Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Events

November 21, 2019 - 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM ET

The Spectrum Center, Council for Disability Concerns, and School of Social Work DEI Office are very excited to host multi-talented brown trans disabled artist, Kay Ulanday Barrett this November. Kay is a poet, performer, and educator whose work has been supported and published by organizations including the UN Global LGBTQ+ Summit, the Asian American Literary Review, and Race Forward. Join us in hosting them during Trans Awareness Week to hear about their work, both in reading and in their experience creating it. Event navigation details: http://bit.ly/SCeventnav. More Trans Awareness Week events: http://bit.ly/TransAwareness19

November 20, 2019 - 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM ET

The SSW Book Club will discuss Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye.

You are welcome to join us, whether or not you have attended before, and whether or not you have finished the book.

All members of the SSW community are invited. Feel free to bring your lunch.

November 18, 2019 - 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM ET

The Spectrum Center invites this year's Transgender Awareness Week Keynote, Kavi Ade. Kavi Ade is a black trans queer speaker, arts educator, and nationally recognized poet of Afro and Indigenous Caribbean descent. Speaking on race, gender, sexuality, mental health, domestic violence, and sexual assault, Kavi's work grapples with being set at the throne of violence, and exploring the ways in which a body can learn to survive. Using art as resistance, they create transformative dialogue that aims to combat supremacist powers, and heal communities that have been harmed. Kavi has given poetry readings and keynote speeches, led workshops, and spoken on panels in numerous cities and communities, including over 100 colleges and universities, domestically and internationally. Kavi received the leeway foundation's transformation of work that honors "women and trans* artists and cultural producers who create art for social change, demonstrating a long-term commitment to social change work."

November 18, 2019 - 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM ET

In Separated, William D. Lopez examines the lasting damage done by a daylong act of collaborative immigration enforcement in Washtenaw County, Michigan. Exploring the chaos of immigration enforcement through the lens of community health, Lopez discusses deportation's rippling negative effects and what it looks like from the perspective of the people who experience it. Focusing on those left behind, he reveals their efforts to cope with trauma, avoid homelessness, handle worsening health, and keep their families together.

November 13, 2019 - 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM ET

Join Common Roots Planning Committee as we host our recruitment event for the Fall 2019 semester. The Common Roots Planning Committee will detail accomplishments, discuss plans for transition and goals for the Winter 2020 semester. 

Please join us! Lunch will be served. 

Common Roots is a committee consisting of representatives from the SSW’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office, the LatinX Social Work Coalition, the Black Radical Healing Pathways, Association of Black Social Workers, the Office of Student Services and SSW Student Representatives.

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November 5, 2019 - 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM ET

Ilana Kaufman’s talk, “Jewish Community, Race, and Social Justice” will be presented free and open to the public on Tuesday, November 5 at 7pm. The event will be held in the Educational Conference Center of the School of Social Work (1080 S University Ave). She will discuss the intersection of U.S. Jewish identity and race, as animated by modern movements for social justice. Informed by community pain-points such as Jewish communal reactions to the Women’s March and the Movement for Black Lives Platform, Kaufman will explore notions of anti-Semitism, community and movement-building, and how to effectively partner with groups despite some fundamental disagreements and tensions.

Ilana Kaufman is the Executive Director of the Jews of Color Field Building Initiative. Kaufman’s work aims to draw attention to those in the Jewish community who have diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, namely non-white and non-Ashkenazi heritage, or of multiple racial and ethnic identities. These individuals, many of whom identify as Jews of Color, have historically been underrepresented in our Jewish institutions and largely invisible in Jewish demographic studies. Through the Jews of Color Field Building Initiative, Kaufman develops more accurate demographic information about how many American Jews of Color there are and how to create more inclusive Jewish communities. She focuses on grantmaking to programs that support Jews of Color, research and field building, and community education.

The event is generously sponsored by the Jewish Communal Leadership Program in the School of Social Work, Trotter Multicultural Center, Michigan Hillel, The School of Social Work Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the Jean and Samuel Frankel Center for Judaic Studies, and LSA Diveristy, Equity, and Inclusion.

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November 1, 2019 - 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM ET

Dorian Warren, president of the Center for Community Change Action, will give a talk about his book, titled "The Hidden Rules of Race: Barriers to an Inclusive Economy," as part of the 2019 Real-World Perspectives on Poverty Solutions speaker series.

October 23, 2019 - 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM ET

The School of Social Work’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion brings bystander intervention skills to the SSW community for the purpose of building inclusive, respectful and safe communities. The training is based on a nationally-recognized four-stage bystander intervention model that helps individuals intervene in situations that negatively impact individuals, organizations, and the campus community. Unable to attend in person, view the livestream: https://bluejeans.com/639314111

RSVP here

October 22, 2019 - 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM ET

The SSW Book Club will discuss Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist by Eli Saslow.

