Race and Social Equity Academy

RACE AND SOCIAL EQUITY ACADEMY (RASE)

Our Mission:

RASE fosters the scholarship of practice and research focused on advancing racial and social equity. We support projects that acknowledge intersecting social statuses and identities and promote culturally responsive approaches to optimize human and community well-being.

Our Vision:

RASE will serve as an international center of excellence focused on eliminating racial and social inequities across social services, healthcare, education, healthcare, and criminal justice systems.

Our Purpose:

RASE is committed to bringing together thought leaders engaged in advocacy, social justice, cutting-edge scholarship, and inclusive practices for individuals, families, and communities. RASE is grounded in four action areas, including training/professional development, research collaborations, community partnerships, and programmatic initiatives. The RASE Academy is a volunteer initiative.

RASE Academy Director
Matthew Mills, M.S.W., L.C.S.W.

Matthew Mills is a Lecturer in the School of Social Work and Director of the Race and Social Equity Research Academy. Matthew focuses on supporting community based engagement to support social justice advocacy as well as policy change. Within this scope of work, he focuses on learning and engaging with a myriad of population groups and supports to help navigate racial and social equity and foster a positive culture of integration and justice.

UNC Charlotte Faculty Advisory Group Members

Dante Bryant, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work
Tianca Crocker, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work
Kevin Edwards-Knight, MSW, LCSW, Senior Lecturer, School of Social Work

Upcoming events

Past Event Guides

RASE partners with J. Murray Atkins Library to host our annual forum events. Atkins Library representatives Beth Auten, Bridgette Sanders, and Denelle Eads are involved in helping to coordinate and plan these events. Our event guides from previous events created by Beth Auten are listed below.

LGBTQIA+ Health, Safety, and Well-Being Webinar 2025

Race and Social Equity Spring Forum 2023

  • A Call to Action: Cultivating Antiracist Practices in the Helping Professions
  • Featured Speaker: M. Josh McNeill, MSW, LCSW, and Isis Bey, LCSW, TFCBT, CCTP II 
  • Event Guide

Race and Social Equity Spring Forum 2022

  • Strategies for Holistic Healing: Mental Health and Diverse Communities during COVID-19
  • Featured Speaker: Isis Bey, LCSW, TFCBT, CCTP II
  • Event Guide

Race and Social Equity Fall Forum 2021

  • Houseless Close to Home: Stories from our Own Backyard
  • Featured Speaker: Tony Peek, BSW
  • Event Guide

For partnership inquiries, contact:

RASE Academy Director:
Matthew Mills, MSW, LCSW
mmills44@charlotte.edu

 

* Offered in support of the School of Social Work’s mission statement, which is responsive to the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)’s accreditation requirements.