Aspiring Anti-Racist Allies Affinity Group

Aspiring Anti-Racist Allies (AARA) is an affinity space primarily for self-identified white staff, faculty and alumni at Xavier University who want to become anti-racist, anti-supremacist allies and examine their own ideas about race and racism. We challenge ourselves and other white people to take responsibility for racist oppression, and we welcome opportunities to communicate, collaborate and build relationships with people of color in order to challenge racism together.

Our goal is to develop awareness, knowledge and skills that will enable us to work in solidarity with others towards racial justice on campus and in our broader community. Our work supports Xavier's commitment to helping everyone on campus cultivate lives of reflection, compassion and informed action by addressing the intellectual, moral and spiritual dimensions of racism and white supremacy.

We meet bi-weekly to reeducate ourselves, work through current events and find opportunities for solidarity with and supporting our community members of color.

Committee Members

- Laney Bender-Slack, PhD, Professor, Reading/TESOL and Program Director of Middle Childhood Education
- Angela Gray-Girton, Director, Eigel Center for Community-Engaged Learning
- Wendy Maxian, PhD, Associate Professor, Communication
- Thomas Strunk, PhD, Associate Professor, Classics and Modern Languages
- Andrea Wawrzusin Ed.D.- University Registrar, Registrar's Office

For More Information Contact:
Wendy Maxian at maxianw@xavier.edu or 513-745-3126