PCSB DEI Book Club
As an initiative of the PCSB DEI Committee, the DEI Book Club began in September 2022 by reading The Privileged Poor by author Anthony Abraham Jack. The book brings to light the struggles that some students face on college campuses. Jack draws on his interviews with dozens of undergraduates from one of America’s most esteemed colleges, as well as reveling in his own personal experience as one of the “privileged poor.”
The faculty-student reading group began at the beginning of the Fall 2022 semester with the goal of helping PCSB faculty and students to better understand the lived experiences of underrepresented students in PCSB.
Students and faculty met separately and then all met to discuss the book in person over dinner. 25 plus participants met in person at Kin Southern Table – a local, black-woman-owned restaurant – on Wednesday, November 16 to discuss findings.
A key takeaway from the discussion was the availability of office hours to students. Faculty office hours are not just for talking through assignments or course content, they also serve as a space for students to talk about problems with schoolwork or life. Students are encouraged to reach out to professors if their office hours do not work with their schedule, as office hours are not the only time that faculty are available.
Not only are office hours a great resource for students, but they are also an opportunity to educate students on the abundance of resources that Providence College offers. The College supports students facing food insecurity, financial insecurity, safety issues, mental health issues, among others.
Book club members also discussed the need for dialogue to be held with white students to understand the importance of inclusion both inside and beyond the classroom. This could be done with a common book to be read by all incoming students highlighting the need for inclusion among all PCSB students.
