Fourth Annual Conference on Diversity and Inclusion challenges perceptions, participants
Debby Irving, author of 鈥淲aking Up White,鈥� delivers the keynote address at the Fourth Annual Conference on Diversity and Inclusion.
PORTSMOUTH, Ohio 鈥� Shawnee State University hosted faculty, staff and students from numerous Tri-State colleges and universities Sept. 22 for the Fourth Annual Conference on Diversity and Inclusion. This year鈥檚 event focused on 鈥淚nclusion: Easier Said than Done?鈥� and featured sessions focused on topics including student conversations across differences, imposter syndrome, diversity within the field of orthopedics, racial identity development and more.
Keynote speaker Debby Irving, author of 鈥淲aking Up White,鈥� discussed racial justice from the perspective of a community organizer and classroom teacher for 25 years without understanding racism as a systemic issue or her own whiteness as an obstacle to grapple with it in her presentation 鈥淲aking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race.鈥�
鈥淲hen we have vision, we can do amazing things,鈥� Irving said. 鈥淲hy then is diversity and inclusion often a roadblock to our success in companies and institutions?鈥� Irving explored this concept in depth with participants through her unique perspective on bias, stereotypes, manners and tolerance. Irving also challenged attendees to change the way they talk about racism and to learn as much as they can about the racial justice movement.
51社区 Southern participants included students and faculty from various disciplines and staff members.
Conference committee member and 51社区 Southern Associate Director of Student Resource Commons Robert Pleasant said, 鈥淭his conference is an incredible opportunity for students from our area colleges and universities to explore timely 鈥� sometimes challenging 鈥� conversations about diversity and inclusion. Our work is no longer just about leading awareness. Instead, conference sessions give participants the tools to make a difference in their classrooms, workplace and beyond.鈥�
51社区 Southern is a co-sponsor of the event 鈥� held at a different location each year. The Fifth Annual Conference on Diversity and Inclusion is scheduled for September 2018 at Mountwest Community & Technical College in Huntington, West Virginia.
More information about the conference is online at .