December 9, 2025

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Alumnus Holds Court as Black History Month Keynote Speaker

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Judge Kerwin A. Miller Sr. ’95, will deliver the virtual keynote address on Feb. 10, for the James Farmer Multicultural Center’s Black History Month celebration.

Judge Kerwin A. Miller Sr. ’95, will deliver the virtual keynote address on Feb. 10, for the James Farmer Multicultural Center’s Black History Month celebration.

Judge Kerwin A. Miller Sr., who graduated from Mary Washington in 1995, delivered the virtual keynote address on Wednesday for the James Farmer Multicultural Center’s Black History Month celebration.

As a young teenager growing up in the Bronx, Miller came across an article about how unlikely it was for an African American male to graduate high school. Taking that news story as both an insult and a challenge, he vowed he’d have a different outcome. At Mary Washington, he excelled both in the classroom as a business administration major and on the court as a member of the Eagles basketball team.

A few years later, Miller found himself in a different kind of court after earning a juris doctorate from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles. He became an attorney with the Legal Aid Bureau in Baltimore, and worked his way through the legal system, serving as a public defender, assistant state’s attorney and eventually an administrative law judge. In 2019, he was sworn in by Governor Larry Hogan as the second African American judge in the history of Harford County, Maryland. Read more.

Williams Featured in Free Lance-Star, Washington Post

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UMW James Farmer Multicultural Center Assistant Director Chris Williams. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

UMW James Farmer Multicultural Center Assistant Director Chris Williams. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

James Farmer Multicultural Center Assistant Director Chris Williams was interviewed in The Free Lance-Star about his appearance on PBS’s “American Portrait” on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 9 p.m.; the article was also reprinted in The Washington Post. Williams was chosen from 11,000 people who submitted a response to the episode’s prompt, “What is the tradition you carry on?” Williams discussed how he continues Dr. Farmer’s legacy through his work with the James Farmer Multicultural Center.

 

Christopher Williams works daily to carry on the legacy of civil rights leader James Farmer.

The legacy is in his job description—assistant director of the University of Mary Washington’s James Farmer Multicultural Center. It informs the work he does at the center along with Director Marion Sanford—coordinating social justice teach-ins, creating a social justice fall break trip, curating a human rights film series and talking daily with students and community members about Black history and anti-racism.

The legacy of James Farmer—who founded the Committee on Racial Equality, led the first Freedom Rides and taught at UMW from 1984 to 1998—is also personal for Williams. He is a product of the James Farmer Scholars Program, which was created in 1987 to assist selected public school students in Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Caroline and Westmoreland counties with preparing for and enrolling in higher education. Read more.

Pastor, King Scholar Delivers MLK Keynote

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Rev. Aaron Dobynes of Fredericksburg’s Shiloh (Old Site) Baptist Church, an expert on Martin Luther King Jr., presented UMW’s MLK Celebration keynote address on Tuesday.

Rev. Aaron Dobynes of Fredericksburg’s Shiloh (Old Site) Baptist Church, an expert on Martin Luther King Jr., presented UMW’s MLK Celebration keynote address on Tuesday.

Aaron Dobynes was 5 when word from a Memphis motel made it to his grandfather’s farm in Alabama. A family friend stopped by to relay the news of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, and as the young Dobynes looked on, the two men began to cry.

“I don’t know exactly how I was processing it, but it never left me,” he said.

Now a King scholar with double doctoral degrees, Dobynes delivered UMW’s Martin Luther King Jr. keynote address, presented by the James Farmer Multicultural Center, on Tuesday live via Zoom. A fourth-generation preacher who presides over Fredericksburg’s Shiloh (Old Site) Baptist Church, he wove his own personal civil rights story with words from the famous King speeches he’s studied for decades.

“King was shot and killed, but his spirit lay in all of us. We are the bearers of his dream,” Dobynes said. “We have to regularly and consistently, especially in this age in which we find ourselves, recognize what King said 40-some years ago. The work is never completed.” Read more.

Rev. Aaron Dobynes to Deliver UMW’s Martin Luther King Jr. Keynote Speech

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Rev. Aaron Dobynes

Rev. Aaron Dobynes

The 10th pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site), Dobynes will deliver the Martin Luther King Jr. keynote speech via Zoom on Wednesday, Jan. 27, at 6 p.m. A fourth-generation preacher who holds two doctoral degrees, Dobynes attended high school in Selma, Alabama, and will draw on his personal experiences and advanced studies to deliver an emotional presentation dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr. Presented by the James Farmer Multicultural Center. Registration is required.

