Inside Drake University’s new John Dee Bright College, situated in Meredith Hall, the inaugural class leans into conversations about race.
Finger snaps occasionally follow candid remarks. Bright students hunger for these conversations, which have been missing in their high schools and workplaces in a state that is 84.5% white, according to the 2020 US Census.
While school board candidates nationally and locally battle over critical race theory and equity, deeply personal conversations about racial justice happen daily at Bright, a new two-year college that prioritizes admitting diverse students and forges a new path in Drake’s 140-year history. The first semester includes seven modules, all of which include racial justice in the title.
