A nonprofit launched earlier this month by two experienced education
and community advocates is working to make sure more Midwestern
minority students graduate from high school and college.
DevonshireSmith Diversity & Education Solutions
is a consulting and advocacy firm co-founded by Blanche Pringle Smith
and Michael Griffin. Both have worked for numerous higher education and
community-based organizations and are experienced in youth development. They met as former colleagues at Northern Kentucky University's Office of African American Student Affairs.
They
started the firm to help shift the educational conversation about
"minoritized" students - a term the foundation uses in describing its
focus.
"We were very deliberate about using that term. The word
minority is put on people primarily for economic or political purposes.
That term can carry social baggage many times, and how that plays out
in schools system can have some negative effects," said Griffin, who
lives in Clifton and has a master's from UC's School of Social Work.
A
primary goal of the nonprofit is to partner in developing programs that
will raise retention and graduation rates for minority students in high
school and college.
"You often see (pronouncements) like 'This
is the largest class of African-American students, or Latino students'
in an institution, but you never really hear about how many how many of
those students graduated. That's what we want to focus on," Griffin
said.
DevonshireSmith will center that effort initially in the
Midwest, but has plans to expand and grow. The organization is still in
its early stages but is beginning to work with some local school
districts, college and youth development agencies, Griffin said.
DevonshireSmith
had its first board meeting July 17. The Board includes Jason Riviero,
President of the League of United Latin American Citizens-Ohio, Coby C.
Williams of ProgressOhio in Columbus, Robert Clay, Chairperson,
Director of Multicultural Affairs Xavier University, and Marissa Woodly
Vice Chairperson, Development Director at Cincinnati Habitat for
Humanity.
Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Michael Griffin, co founder DevonshireSmith Diversity & Education Solutions
You can follow Feoshia on twitter
@feoshiasoapbox
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.