Walker Institute’s new director ‘stands on business’ with youth community outreach
KALAMAZOO, MI – Western Michigan University’s new director of the Lewis Walker Institute for Race and Ethnic Relations plans to continue juvenile, social justice, and equity work at the University.
Dr. Bianca Nightengale-Lee joined Western on August 19. Nightengale-Lee previously served as an associate professor in the department of curriculum and instruction at Florida Atlantic University.
Nightengale-Lee earned her Ph.D. from the University of Louisville with her work focusing on the confluence of race, literacy, and culture. Her career has been focused on Afro-Indigenous pedagogical approaches focused on preserving liberation, identity, and self-expression for Black and Brown students.
Nightengale-Lee has high praise for the former director, Dr. Luchara Wallace, who is now dean of Merze Tate College.
“The legacy that was created by Dr. Wallace and the team here is powerful,” says Nightengale-Lee. “I want to build on the strengths of the Institute, which is the connections they already have to the community, but also broaden that out to connect with national partners.”
Creating a national presence for the Walker Institute will make the institute a resource for race and ethical relations and studies.
“There are a lot of different gems that we do here in the institute that a lot of people do not know about,” says Nightengale-Lee. “I want to amplify that and let people know what we do, and how we can support them within the local Kalamazoo community.”
Nightengale-Lee plans to treat the Walker Institute as a “research hub” for Western faculty who work around race and ethnic relations.
“It feels like there are pockets of people doing this across the university,” Nightengale-Lee says. “What if we had an entity that could bring us together and to synergize?”
Nightengale-Lee was drawn to Western's youth-focused community institute. She believes it aligns perfectly with her interests. She sees the institute as a platform to connect with Kalamazoo's community members, youth, and teachers.
“I knew that this work was close to my prior research,” says Nightengale-Lee. “This position is everything that I'm about, standing on business—this position really speaks to that.”
She is passionate about identifying effective practices for marginalized students. Nightengale-Lee aims to amplify the voices of youth community members and Western students, emphasizing the institute's strong focus on youth and community.
“I had to fight to understand what my voice was at a young age, and it took me time to understand what my voice really was,” says Nightengale-Lee. “If we can get students to understand at a younger age, to understand that your voice really matters, I think that is important.”