Standing at 6 foot 4, Gene R. Carter is a man with a tall order.
He will be offering advice to the president of University of Mary Washington about issues related to diversity and inclusion and about how to diffuse campus tensions related to race.
This Spotsylvania County resident knows first hand about education – he’s been a teacher, a school superintendent, and CEO of a curriculum development company – and about racial tension.
Back in the 1980s, when he was named superintendent of schools in Norfolk, Va., Dr. Carter lived in a suburb. Required to reside within the city limits, the new superintendent moved with his wife, Lillian, and their two young boys to a nice (white) Norfolk neighborhood.
Shortly after the move, a cross was burned on the Carters’ front lawn. As a security measure, the boys had to change their school bus pickup point, and Dr. Carter checked his vehicle each morning before starting the engine.
Fast forward nearly two decades. White supremacists are marching with torches on the campus of University of Virginia, offensive stickers are posted around UMW, a Confederate flag hangs from a dorm room window, and derogatory comments appear on social media.
“You can’t let incidents like this stop you from living,” Dr. Carter said in a recent interview. “It requires that you be more introspective and that you understand more broadly the nature of situations.”
This veteran educator and obstacle-hurdler has been tapped to serve as chair of the President’s Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion at Mary Washington. The 16-member committee of community members works closely with Sabrina C. Johnson, who recently was named not only Vice President for Equity and Access, but also UMW’s first Chief Diversity Officer.
Both the new role and establishment of the committee are key outcomes of the comprehensive and thoughtful year-long work of the University’s Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion.
“There’s a sense that this University is genuinely seeking to build partnerships with broader communities,” Dr. Carter said shortly after the committee’s first meeting last month. “I’m interested in the interconnections between community needs and the University’s mission.”
He made clear that institutions of higher education across the country are grappling with issues similar to those at UMW. “The good news is that Mary Washington is not starting from Ground Zero.”
What’s his agenda? Hear from students. Visit departments. Become familiar with University policies. Get the pulse of campus.
The goal, he said, is to move UMW beyond where it is now in terms of diversity and inclusion…”to make Mary Washington the gold standard.” It’s a fact, he added, that universities with diverse populations produce wiser and more well-rounded students. “When we embrace and understand each other, we are better prepared to seek successful lives.”
That has been a mantra throughout Dr. Carter’s career. He retired several years ago from a position he held for 22 years at the helm of the Alexandria-based Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). Putting an end to an arduous daily commute, he is happy to settle into his newly adopted hometown and become more involved with the University where he has partaken of various educational and culture offerings.
He is used to firsts – first black superintendent in Virginia, first black CEO of ASCD, first National Superintendent of the Year. And to pressure. Co-author of The American School Superintendent: Leading in an Age of Pressure, Dr. Carter also has served on numerous education boards and led international educational seminars.
Dr. Carter has a regal bearing, and he approaches issues with “passion and compassion.” He said, “We have a propensity to fight fire with fire. Sitting down with someone can be enlightening and reassuring.”
What he seeks, he said, in all endeavors is “a greater sense of harmony.”
Acknowledging that his ambitions for the President’s Advisory Committee are lofty, Dr. Carter described the committee’s work as “putting lots of tentacles out.” Actually, he added, “We’re never going to get where we want to be. The process will continue evolving.“