Open access is one of the key priorities of community colleges in the United States of America. Open access means that all members of the college community—not just a select few—are welcome and encouraged to attain a college education, certification or refresher course either in workforce training or through the pursuit of advanced degrees.
This resource page is to encourage advocacy for change as it relates to the injustice and oppression of marginalized and underrepresented groups and/or individuals experiencing challenging situations with differences. The goal is to encourage future and deeper exploration in how we create spaces that are diverse, respectful and give a sense of belonging to all.
Please see various resources, topics and experiences adopted from across our local, national and global communities.
MCC invites you to assist our community in developing an institutional infrastructure that promotes diversity, inclusion, and equity for students, employees and community as stated in MCC's strategic plan. We encourage you to commit to lifelong self-evaluation and learning around the areas of Race, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (R.E.D.I.).
Race, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (REDI)
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Race: is a social construct: it's a human-invented classification system. It was invented as a way to define physical differences between people but has more often been used as a tool for oppression and violence.
Equity: is freedom from bias or favoritism.
Diversity: Diversity is any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another. In a nutshell, it's about empowering people by respecting and appreciating what makes them different, in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, education, and national origin.
Inclusion: Inclusion is an organizational effort and practice in which different groups or individuals having different backgrounds are culturally and socially accepted and welcomed, and equally treated.
These differences could be self-evident, such as national origin, age, race and ethnicity, religion/belief, gender, marital status and socioeconomic status or they could be more inherent, such as educational background, training, sector experience, organizational tenure, even personality, such as introverts and extroverts.
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Decades of research by organizational scientists, psychologists, sociologists, economists and demographers show that socially diverse groups (that is, those with a diversity of race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation) are more innovative than homogeneous groups.
It seems obvious that a group of people with diverse individual expertise would be better than a homogeneous group at solving complex, non-routine problems. It is less obvious that social diversity should work in the same way—yet science shows that it does.
This is not only because people with different backgrounds bring new Information. Simply interacting with individuals who are different forces group members to prepare better, to anticipate alternative viewpoints and to expect that reaching consensus will take effort.
Source: How Diversity Makes Us Smarter
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Social Class: A social class is a group of people of similar status, commonly sharing comparable levels of power and wealth.
Historically Underrepresented: The definition of Under-represented minority is far from being crystal clear. However, the URM designation is relatively consistent among schools. An underrepresented minority can be defined as a group whose percentage of the population in each group is lower than their percentage of the population in the country.
At many colleges and universities, underrepresented minorities are generally considered to include Hispanic/Latinos, African Americans, Native Americans, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, and those of two or more races. International students generally fall into a separate category of their own.
Ethnicity: an ethnic group; a social group that shares a common and distinctive culture, religion, language, or the like.
Culture: the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time.
Multiculturalism: is the co-existence of diverse cultures, where culture includes racial, religious, or cultural groups and is manifested in customary behaviors, cultural assumptions and values, patterns of thinking, and communicative styles.
Privilege: Unearned access to resources (social power) that are only readily available to some people because of their social group membership; an advantage, or immunity granted to or enjoyed by one societal group above and beyond the common advantage of all other groups. Privilege is often invisible to those who have it.
Ally: one that is associated with another as a helper.
Bias: A bias is a tendency, inclination, or prejudice toward or against something or someone. Some biases are positive and helpful—like choosing to only eat foods that are considered healthy or staying away from someone who has knowingly caused harm.
But biases are often based on stereotypes, rather than actual knowledge of an individual or circumstance. Whether positive or negative, such cognitive shortcuts can result in prejudgments that lead to rash decisions or discriminatory practices.
Stereotype: In social psychology, a stereotype is a fixed, over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people. By stereotyping we infer that a person has a whole range of characteristics and abilities that we assume all members of that group have.
Prejudice: A judgment or belief that is formed on insufficient grounds before facts are known or in disregard of facts that contradict it. Prejudices are learned and can be unlearned.
Discrimination: is defined as conduct directed at a student/employee on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression including transgender status), age (40 or older), national origin, disability, genetic Information (including family medical history) or any other class protected by law, that adversely affects the student's/employee's ability to participate and benefit from MCC's programs, activities, employment and/or status thereof.
- The ability to name or define.
- The ability to decide.
- The ability to set rules, standards, or policies.
- The ability to change the rules, standards, or policies to serve your needs, wants or desires.
- The ability to influence decisions makers to make choices in favor of your cause, issue or concern.
Assimilation: Assimilation is the process whereby persons and groups acquire the culture of other groups in which they come to live, by adopting its attitudes and values, its patterns of thinking and behaving—in short, its way of life.
