Melissa K. Fore, Ph.D. (she/her)
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Melissa Fore teaches in the Humanities, Culture and Writing department at Michigan State University’s James Madison College. Her teaching explores how concepts of race, class, gender and sexuality are culturally constructed and how these constructions are produced as a result of social, political, and economic values. Melissa’s courses examine approaches to outreach and engagement in order to give students models for addressing inequities that plague their communities.
In examining her own identity as a white woman, Melissa came to see how identity formation is linked to power and privilege, and how dismantling white supremacy is central to social, political, and economic justice. Dr. Fore has participated in anti-racism seminars with Melanie Morrison, Executive Director of Allies for Change, and learned about systemic racism from experts such as Austin Channing Brown, author of I Am Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness. She has also co-facilitated in MSU’s “Dialogues on Race” for faculty who are committed to creating equitable classroom spaces and confronting their own biases. In her community, Melissa co-founded the Marble Elementary School Equity Team, a local parent committee that works to change systemic inequities in elementary schools and is currently involved in bringing that work to the middle school in East Lansing. |
She serves as the co-chair of the East Lansing Sex Education Advisory board where she has listened to student concerns about more inclusive curriculum and clearer access to community resources.
Dr. Fore is committed to anti-oppression education and strives to work alongside our BIPOC communities in order to challenge white supremacy in all of its forms. At the core of her teaching is compassion and empathy—all of us have been socialized in a nation that privileges white people and their lived experiences. Her hope is that understanding how this socialization happens, how systems of privilege are formed, and how they harm us all, will bring about lasting changes in our community. |
Click here to learn more about Dr. Fore's impact.
Tanya Paslawski (she/her)
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Tanya's own experiences in facilitated conversations about racism and white-identified caucus groups compelled her to justice work. She is the founder of Elevated Engagement, a consulting firm providing services to build meaningful connections between policy makers and the commnities they serve in a just and inclusive way, addressing systemic inequities and elevating the voices of those harmed by legacy practices.
Tanya is an attorney and energy industry veteran with over 20 years of experience in policy development, analysis, and advocacy. She serves on the boards of the Institute for Energy Innovation and We Want Green Too, and is an appointee to the Michigan Council on Climate Solutions. Tanya has a law degree from Michigan State University College of Law with a concentration in environmental and natural resource law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Oakland University. She is licensed to practice law in Michigan and is a Certified Diversity Professional. Tanya’s work is influenced by her training as a certified meditation teacher and study of Kingian Non-Violence. |