SAC Launches Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center

San Antonio College has launched the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Center to support the work of promoting equity and inclusion across the campus. The center was developed through a collaboration between the Alamo Colleges District and the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU).

The Trellis Foundation is funding the center with a $100,000 grant that will also be used to support diversity and equity programs at the district level as well as at other Alamo Colleges.

“We look forward to partnering with these pathbreaking institutions in their efforts to promote racial equity and healing on their campuses and in their communities,” said AACU President Lynn Pasquerella. “We’re grateful to our funders for their commitment to ensuring that higher education plays a leadership role in advancing racial and social justice in our society.”

“We are excited to have the backing of AACU and the support of Trellis Foundation to begin this work and advance our equity ecosystem at SAC,” said Mona Aldana-Ramirez, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Excellence. “Having the support of  faculty, staff and students to transform our institution, as well as grant funding, will enable us to build capacity, provide professional development and empower everyone to lead from where they are.” 

The partnership between Alamo Colleges and AACU was announced during an online event that featured Chancellor Dr. Mike Flores and SAC President Dr. Robert Vela. The announcement included a special performance by Andrea Vocab Sanderson, the first Black Poet Laureate of San Antonio.

SAC has been preparing for the center for several years. Faculty and staff attended the TRHT Summer Institutes in 2020 and 2021 and developed an action plan on how to prepare the next generation of leaders and thinkers to break down racialized practices and to dismantle the belief in a hierarchy of human value.

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