Race/Color: any one of the groups that humans are often divided into based on physical traits regarded as common among people of shared ancestry.
Religion: Title VII defines "religion" to include "all aspects of religious observance and practice as well as belief." Religion includes not only traditional, organized religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, but also religious beliefs that are new, uncommon, not part of a formal church or sect, only subscribed to by a small number of people, or that seem illogical or unreasonable to others.
Sex: refers to the biological differences between males and females, such as the genitalia and genetic differences.
Gender: Gender refers to the socially constructed characteristics of women and men, such as norms, roles, and relationships of and between groups of women and men. It varies from society to society and can be changed.
Age: The time of life at which some particular qualification, power or capacity arises or rests.
National Origin: refers to a person's, or his or her ancestor's, country of birth or because a person has physical, cultural or linguistic characteristics of a national origin group.
Disability: The ADA defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. This includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability. It also includes individuals who do not have a disability but are regarded as having a disability.
Genetic Information: includes Information about an individual's genetic tests and the genetic tests of an individual's family members, as well as Information about the manifestations of a disease or disorder in an individual's family members (i.e. family medical history).
Family medical history is included in the definition of genetic Information because it is often used to determine whether someone has an increased risk of getting a disease, disorder, or condition in the future.
Genetic Information also includes an individual's request for, or receipt of, genetic services, or the participation in clinical research that includes genetic services by the individual or a family member of the individual, and the genetic Information of a fetus carried by an individual or by a pregnant woman who is a family member of the individual and the genetic Information of any embryo legally held by the individual or family member using an assisted reproductive technology.
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Here are Diversity & Inclusion Self/Assessments and tools of many topics – note these assessments, tests and tools or simply for awareness, thought and conversation purposes. Please do not use these assessments beyond the intended purpose of awareness, thought and conversation.
Project Implicit: is a non-profit organization and international collaboration between researchers who are interested in implicit social cognition – thoughts and feelings outside of conscious awareness and control. The goal of the organization is to educate the public about hidden biases and to provide a "virtual laboratory" for collecting data on the internet.
How do you know if you're an inclusive manager? This quiz will help you start conversations about inclusive leadership.
White Privilege Checklist: Peggy McIntosh, Associate Director of the Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, describes white privilege as "an invisible package of unearned assets, which I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was 'meant' to remain oblivious. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, code books, visas, clothes, tools, and blank checks." (McIntosh, 1989)
White Supremacy Culture Characteristics: White supremacy culture is the idea (ideology) that White people and the ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions of white people are superior to People of Color and their ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions.
Knowledge of the Hidden Rules of Social Class: A Questionnaire to help you gain insight into the taken-for-granted knowledge needed to survive in various social classes.
World Religion Quiz: This quiz is designed to test your knowledge of the religions of Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity.
Social Motivation: The SCARF® Model assesses the differences in people's social motivation. Some people are more sensitive to status threat and rewards, others to certainty and relatedness. Having SCARF needs satisfied drives engagement and retention.
Thinking Routines: This toolbox highlights Thinking Routines developed across a number of research projects at PZ. A vast array of PZ's work has explored the development of thinking, the concept of thinking dispositions, and the many ways routines can be used to support student learning and thinking across age groups, disciplines, ideals, competencies, and populations.
Personality Test: This personality quiz measures the BIG FIVE personality traits that were developed over three or four decades by several independent scientific researchers.
Personality Test: This free personality test is based on Carl Jung's and Isabel Briggs Myers' personality type theory.
Emotional Intelligence: How well do you know yourself and your emotions?
Additional resources
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- Crossroads Anti-racism Organizing and Training
- Crip Camp (A Disability Revolution)
- Undoing racism – The People's Institute for Survival and Beyond
- Social Justice Training Institute
- Facing Race
- Color Lines
- Othering & Belonging Conference
- UnidosUS – Stronger Communities. Stronger America
- Native Americans
- Hispanic/Latinx
- Anti-oppression resource & training alliance
- Differing Abilities/Disabilities
- National Disability Authority
- Intercultural Tool Kit
- Zinn Education Project
- Teaching Tolerance (K-12)
- Social Justice Books – A Teaching for Change Project (K-12)
- Equal Justice Initiative
- Adopting Cultural Humility
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- (K-12) Kass and Corn
- (Higher Education) The Center for transformation and change
- (Higher Education) Washington Consulting Group
- (General Industries) The Open Table KC – Anti-racism trainings
- (General Industries) Sophic Solutions, LLC.
