Dr. Reale Named 2024-25 CASAA Community of Practice Director

The Center for Antiracist Scholarship, Advocacy, and Action (CASAA) Leadership Team appointed Dr. Michelle Reale, professor and access services and outreach librarian, as the CASAA Community of Practice Director for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Dr. Reale has served as a recent CASAA Scholar-Advocate, created Arcadia's Reckoning with Race workshops, and authored the 2022 book, "Communities of Practice in the Academic Library: Strategies for Implementation."

"In today's climate, where concerted efforts persist to undermine Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, the role of antiracist communities of practice at Arcadia University takes on heightened significance," explained Dr. Christopher Varlack, associate professor of English, executive director of CASAA, and director of Pan African Studies at Arcadia. "These communities serve as essential spaces where our community members collaboratively confront the realities of racism, oppression, and inequity all while engaging in the kinds of critical self-reflection needed to bring about global change."

This fall, Dr. Reale will guide discussions on "The Anti-Racist Vocab Guide: An Illustrated Introduction to Dismantling Anti-Blackness" by Maya Ealey, aimed at refining our language and understanding surrounding antiracism. Then, in the spring, she will delve into "The Weight of Whiteness: A Feminist Engagement with Privilege, Race, and Ignorance" by Dr. Alison Bailey, fostering deeper reflections on how privilege and power operate within our lives.

"Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Dr. Michelle Reale," closed Dr. Varlack. "Her expertise, commitment, and leadership will undoubtedly empower our community to actively engage with these issues, furthering our collective journey toward a more just and inclusive environment at Arcadia University and beyond."