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Race, Culture, and Business MBA Immersion

“The trip became more than just another class, it became a personal journey of growth and connecting with the communities we live in, to know why race shouldn’t just be a topic we engage with during human resource training or public space etiquette.” – Bob Agiro (MBA 2024)

Race, Culture, and Business MBA Immersion to the American South

This course explores race in America and will challenge your understanding of the roles of business in both perpetuating inequity and effecting change. During pre-trip sessions and an immersive eight-day journey in the American South, students draw connections between race, culture and business practices. This transformational experience provides students a lens through which to evaluate business in the U.S. social structure – and through an in depth exploration of Black history in American society, we can learn to identify similar social dynamics in a global context. Understanding American history and culture in the South is key to understanding the nation as a whole. The Pacific Northwest has much to learn from states like Alabama and Louisiana, who are leading the national conversation about anti-racism, history, and liberation. This program and trip are co-led by Sankofa Impact, a Seattle-based nonprofit that brings people together for place-based education confronting our history of racism and uplifting stories of resistance, in partnership with the Foster School of Business and the Global Business Center.

Location: Program starts in New Orleans, LA; ends in Atlanta, GA
Leadership: Elijah Wee, Norah Fisher, Sankofa Impact
Travel Dates: September 15-23, 2024, with mandatory pre-departure retreat August 23-25
Credits: 4 credits of MGMT 579 during Fall Quarter 2024
Program Cost: $2000, not including airfare
Application Period: April 1-28, 2024

Interested but want to learn more?

Watch the recorded info session here
Info session slide deck here
Friday, April 5, 1:00-2:00pm, Location TBD

Read student testimonials from previous RCB Immersion programs:

Realizing My “Why”: Irfan Vengasseri (MBA 2024)

A Story of Growth from the South: Dhruval Shah (MBA 2024)

Building My Compass: Bob Agiro (MBA 2024) 

My Journey of Expansion: Empathy, Activism, & Hope (Sasha Duchin MBA 2022)

Trip to the American South: Marcel Gremaud (MBA 2023)

American South Immersion: Jonathan Banick (MBA 2022)

Foster Business Magazine: Race, Culture and Business

Hear what guest speakers and students had to say about the program during the Class of 2022 graduation ceremony:

This program is co-led by Sankofa Impact, a Seattle-based nonprofit dedicated to confronting racism through place-based learning experiences, in partnership with the Foster School of Business, and the Global Business Center. It is supported, in part, by a U.S. Department of Education Center for International Education and Research (CIBER) grant.