- (General Industries) Alive and Well Kansas City
- Implicit bias
- How to recognize, address, and prevent workplace harassment
- 10 ways to promote anti-racism in the workplace | Forbes
- Sexism
- The harmful effects of ageism | Listen to America
- Understanding genetic discrimination
- Disability sensitivity training video
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Student and Employee Policies and Procedures
To share feedback and/or add additional resources you have found helpful to the race, equity, diversity and inclusion resource page, email OIE at diversityequtyinclusion@mcckc.edu.
We appreciate any ideas, reactions, additions and/or requests for this page as we continue to grow our community in REDI work.
We can't guarantee all submissions will be accommodated but we do welcome all entries and ideas for consideration.
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This webpage attempts to provide useful information and potential resources for individuals in the LGBTQ+ community, allies, and those interested in learning about LGBTQ+ topics.
Are you unsure about current language and terminology related to individuals in the LGBTQ+ community? Please review this helpful “Ally’s Guide to Terminology”
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MCC Student Non-Discrimination and Harassment Policy
Student Sex Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Policy
As a college that strives to promote a safe and inclusive environment for all students, MCC provides information on student rights and responsibilities including non-discrimination and non-harassment policies including sexual orientation and gender identity.
National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP), works to prevent, respond to, and end all forms of violence against and with LGBTQ+ communities.
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GLBT National Hotline: 1.888.843.4564
Trans Lifeline 1.877.565.8860
Local Mental Health Hotline: 1.888.279.8188
Trevor Lifeline
Trevor Lifeline provides trained counselors 24/7 to young people who are in crisis, feeling suicidal or who are in need of a safe and judgment-free place to talk: 866.488.7386Trans Lifeline
Trans Lifeline is a grassroots hotline and micro-grants organization offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis - for the trans community, by the trans community.MCC Cares
MCC Cares coordinates existing resources that have been established to promote the health and safety of our community.MCC Counselors
Learn about MCC Counselors and the free counseling services through MCC.Mental Health - Self Help & Social Anxiety
It Gets Better: Mission is to communicate to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth worldwide that it gets better and to create and inspire the changes needed to make it better. Hear video stories from Adam Lambert, Wanda Sykes, RuPaul, Tim Gunn and more.
We Are the Youth: An ongoing project chronicling the individual stories of LGBTQ+ youth in the United States. Since June 2010, We Are the Youth has profiled more than 100 young people across the US.
To Write Love: Dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.
Social Anxiety Questionnaire: Read posts and personal stories about social anxiety and take a self-scoring social anxiety questionnaire.
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Diverse clubs and organizations: Metropolitan Community College has Campus Life and Leadership offices that coordinate co-curricular programs, events and student organizations that are free and accessible to all students.
MCC events: The MCC events calendar provides an up-to-date overview of activities and events occurring on MCC campuses.
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This link to the BigFuture website is a user-friendly tool for general college and scholarship searches
This link to Affordable Colleges.com provides relevant information (e.g., college selection processes) and resources (e.g., links to specific scholarships) for individuals in the LGBTQ community.
Fastweb is a free, credible scholarship search engine.
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The UMKC link lists some Kansas City organizations, groups, and services for our LGBTQ+ community.
Serves gay, lesbian, transgender, bi-sexual & questioning people by providing free & confidential peer-supported and local resources. Use the "Near Me" search function to locate a diversity of GLBT resources in your area.
The Kansas City Chapter of GLSEN promotes respectful educational communities through research, support, education and action.
The Gender and Sexuality Center offers an extensive list of regional, national, international resources including scholarships.
Kansas City PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) offers Support Groups (chapter meetings) where you'll get to know other people with LGBTQ+ family members and friends, and receive information and support.
The Equality House in Topeka, KS, symbolizes compassion, peace, and positive change.
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Books and Videos
MCC Library
A very quick and convenient way for MCC students to access books online or have them forwarded to your college campus.The GLBT National Help Center provides a list of books, films, videos or YouTube channels that might be helpful in understanding gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues.
Networking Sites
Kansas City Center for Inclusion
Kansas City Center for Inclusion offers referrals to LGBTQ+ resources, on-site counseling, educational sessions and social events and a lending library and reading area.TrevorSpace
Join a supportive LGBTQ+ youth community on TrevorSpaceGLBT National Help Center
The GLBT National Help Center offers free & confidential peer-supported and local resources including an Online Peer-Support Chat option, Instant Messaging with a peer counselor volunteer and a Trans Teens Online Talk Group. Local (Kansas City metro area) Facebook groups: