Carthage College has received new donations totaling over $500,000 this fiscal year to support an expanding list of equity and inclusion initiatives at the school. Officials announced the donations during a Martin Luther King Day celebration Monday.
The total includes $412,000 for intercultural programs born from an anti-racism plan of action that Carthage President John Swallow issued last summer. In the plan, Carthage committed to close the equity gap in graduation rates, expand resources for diversity, equity and inclusion and infuse the legacy of race and racism in the United States throughout the curriculum.
“The theme for our Dr. King celebration, ‘Moving from Spirit to Action,’ reflects Carthage’s determination to clear the educational obstacles that institutionalized inequities have placed in front of too many students,” Swallow said. “Our march toward equity is as essential as it is ambitious, and this strong philanthropic support demonstrates a community-wide commitment to attain those goals.”
Carthage has worked to solidify its support for students from historically underserved minorities by taking a variety of steps in recent months by:
Opening an Intercultural Center for Equity, Advocacy and Engagement that serves as a safe space for students to gather and a hub for inclusive campus programming.
Read more at the Kenosha News.