You are welcome to join us, whether or not you have attended before, and whether or not you have finished the book.

All members of the SSW community are invited. Feel free to bring your lunch.

October 17, 2019 - 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM ET

In August 2019, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a new rule with the potential to dismantle important civil rights protections against discrimination in housing.

Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, known as the Fair Housing Act, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of housing and in other housing-related activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin. However, HUD's new rule proposes to replace the use of "disparate impact" in determining housing discrimination and to raise the burden of proof required to prove discrimination. Moreover, the new rule proposes to release lenders and landlords from responsibility for computer-based algorithms that discriminate while automating decisions about credit scoring, home insurance, and mortgage interest rates.

Come learn about submitting public comments and make your voice heard on this critical issue! No prior experience submitting public comments is necessary.

Please visit B780 in the School of Social Work on Thursday, October 17, 2019 any time between 12:00pm to 1:30pm to submit a public comment regarding this rule.

Public comments on this rule will only be accepted until October 18, 2019.

RSVP here

October 16, 2019 - 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM ET

The School of Social Work Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office, the Spectrum Center and Queer Advocacy Coalition would like to invite you to attend "Healing Through Words." This event will provide a space for students to connect, heal, and learn from each other's experiences, identities and narratives.

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October 9, 2019 - 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM ET

The School of Social Work Student Union: First Generation Student Subcommittee invites you to join Dr. Clelia O. Rodríguez author of Decolonizing Academia: Poverty, Oppression, and Pain at the University of Michigan. Dr. Rodríguez is a woman of color and an educator, born and raised in El Salvador. The seminar will foster dialogue that encourages graduate students to challenge inequalities, disrupt racist ways of learning, and inhibit the exploitation of communities through scholarly practice.

October 8, 2019 - 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM ET

Please join us as we welcome River Coello to campus as our keynote speaker for National Coming Out Week 2019 and LGBTQ History Month 2019.

About River:River Coello is a queer and trans multidisciplinary artist from Guayaquil, Ecuador living in Chicago, Illinois.

As an actor, River has appeared on various stage productions, having trained at Acting Studio Chicago, Second City Training Center, and the University of Michigan. As a writer, River’s work explores various liminalities of the human condition through a focus on River’s own identities and experiences, grounded in a deeply spiritual perspective.

Acerca de:River Coello es un/a artista multidisciplinario/a cuir/qüeer y trans de Guayaquil, Ecuador viviendo en Chicago, Illinois.

Como actor/actriz, River ha aparecido en varias producciones de teatro, habiendo entrenado en Acting Studio Chicago, Second City Training Center y la Universidad de Míchigan. Como escritor/a, el trabajo de River explora varias liminalidades de la condición humana a través de un enfoque en sus propias identidades y experiencias, bien fundado/a en una perspectiva profundamente espiritual.

Spectrum Center Accessibility StatementIf you have an accessibility need you feel may not be automatically met at this event, fill out our Event Accommodation Form, found at http://bit.ly/SCaccess. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary for some accommodations to be fully implemented, but we will always attempt to dismantle barriers as they are brought up to us. Any questions about accessibility at Spectrum Center events can be directed to [email protected].

October 7, 2019 - 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM ET

The 2019 DEI Summit Community Assembly & Discussion highlights Year 3 progress of the U-M DEI Strategic Plan and kicks off the Year 4 implementation.

This year's keynote speaker features Van Jones--political commentator, author, and host of CNN's The Redemption Project and The Van Jones Show--followed by a roundtable discussion involving campus-based initiatives. The event will also include remarks from U-M President Mark Schlissel and senior leadership.

Van Jones is President & Founder of the nonprofit, Dream Corps -- a justice incubator that houses the following initiatives: #cut50, #YesWeCode, #GreenForAll, and #LoveArmy. All with the overarching goal to create innovative solutions that "close prison doors and open doors of opportunity." Van has also led a number of other social and environmental justice enterprises, including The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and Color of Change.

A Yale-educated attorney, Van has written three New York Times Bestsellers. In 2009, Van worked as the green jobs advisor to the Obama White House. He has earned many honors, including the World Economic Forum’s "Young Global Leader" designation, Rolling Stone’s 12 Leaders Who Get Things Done, Fast Company's 12 Most Creative Minds On Earth, a Webby Special Achievement Award and Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.