Women’s History Month Program Proposals Needed

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[Text] Women's History Month Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to be Silenced [Image] Title in a speech bubble with a graphic of a group of diverse women

Submit your Program Proposals by Monday, December 7. Contact JoAnna Raucci (jraucci@umw.edu) for more information.

The Women’s History Month Planning Committee invites members of the University of Mary Washington community to submit program proposals for the annual Women’s History Month Celebration in March!

This year’s theme is “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to be Silenced.”

Visit students.umw.edu/multicultural/programs/womens-history-month/ or contact JoAnna Raucci (jraucci@umw.edu) for more information. Please submit your program proposals by Monday, December 7 at 5 p.m.

Invitation for James Farmer Multicultural Center Updates

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UMW Faculty and Staff:

The James Farmer Multicultural Center (JFMC) invites you to join an email list to receive weekly updates about events this year, which are continuing to be held in a virtual format. You can participate in events that interest you, share information about events with your students, or contact the JFMC to co-sponsor one of the cultural or social justice programs that aligns with your class syllabus or personal interests. It is always appreciated when you invite students to attend events as part of your class activities!

The JFMC strives to facilitate students’ learning and personal development, including that of underrepresented groups, by increasing students’ awareness and knowledge of diversity issues (i.e., cultural, ethnic, intellectual, and social) that frame both the individual and the community. The Center creates educational environments that broaden one’s understanding and appreciation of multiculturalism, diversity, and social justice. The JFMC also provides programs and services and activities to increase the awareness of Dr. James Farmer’s legacy and contributions to society.

More than 11 cultural celebrations are sponsored and various social justice initiatives (e.g., Social Justice Teach-Ins, Human Rights Film Series, and the Social Justice and Leadership Summit) are hosted throughout the year. For more information about the JFMC, visit the Center’s website.

Please fill out this Google form if you would like to be added to the list for a weekly email that will include information about upcoming events, as well as flyers and promotional materials for you to distribute to your students. If you opt in now and want to be taken off the email list later, just contact the JFMC at umwjfmc@gmail.com. Thank you for your support of the ASPIRE-aligned work of the JFMC!

 

Best regards,

Dr. Melissa Wells, Chair, JFMC Faculty Advisory Council

Dr. Marion Sanford, Director of the James Famer Multicultural Center

 

Local Special Olympian to Deliver UMW Disability Awareness Keynote

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Matthew Doyle, who has Down Syndrome, will deliver the keynote address for UMW’s Disability Awareness Month celebration on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 5 p.m. Here, Doyle speaks at the Special Olympics State Basketball Championships several years ago.

Matthew Doyle, who has Down Syndrome, will deliver the keynote address for UMW’s Disability Awareness Month celebration on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 5 p.m. Here, Doyle speaks at the Special Olympics State Basketball Championships several years ago.

Special Olympian Matthew Doyle found a few minutes yesterday to FaceTime his friend Erin Malkiewicz. He wanted her feedback on the Disability Awareness Month keynote address he’ll deliver to the University of Mary Washington community. The talk, scheduled for tomorrow at 5 p.m. on Zoom, is open to the public.

“If it wasn’t through Zoom, I think he’d get a standing ovation,” said Malkiewicz, a first-year student who’s paired with Doyle in UMW’s Best Buddies chapter.

During the address, presented by the James Farmer Multicultural Center, Doyle, who has Down Syndrome, will discuss his involvement with organizations like Special Olympics and Best Buddies, and reflect on life in general.“If it wasn’t through Zoom, I think he’d get a standing ovation,” said Malkiewicz, a first-year student who’s paired with Doyle in UMW’s Best Buddies chapter.

He’s been a few places. Just look at his pictures on Facebook, where he’s dressed in a wetsuit for the Polar Plunge, at fundraisers with friends and getting kissed on the cheek on the beach. He’s living the life. And he has a voice. And he wants the millions of Americans with disabilities – and everyone else – to hear it. Read more.

