The Commission on Latino Affairs and Commission on the Black Experience recently held the inaugural Black & Latinx Faculty Writing Retreat, which took place May 18th – 20th at the Horse Shoe Farm in Hendersonville, NC.
The three-day retreat, which brought together eighteen faculty participants, was co-organized by Harrison Pinckney, Assistant Professor of PRTM (Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management) and Arelis Moore de Peralta, Associate Professor of Community Health (Languages) and chair of the faculty empowerment for the Commission on Latino Affairs, with the goal of creating a productive, collaborative writing environment where Black and Latinx faculty could share ideas, support one another in the writing process, and participate in three days of focused writing. In addition to allotted focused writing time, the retreat provided opportunities for attendees to share their writing progress and challenges in Quality Review Circles, receive constructive criticism and culturally and contextually relevant feedback from peers, participate in a discussion with representatives from the Provost Office, and attend a panel on effective grant writing.
Along with providing a supportive space for making tangible progress on writing projects, the retreat allowed faculty participants to build a community with a truly unique and encouraging aim. Through events such as a barbeque, games centered on African American culture, and other social gatherings, participants were able to make valuable connections with colleagues which will continue to enhance and enrich their Clemson faculty experience through a new sense of community.
This distinctive and impressive new event is an exciting example of how Clemson University can support growth and community for Black and Latinx faculty while increasing productivity and fostering an encouraging and supportive community. We are thrilled to share these experiences and look forward to future events.
For more information on the Clemson University Commision on Latino Affairs and the Commission on the Black Experience, please see the commissions’ profiles on Clemson University’s Commissions page.
