We encourage all members of the IUP community to take advantage of the resources and programs offered in honor of Black History Month, and throughout the year, on the issue of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
As we begin our celebration, we are proud to present junior psychology major Erika Jackson reading her poem, “The Disease of White Supremacy.”
Erika received a standing ovation during the fall 2022 NAACP Talent show for her presentation of her poem. A member of the Cook Honors College and the Psychology Honors Program, she is a recipient of both the Promising Scholars and Sutton scholarships and is an active member of many campus organizations, including the Collegiate Women in Progress, Students Against Racism, Diversity Peer Mentors, and the NAACP-IUP Chapter; for many of these groups, Erika is responsible for event planning and marketing and social media. As the NAACP’s Education Chair, she has created multiple presentations, including “The Achievement Gap,” which explains the persistent disparity in academic achievement between minority and disadvantaged students and their white counterparts. She is a student worker in IUP’s Social Equity and Title IX Office.