Social Justice Summit Spurs Students to Action

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UMW students speak at a previous Social Justice and Leadership Summit, presented by the James Farmer Multicultural Center. Covering topics like systemic racism, housing injustice, immigration and climate crisis, this year's full event was held last weekend, while a smaller event was held during the summer.

UMW students speak at a previous Social Justice and Leadership Summit, presented by the James Farmer Multicultural Center. Covering topics like systemic racism, housing injustice, immigration and climate crisis, this year’s full event was held last weekend, while a smaller event was held during the summer.

When junior Mandy Byrd came to the University of Mary Washington, she got involved with the James Farmer Multicultural Center (JFMC) and the University’s new NAACP chapter. These organizations helped open her eyes to a wide range of social justice issues, she said, and “just how powerful this kind of work can be.”

Her goal is to devote the rest of college – and beyond – to educating people about injustice and encouraging conversations that result in “positive and lasting change.”

She did both last Saturday, when JFMC hosted its Social Justice and Leadership Summit on Zoom. Dozens of Mary Washington students joined high school and community college students from the Fredericksburg area, as well as UMW faculty members and guest speakers, engaging in a virtual dialogue about pressing issues currently impacting our country and planet. Held annually since 2018 – usually in person – the summit gives students, according to the website, “the chance to build coalitions across cultural barriers, strengthen advocacy and promote a more equitable culture and climate at UMW and in American society.” Read more.

James Farmer Multicultural Center Thanks #UMWRun4Justice Participants

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The James Farmer Multicultural Center thanks everyone who participated in the Virtual #UMWRun4Justice 5K this past weekend, especially UMW Women’s Lacrosse and Coach Maddie Taghon, Women of Color, and the Black Student Association, as well Alumni Relations for help with spreading the word. The event raised $2900 that will be used in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and other social justice initiatives at UMW. The desire is to create opportunities to help open conversations and develop a more inclusive campus. Please enjoy the video below of JFMC Director Marion Sanford thanking participants.

 

 

A message from President Paino regarding ICE decision on international students

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The University of Mary Washington is alarmed by the recent decision from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency barring international students from entering or remaining in the United States in the event that they are able to enroll only online this fall. UMW has and will continue to welcome international students as valuable members of our community. These changes to student visa policies are arbitrary and damaging to the University, our students, and our region.

While the University is and will continue to monitor the situation, ongoing developments, and current legal actions, UMW is also taking specific steps in response:

  • The University, with the assistance of the Attorney General’s Office, is exploring how best to support the Harvard/MIT lawsuit challenging the forthcoming rules that bar online study for international students.
  • The University’s Director of the Center for International Education, Dr. Jose A. Sainz, is closely following developments and has been in communication with and providing support to all UMW students likely to experience impact from these policy changes.
  • International students may continue to avail themselves of academic and social support services such as advising, virtual access to the library, the James Farmer Multicultural Center, and the Talley Center for mental health as long as they are enrolled at UMW.
  • As part of UMW’s plan to reopen this fall, and as documented in our submission to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), UMW has committed to materially supporting international students in meeting federal guidelines for self-quarantine following entry into the United States prior to the start of classes.

To start the 2020-2021 academic year, UMW intends to offer courses delivered in multiple modalities: online, hybrid, and face-to-face. The process of deciding which courses will be taught in which modality is ongoing and evolving as circumstances change. Such choices will always be made in the interest of public health, the well-being of our faculty, staff and students, and our commitment to high quality instruction.

A particularly pernicious aspect of the Department of Homeland Security’s decision is that it irresponsibly pressures institutions to make decisions about teaching modalities that have nothing to do with health or pedagogy. Institutions of higher education must remain flexible in order to best respond to trends in public health data and the wellbeing of students and employees. If circumstances warrant, courses that are currently scheduled to meet face-to-face on campus must have the ability to go online without derailing the educational attainment of international students.

Fall 2020 is clearly an exceptional one for the entire world. Higher education has repeatedly assured students and other stakeholders that this environment is an anomaly and adversity mitigated only when we share responsibility and work together as a community. Yet this ruling seems to indicate that international students are secondary contributors to American education. It is a misguided framework, and most educators will attest to their experience that international students stand equal with U.S. students in their intellectual, social, and financial impact. The richness and diversity of thought brought by a variety of cultures are crucial to a global perspective that benefits all students and this nation. Either we stand together during this pandemic or we are all fundamentally weakened and vulnerable.