The RRP Background:

In the spring of 2002, Dr. Sam Richards received a small seed grant from a private donor to expand the reach of his SOC 119 course ("Race and Ethnic Relations in America"). Six months later, with the co-direction of his colleague and wife, Dr. Laurie Mulvey, as well as the enthusiasm and courage of a handful of undergraduate facilitators, the Race Relations Project (RRP) was born.

The original facilitators were selected to participate in this fledgling endeavor from a pool of SOC 119 teaching assistants who were recognized as the most skilled in encouraging dialogue. So, with limited experience but immense trust in a simple vision of the power of conversation, this group followed the leadership of Drs. Richards and Mulvey and successfully led 135 discussions that first year on dorm floors, in fraternities, sororities, and meetings of student groups, as well as in a handful of university classes. It was a gutsy beginning, but positive attitudes and constructive work set the foundation for a rapidly-expanding project that now, in its fourth year has the support of many faculty, administrators and colleges around campus. As a result, the RRP is positioned to engage nearly 7,000 Penn State students in a dialogue on race relations in 2005-2006.