Bennie Moses-Mesubed, director of Student Diversity and Inclusion at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, teaches at the 2020 Celebrate Educate Appreciate Diversity Conference at EOU on Feb. 15, 2020. She is joining Gov. Kate Brown’s Racial Justice Council.

LA GRANDE — Eastern Oregon University’s director of Student Diversity and Inclusion, Bennie Moses-Mesubed, is joining Gov. Kate Brown’s Racial Justice Council.

Moses-Mesubed, in her role at EOU helps, support students of color and other traditionally marginalized students while teaching white students about intercultural competence through training sessions, according to a press release from EOU, and brings a rural community perspective to the council.

“Equity and inclusion is different in rural contexts,” Moses-Mesubed said in the press release. “It’s always about building relationships, finding common ground and coming into a conversation recognizing that we have different backgrounds and lived experiences. But meeting people where they’re at allows us to support each other through our diversity, equity and inclusion journey to where we want to be as a community.”

Moses-Mesubed is a member of the Oregon Commission on Asian Pacific Islanders. She also serves as vice president of the Compact of Free Association National Network, a nonprofit that advocates for people from the three Pacific Island nations: the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia.

Since the establishment of EOU’s Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion in 2018, Moses-Mesubed has built a staff of equally involved individuals, stated the press release. Her work at Eastern Oregon University and in the diverse communities of Union County led to her position on the Racial Justice Council.

As a council member she will be involved in recommending changes to state policies, practices, budgets and structures to align them with racial justice and equity framework. She also will aid in creating racial justice action plans for criminal justice reform and police accountability, housing and homelessness, economic opportunity, health equity, environmental equity and education.