WITHDRAWN: RCDC Research Roots & Wings Roundtable I: Mentorship that supports Anti-Racist and Inclusive Research

A primary focus of doctoral education, as stated in the mission statement of GADE, is to prepare the next generation of scholars, researchers, and educators who function as stewards of the disciplines(GADE Strategic Plan, 2016). Systemic racism underscored by the death of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, as well as other unarmed African American/Black and people of color, the rising pandemic othering and Asian discrimination, and a political climate that fuels xenophobia and hate against Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) challenge doctoral education to revisit how we are preparing the next generation of social work scholars to decolonize and de-center whiteness in social work research. To this end, how we mentor doctoral students, how to support them to conduct research and scholarship in a way that promotes social justice and inclusion and produce knowledge that has the potential to eradicate subtle or explicit racism are crucial next steps for creating an environment for inclusive social work research. In addition to supporting anti-racist doctoral training that promotes diversity, inclusion, and equity as well as eliminates anti-Blackness and de-center whiteness in research, educators are continually challenged to embrace mentoring practices that support historically underrepresented or marginalized student groups and engages the contributions of African American/Black scholars, other scholars of color and other minoritized groups.

This roundtable aims to generate a dialogue about fostering anti-racist and inclusive mentoring practices and how to prepare our doctoral students to conduct anti-racist and inclusive research, across various stages of their career trajectory. This roundtable brings together featured panel participants and audience members to explore the following topics:

Anti-racist and inclusive mentoring; Mentoring practices that support students in conducting anti-racist and inclusive research; How faculty can support each other to expand our own capacity to engage in anti-racist and inclusive mentoring; Institutional efforts and practices that support anti-racist and inclusive mentoring.

Featured participants will share their experience and a framework related to these topics and facilitate an active roundtable conversation with the audience. Please bring your own experiences and perspectives to add to this timely conversation!