; her family; the Antioch Baptist Church; her Appalachian identity; and other topics.https://mds.marshall.edu/oral_history/1475/thumbnail.jp

Ella and Henry: A Standards Based Unit and Accompanying Novel

My CE/T consists of a young adult novel appropriate for elementary students and an accompanying Standards Based Unit of Study (SBUS). An SBUS is an instructional plan for teaching and learning that addresses content areas in a meaningful way. As part of the SBUS, I am including lesson plans, essential questions, a calendar for teaching this four-week unit, all worksheets, writing prompts, and other activities to be used, and an annotated bibliography of related works. The nature of this project is creative, as I have designed a unit for use in the elementary classroom. It will cover material from various content areas, such as reading, writing, and history. My approach is unique in that I will be writing an original work to use with this project, rather than a book written by someone else. My students will gain much from having an author as their teacher, because I will be able to motivate and challenge them in unique ways

An index to high school journalism

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University, 1948. This item was digitized by the Internet Archive

Team Vision Focusing on the Future: Assessing Community Needs and Outreach

Faced with this challenge, Team Vision took a multi-pronged approach toward generating a solution. The first prong looked internally to delineate the scope of the problem, define community and community engagement, and understand VCU’s current commitment to community engagement. Next, looking external beyond the University, the team identified model institutions from which an approach for assessing community needs and determining appropriate projects could be garnered. Specifically, Team Vision, investigated Carnegie designated “Community Engaged Universities:” those institutions which have met stringent curricular and partnership criteria. The third step was to identify assessment tools and methods already in use at the University and in the City of Richmond. The final step was to come up with a series of recommendations that the University can implement. VCU’s definition of community, “Where the University has a sustained presence,” is based upon the Carnegie Foundation classification of “Community Engagement.” The Foundation term “Community Engagement” describes the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity1. VCU has demonstrated its commitment to maintaining this Carnegie Foundation classification through its multi-faceted approach toward community engagement. Of the 61 other institutions that also have this designation, Team Vision chose to investigate Portland State University, North Carolina State University, Michigan State University, Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis, and Elon University to investigate

Interdisciplinary Honors Module and Sequence: Honors Seminar in Women\u27s Health

The proposal includes the development of a pilot involving a sequence of two honors modules (each one-and-a-half credit hours) in the Department of Psychology. Other disciplines involved would include psychiatry, sociology, women\u27s studies, and women\u27s health. During the first module, scheduled during the first half ofthe semester, the course would be seminar in format on alternating course days with independent experiential work and assignments with chosen faculty on interim class days. Students would write a paper on their experiences and work during the course. The responsibility for coordination of the independent study course would rest with a graduate student (or faculty member) in the home department. Resources for the frnding of this pilot seminar and module would be framed within the current structure for the ftnding of Honors modules. Any additional resources would be requested from the Dean, Provost\u27s and President\u27s offices. Costs for the course would include support for the graduate student coordination ofthe module and a small research fund to support the activities of each honors student. This pilot would be an opportunity to develop a model for interdisciplinary honors module development. Additional ftnding opportunities for expansion of this strategy would be identified with Samantha Marrs in VCU\u27s Office of Corporate and Foundation Giving. In addition, this strategy could inform undergraduate course and academic program development within VCU\u27s Social Science Initiative and ñžnding could be sought in coordination with that effort

A Racial Impact Analysis of HB 32: Minimum Wage Increase

The racial equity impact of HB 32 is important because minorities in Virginia disproportionately work in minimum wage positions. The purpose of this report is to provide a racial impact analysis of House Bill (HB) 32, legislation proposed in the 2014 Virginia General Assembly to increase the minimum wage from $7.25 to$8.50 an hour. According to 2013 data, 1.8 million workers in Virginia are paid hourly rates and 6.8 percent of these workers earn the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Examining fiscal years 2015 to 2020 for the Commonwealth, such an increase would cost$2,712,696. This impact includes the costs to cover additional staff for enforcement of the bill. Moreover, based on data provided by the Department of Human Resource Management, such an increase would also affect 264 salaried employees, costing an additional $296,252. In sum, this report examines the various and differing components surrounding HB 32 and minimum wage from a comprehensive perspective. This report examines why HB 32 failed, analyzes minimum wage versus living wage, and discusses what steps can be taken to promote racial income equality. In addition, this report charts a path forward toward policy that can be implemented legislatively with a positive effect on Virginia’s communities

A Racial Impact Analysis of HB 462

The adoption of House Bill 462 into law brings forth questions about the probable impact on the physical, mental, emotional and financial well-being of the women in Virginia. In particular, analysis of its effect on the minority and underserved female population is required. Understanding the origin of this new legislation and the thinking behind its proposal and subsequent adoption dictates an endeavor into the backgrounds and intended goals of its sponsors and supporters. Proponents of HB 462 were unresponsive to requests for an interview to expound on their perspective about the importance of the legislation. This precipitated the use of media clips from televised political discussions and newspaper articles to acquire direct quotes in an effort to gain insight into their position. Legislation of morality emerged as the key them from the research materials assembled. This belief is shared by many who oppose the law. The Supreme Court put forth the following as the reasoning behind its decision, in Planned Parenthood v. Casey: “Some of us as individuals find abortion offensive to our most basic principles of morality, but that cannot control our decision. Our obligation is to define the liberty of all, not to mandate our own moral code...at the heart of liberty is the right to define one\u27s own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life.” Opponents of HB 462 regard the law as contrary to the decision. If, in fact, this legislation is not intended to impose the morality of its sponsors on all Virginians, as the research suggests, it is probable that it will have a disparate impact on the minority and underserved segment of the population

SB 106 Congressional and state legislative districts; standards and criteria

This report examines Senate Bill (SB) 106, introduced during the 2018 Virginia General Assembly session to address the criterion of redistricting and the specific impact on racial and ethnic minorities. This legislation is a direct response to previous legislative attempts to address gerrymandering and remains an evolving issue in the Commonwealth