Dear Kent State University Students, Faculty and Staff,
The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is continuing its yearlong virtual series, Shaping a Better Future: Dialogues and Strategizing for Change, into the new year. Please join us in discussing the Black American experience, the Asian American experience, the transgender experience and other topics throughout the spring. We are happy to have Sandra Morgan, director of external affairs and communications in the College of Arts and Sciences, to serve as our moderator for the upcoming events.
The series is a collaborative effort and includes the following: the College of Arts and Sciences, the Jewish Studies Program, the Department of Pan-African Studies, the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality, the Women’s Center, the LGBTQ+ Center, the Latino Networking Caucus and the School of Theatre and Dance.
As a reminder, this series of town halls focuses on identity, understanding and change, exploring the diversity of the American experience.
Upcoming Town Halls
Friday, Jan. 29, From 12-2 p.m.
Teach-In: Gandhi, MLK, Advocacy and Social Change
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0kf-GtpzMuEtVPguAjwmkRqUA4cYWlEPSu
This teach-in will look at the philosophy of Martin Luther King Jr.’s advocacy for social change and his impact on local actors in the civil rights movement as they attempted to address issues around economic and social justice.
Discussants:
- George Garrison, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Pan-African Studies
- Uma Krishnan, Ph.D., Professor, Department of English
- Elizabeth Smith-Pryor, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of History
Thursday, Feb. 18, from 12-1:30 p.m.
The Black American Experience
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Sq0JaopTRea_yo44RTKF_w
Discussants:
- Mwatabu Okantah, M.A., Associate Professor, Department of Pan-African Studies
- Gene Shelton, M.A., Professor, School of Media and Journalism
- Kamesha Spates, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Sociology
Thursday, March 11, from 4-5:30 p.m.
The Asian American Experience
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Y1hSbZ0GT5-9Kn64hQz5fg
Discussants:
- Brian Hayashi, Ph.D., Professor, Department of History
- Yuko Kurahashi, Ph.D., Professor, School of Theatre and Dance
- Donna Lee, D.M.A., Professor, Hugh A. Glauser School of Music
- Rekha Sharma, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Communication Studies
Thursday, March 25, from 4-5:30 p.m.
Kent State’s Legacy of Advocating for Change: Gender, Race and Sex
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZLGpT8rpQcOHVUQEIcIOZA
Discussants:
- Charmaine Crawford, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Pan-African Studies
- Ken Ditlevson, M.Ed., Director, LGBTQ+ Center
- Denise Harrison, M.A., Associate Lecturer, Department of English
- Suzanne Holt, Ph.D., Professor, Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality
- Dianne Kerr, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, School of Health Sciences
- Cassandra Pegg-Kirby, M.Ed., Director, Women’s Center
- Erica Pelz, A.A.S., Facilities Mechanical Systems Specialist for Laboratories, University Facilities Management
Wednesday, April 21, at 4 p.m.
The Trans Experience
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zLBUaqqASIaXaeb_-8ypcA
More details to follow.
If you have any questions, please contact us at 330-672-2442 or diversity@kent.edu. Recordings of previous town halls can be found on our website at www.kent.edu/diversity/resources.
We hope you will join us.
Sincerely,
Amoaba Gooden, Ph.D.
Interim Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Chair, Department of Pan-African Studies