The last thing Erica Shambley, the Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications for Virginia State University (VSU)’s College of Agriculture, wanted was a band-aid, check-the-box effort for diversity. An emerging partnership between VSU and Virginia Tech tapped Shambley, a self-identifying Black woman, to join at a time when people across the country protested George Floyd’s death and some residents of Richmond, Virginia, demanded the removal of local Confederate statues. Once she got involved, Shambley “found out not only was this extremely important and valuable, but I never thought we could have such open dialogue about diversity and coming together in the workplace the way that we do.”

The Coming Together for Racial Understanding (CTRU) program has a “vision to grow a community of Extension professionals well prepared to foster meaningful community conversations around race, leading to positive change.” Shambley sees this work as critical to the mission of Extension at VSU. “We are strengthening our definition of community, which is our workplace. And our goal is if we’re comfortable identifying our differences internally, that will help us when we go out into the community.”

Petersburg, VA, is VSU’s home. As a result, their Extension programs have many community initiatives in the predominantly Black city. “Some agents come from a different cultural background and don’t know how to have certain conversations,” says Shambley. “Our goal is to make ourselves comfortable with this dialogue, so we can start having these dialogues in the community.”

At the same time, VSU Extension specialist and 4-H STEAM educator Dr. Chantel Wilson began their work with the Virginia Cooperative Extension DEI Fellows Program at VSU. Dr. Wilson will work statewide to provide DEI workshops, covering topics like disabilities, neurodiversity, and racial understanding. “In 4-H in particular, there’s a bit of polarization on some topics, including LGBTQ issues,” says Wilson. They note that as an 1890 institution, VSU’s mission involves “making a concentrated effort to reach minority, underrepresented, at-risk, and economically disadvantaged groups.”

“We want to get the message out there that Extension is for everyone,” Wilson emphasizes. “We are open to all races, all genders; it doesn’t matter what sexual orientation you have. It’s truly a program for all adults and youth.”

Shambley and other CTRU leaders received training and began a series of “Monday Dialogues” with colleagues where she would facilitate conversations and ask open-ended questions. Facilitators begin by emphasizing guidelines for conversational safe space. Shambley describes the experience as emotional, as colleagues who may or may not work closely together come together to open up, be receptive, admit to blind spots and biases, or share their personal experiences with racism. Participants speak to touchy subjects, and some experience breakthroughs in their understanding of how their lived experiences impact their work today.  

Dr. Wilson has been participating in similar dialogues. “In our initial training, different folks came together, and we just really tried to relate with our peers and get on a more personal level,” they say. “We shared our stories, if we’d ever experienced any kind of discrimination, and shared what we’re passionate about, whether it’s serving youth, or social justice issues.” The result of these work sessions was a deeper understanding among colleagues and a clear vision of how to work together and identify and address inclusivity issues in VSU’s Extension programming.

Shambley was nominated to join the National CTRU Team and envisions an inclusive future for Extension, where everyone can trust that their unique perspective and experiences will be seen and respected. “Everyone is a part of our mission,” Shambley says. “Are we reaching them? Are our specialists comfortable speaking with different people? A perfect dream is that we take all this effort and develop the resources we need to be able to target different places and communities and truly meet our mark.”

Dr. Wilson is excited to create programs that engage more groups and foster understanding among staff and VCE volunteers. So far, the group has committed to doing at least two DEI workshops per year and compiling DEI resources. In addition, Wilson is looking forward to leading a discussion in a book club on “Divergent Mind” by Jenara Nerenberg. This book offers an excellent glimpse into the experience of neurodivergent individuals. Discussion of the book will help to improve understanding and the ability to provide inclusive programming among VCE faculty and staff.

“I’m really proud of Virginia Cooperative Extension and what we’re doing in terms of DEI efforts,” says Wilson. “We want everybody to feel included and welcomed in all of our programming.”

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