The Racial Equity Collaboratory at the University of Pittsburgh was launched this past year through a Pitt Momentum Funds Teaming Grant awarded to Dr. Kyaien Conner, Director of the Center on Race and Social Problems (CRSP) and Associate Dean for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the School of Social Work. The project, “Creating Synergies and Collaborations to Advance Race-Based Research at the University of Pittsburgh,” laid the foundation for a new hub to connect and amplify race-related scholarship across the University and in partnership with the community.
“The Racial Equity Collaboratory represents a bold and necessary shift in how we approach race-based scholarship, not as isolated efforts, but as a unified, interdisciplinary synergistic movement. By building infrastructure that connects researchers, centers, and communities, we are creating a space where equity work can thrive, evolve, and drive real change. We hope the Racial Equity Collaboratory can serve as a catalyst for transformation, where knowledge meets action, voices are amplified, collaboration is fostered, and equity and justice can be realized” said Dr. Conner.
Six University of Pittsburgh centers and departments with a racial equity lens (the Center for Health Equity, Center for Racial Justice and Civil Rights, Center for Urban Education, Center for African Studies, Center for Ethnic Studies, and Department of Africana Studies) partnered with CRSP on this Collaboratory. Together, they are developing a localized repository for race-related research and initiatives, cultivating interdisciplinary teams, and creating new pathways for community-engaged scholarship.
Central to the Collaboratory’s launch was the development of its digital platform, led by Oluwafemi Adesanmi. His leadership and guidance were key as he partnered with web developers to thoughtfully design the front and back-end components of the online platform. “We designed the Racial Equity Collaboratory to transform research into connection, and connection into change, because true equity lives where knowledge and community meet” states Adesanmi. The Collaboratory was unveiled this spring with an in-person launch event that invited Pitt faculty, staff, students, and community members to network, register for the platform, and attend an engaging panel discussion on race-focused research.
CRSP co-director Ron Idoko said, “We’re excited for the opportunity to further elevate the impactful equity work being done in our communities by people of all backgrounds, recognizing that we are all contributors in the work of building beloved community. Together, through shared engagement and insight, we look forward to continuing this important work.”