Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Events

September 21, 2023 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

The journey to dismantle racism has not ended. Join us to build community collaboration and continue the conversation about anti-racist practices. We invite all members of our school community to attend meetings. 

Zoom information will be sent via email before the workgroup session.

Click here to register

August 14, 2023 - 1:00pm to 2:30pm

The University of Michigan School of Social Work Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion would like to invite you to come kick it with current MSW students and explore beyond the Eurocentric perspective in social work! This event will be an introduction to Afrocentric Social Work, diving into the foundations of Afrocentric Social Work itself, as well as introducing Afrocentric-focused courses offered within the University of Michigan School of Social Work. This event will be completely virtual, via Zoom, and will take place on August 14, 2023, at 1:00PM (Eastern Time). The RSVP link can be found under "Event Details" below. We hope to see you there!

*The Zoom link will be provided via email upon RSVP

Click here to RSVP

June 19, 2023 - 11:30am to 2:00pm

Join us for our Juneteenth event!

This June 19, 2023, the School of Social Work Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is partnering up with the Association of Black Social Work Students as well as Black Radical Healing Pathways to host our annual Juneteenth celebration. 

Everyone is invited to connect, break bread together, and learn with each other. Lawrielle West, MSW ’18, founder and lead creative of KwanzaaMe, will also host a workshop in celebration of Juneteenth.

The DEI Office will be presenting on the importance and significance of Juneteenth as a celebratory holiday, as well as the magnitude of the 7 Principles of Kwanzaa and the meaning that they hold.

Lawrielle West will be hosting her workshop, “The Delicious History of Soul Food,” which guides participants through exploring the history of African American cuisine, soul food and its global impact. We’ll explore the importance of community, and its relationship to fellowship and food as we make commitments to build new communal traditions of our own.

This event will take place in-person, but please refer to the RSVP link below this description if you would like information on how to attend via Zoom. The Zoom portion will begin at 11:55 AM.

We hope to see you there – food will be served at 11:30!

RSVP

April 13, 2023 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

The journey to dismantle racism has not ended. Join us to build community collaboration and continue the conversation about anti-racist practice. We invite all members of our school community to attend meetings.

RSVP here »

March 23, 2023 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

The journey to dismantle racism has not ended. Join us to build community collaboration and continue the conversation about anti-racist practice. We invite all members of our school community to attend meetings.

RSVP here »

We are also meeting on the following date:

Thursday, April 13, 12pm - 2pm

March 21, 2023 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm

The financial sector-including banks, insurance companies, and institutional investors-is underwriting the climate crisis. Since the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015, the world's 60 largest private banks have invested $4.6 trillion into the fossil fuel industry. This includes financing for tar sands and arctic oil and gas pipelines, offshore drilling, fracking, natural gas, and coal mining.

Coalitions including TH!RD ACT, Stop the Money Pipeline, 350.org, Sunrise Movement, Friends of the Earth, Sierra Club, and more are joining together on 3.21.23 (Tues., March 21st 2023) to collectively deliver the message that banks shouldn't use money to finance climate destruction.

This teach-in is organized in alignment with TH!RD ACT's National Day of Action demanding that banks stop funding climate destruction. The teach-in will provide information about the financial sector's investments in fossil fuels; responses from communities, organizers, and activists; and roles for social workers and the profession.

The teach-in is scheduled from 12pm to 1pm ET in SSWB 1636. A virtual option is available and a Zoom link will be emailed to registrants in advance of the event. Please RSVP in order to receive the Zoom link. Bring a bag lunch and light snacks will be provided.

RSVP here

March 20, 2023 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Assistant Professor Ashley E. Cureton, Field Faculty Rosalva Osorio, and student members of the PRAXIS Committee are partnering with Dr. Lisa Jo Epstein from the Just Act Institute for Theatre of the Oppressed to teach social work students and the broader social work community on how to facilitate social and liberatory change through the use of Forum Theatre, a form of interactive theater that empowers audience members to actively explore, critique, and transform the reality that they live in to "rehearse for revolution."

Join us for this Forum Theatre performance featuring MSW students from the School of Social Work. All faculty, staff, and students are welcome to attend this exciting event!

Register here »

March 15, 2023 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm

The CASC Info Session provides an opportunity to learn more about the minor, its requirements, course offerings, the MSW preferred admissions program and other ways to get involved in programs, events, and other experiences in the minor. We invite you to join us for a virtual presentation.

In order to join, complete the RSVP below. The zoom link and official invitation will be sent the day before the event, via email.

We look forward to meeting you!

RSVP

February 23, 2023 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

The journey to dismantle racism has not ended. Join us to build community collaboration and continue the conversation about anti-racist practice. We invite all members of our school community to attend meetings.

RSVP here »

We are also meeting on the following dates:

Thursday, March 23, 12pm - 2pm

Thursday, April 13, 12pm - 2pm

February 20, 2023 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

The School of Social Work's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion seeks to recognize the work being done by members of our community that uplifts the Black Community.

The DEI Office will be hosting a luncheon on Monday, February 20th, from 12-2pm, in order to celebrate these individuals. Food and beverages will be served.

Register here »

February 9, 2023 - 5:00pm to 6:30pm

This event, which is co-sponsored by the Office of Global Activities and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, aims to bring together all the members of the SSW community who are interested in engaging in conversation about social justice from a global lens! It will be a great opportunity to connect, learn about how social justice issues manifest in our different home communities, and share food that tells stories about our diverse cultural backgrounds.

During the event, there will be tables set up where attendees who are interested in discussing a similar social justice issue can sit together and discuss how that issue manifests in different communities across the globe. Participants will have the opportunity to rotate to different tables to discuss more than one theme. At the end of the event, everyone will come together to talk about their experiences and what they have learned.

Students, faculty members, and staff will be provided with dinner from restaurants in Ann Arbor that serve food that is reflective of different global cuisines.

Click here to RSVP!

January 26, 2023 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

The journey to dismantle racism has not ended. Join us to build community collaboration and continue the conversation about anti-racist practice. We invite all members of our school community to attend meetings.

RSVP here »

We are also meeting on the following dates:

Thursday, February 23, 12pm - 2pm

Thursday, March 23, 12pm - 2pm

Thursday, April 13, 12pm - 2pm

January 5, 2023 - 4:00pm to 6:00pm

The panel conversation will be followed by audience Q & A.

December 8, 2022 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

The journey to dismantle racism has not ended. Join us to build community collaboration and continue the conversation about anti-racist practice. We invite all members of our school community to attend meetings.

Please RSVP. A Zoom Link will be sent out the day of the event.

RSVP here »

December 6, 2022 - 5:30pm to 7:30pm

This is a town hall-style event where the entire School of Social Work community is welcome to attend and listen to a presentation summarizing the main points from the student climate survey. It will be followed by a discussion where students can discuss their thoughts and ideas surrounding the results and DEI 2.0.

RSVP

November 17, 2022 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

The journey to dismantle racism has not ended. Join us to build community collaboration and continue the conversation about anti-racist practice. We invite all members of our school community to attend meetings.

Please RSVP. A Zoom Link will be sent out the day of the event.

RSVP here »

We are also meeting on the following dates:

Thursday, December 8, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

October 27, 2022 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

The journey to dismantle racism has not ended. Join us to build community collaboration and continue the conversation about anti-racist practice. We invite all members of our school community to attend meetings.

Please RSVP. A Zoom Link will be sent out the day of the event.

RSVP here »

We are also meeting on the following dates:

Thursday, November 17, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Thursday, December 8, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

October 22, 2022 - 10:00am to 5:30pm

Building Power is a student led conference that provides attendees with the opportunity to learn about interconnected injustices and engage in collective liberation.

This year's conference includes workshops and affinity group sessions on, but not limited to: environmental justice; food and land sovereignty; and housing disenfranchisement. The goal of this event is to create a space to strengthen community ties and mutual aid projects, as well as to supply attendees with the toolkit needed to partake in more sustainable and self sufficient practices in both their activism and personal life. Our keynote speaker will be Mama Shu, founder of an up and coming eco-village in Highland Park, Michigan. 

The conference will be held on October 22 of this year from 10am-5:30pm at the School of Social Work. Food and Drinks will be provided. Attendance is open to all and we have the opportunity for students and staff to volunteer!

October 20, 2022 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm

This discussion is co-sponsored by the University of Michigan Ford School of Public Policy's Poverty Solutions.

From the cash bail system, to fines and fees while incarcerated, to the cost of reentering society, our society functions on a punitive system of fines and fees that often catapults those already experiencing hardship into a spiraling cycle of debt and repayments - never fully able to catch up. Join us as we explore the inequity surrounding fines and fees in our criminal justice system and its role in increasing race-based disparities. Featured panelists include Washtenaw County Prosecutors Eli Savit and Victoria Burton-Harris; and Dr. Meghan O’ Neil, Research Scholar at the Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research. This panel will be facilitated by MSW Student and Co-founder of Michigan Liberation, Nicholas Buckingham.

October 6, 2022 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is very pleased to announce that we will be recognizing individuals and organizations who have demonstrated commitment to improving the culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the School of Social Work; in the U-M campus; and in our surrounding communities throughout the State of Michigan. We will celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of this year's nominees, as well as introduce elements of the DEI 2.0 strategic planning process.

This year, the DEI Office is pleased to announce the following nominees for the DEI Impact Awards:

Professor Leo Kattari, Leo Lecturer 1

Professor Prem Pahwa, SHCP Director and Adjunct Leo Lecturer

Black Radical Healing Pathways, SSW Student Organization

We are so very excited to convene in community with you all!

Register here »

September 30, 2022 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm

Join the SSW Book Club to discuss Dr Mona Hanna-Attisha's important book, What the Eyes Don't See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City.

We welcome new participants.

September 29, 2022 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

The journey to dismantle racism has not ended. Join us to build community collaboration and continue the conversation about anti-racist practice. We invite all members of our school community to attend meetings.

Please RSVP. A Zoom Link will be sent out the day of the event.

RSVP here »

We are also meeting on the following dates:

Thursday, October 27, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Thursday, November 17, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Thursday, December 8, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

September 22, 2022 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm

Police violence against Black bodies rightfully has forced society to look more closely at our policing and public safety practices. The #BlackLivesMatter movement has highlighted the racist origins of policing in this country, and how excessive use of force often targets Black people with deadly results. Disproportionately, police are forced to respond to social, economic, mental/physical health emergencies. Today, community leaders and elected officials are working together to “reimagine our public safety,” by creating, for example, “unarmed crisis response teams” who work alongside police departments. What is the role of social workers in this “reimagined” public safety system? Does our involvement violate any of the professional standards in our NASW Code of Ethics? Join us to hear from an array of panelists working on this issue in communities, including Assistant Professor at UM Social Work, Daicia Price; Chair of the Ann Arbor Independent Community Police Oversight Commission (ICPOC), Dr. Lisa Jackson, Senior Pastor of Vineyard Church Ann Arbor, and member of the Coalition for Re-envisioning our Safety (CORS), Donnell Wyche.