October 2, 2019 - 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM ET

Change it Up! brings bystander intervention skills to the University of Michigan community for the purpose of building inclusive, respectful, and safe communities. It is based on a nationally recognized four-stage bystander intervention model that helps individuals intervene in situations that negatively impact individuals, organizations, and the campus community.This workshop is designed for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Space is limited. For faculty and staff, please contact [email protected] to see if we can accommodate your attendance.Registration is required at https://myumi.ch/E33m8.

October 1, 2019 - 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM ET

This event will follow a Design Thinking approach where students spanning multiple and intersecting identity groups will facilitate dialogue to reflect on realities and generate ideas around transparency, inclusivity, communication, and engagement with DEI initiatives on campus including within Student Life.

September 26, 2019 - 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM ET

The Common Roots planning committee is proud to announce our second event, the Faculty, Staff and Students of Color Meet and Greet. This event gives students an opportunity to connect with one another and provide networking opportunities for the School of Social Work's faculty, students, and staff of color. Dinner will be served and doors will open at 5:30 PM, the event will formally begin at 6:00 PM. 

Common Roots is a planning committee consisting of members from the Office of Student Services, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office, the LatinX Social Work Coalition, the Associaition of Black Social Workers and the Black Radical Healing Pathways.

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September 20, 2019 - 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM ET

This is a public symposium of the Cuir Américas Working Group | Grupo de Trabajo Feminista/Queer/Cuir to be held in Ann Arbor on September 20, 2019, to advance the publication of two scholarly journal special issues that will appear in the United States (in English) and in Brazil (in Spanish and Portuguese). They aspire to create a public space at the University of Michigan for the discussion of LGBTQ Latinx, Indigenous, and Afro- diasporic gender and sexuality through this one-day public event. Their interdisciplinary, transnational, action-based, Latinx queer feminist scholarly group includes university-based scholars and independent scholars and activists that are involved in diverse educational initiatives in several Latin American countries and U.S. Latinx communities. They will host a panel discussion, a keynote speaker, and a reception.

For more information about the special issue of GLQ on Queer/Cuir Américas: Translation, Decoloniality, and the Incommensurable, please visit https://cuiramericas.org/.

September 14, 2019 - 11:30 AM to 4:00 PM ET

Purpose: The purpose of this event is to explore how AfroFuturism informs Our knowledge in Social Work/Social Science fields. How we will Go Beyond what Beyond White Social Work means and its destination to explore the impact on emphasizing, listening, centering Black voices, as often Black experiences/pain are utilized as tools for others' learning.

We do not see ourselves historically in the conversation of social work Beyond being subjects in Our classrooms. We have come together to organize a community event to present social work beyond a white professional framework, and dive into exploring the Black Struggle and the optics of Our contribution towards liberation.

The sessions will explore Black Womxn, Hypervisibility/Invisibility in Spaces, Environmental Justice, Transformative Creative Arts Movements, Black Veterans, AfroFuturism and AfroWomynhood Exploring Creative Impact on the Diaspora, Beyond Allyship: Anti-Racist Coherence and Afrofuture Consonance etc.

Register here

This event is part of the University of Michigan's School of Social Work SEED Orientation week, and is free and open to all. For more information please contact Florence Alexander, Yusef "Bunchy" Shakur, Lauren Davis, Nyshourn Price, & Daicia Price at [email protected]

Sponsored by: Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion, New Leaders in African Centered Social Work, U-M School of Social Work Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Office, Black Radical Healing Pathways, U-M School of Social Work

September 11, 2019 - 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM ET

The protests in Hong Kong that started with oppositions to the extradition bill have evolved rapidly, garnering international attention due partly to the scale of the protests but mostly to the level of brutality exhibited by the Hong Kong police and the threat of China’s military intervention (this article has a good background: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/08/world/asia/hong-kong-protests-explained.html). The protests have been led by young people who use social media to organize without identifiable leaders, and their tactics were inspired by Bruce Lee’s line: “Be water.” The ongoing protests have exposed deep-seated fear of China’s control of Hong Kong, and long-simmering frustration of young people with the society. Dr. Lydia Li will provide a brief history of the relationship between Hong Kong and China, and background contexts of the Hong Kong society to help understand the current conflict.  The protests have triggered many questions relevant to social work, especially those related to organizing and tactics. For example, what are the strengths and weaknesses of being leaderless and “like water”? How to draw the line between non-violence and forceful tactics? How to remain peaceful when being treated violently? Are tactics that cause inconvenience to innocent others, such as blocking public transportation and airport, justified?  The event is an open discussion.

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August 30, 2019 - 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM ET

First Generation Students (FGS) are students who are the first in their families to go to college for a bachelor's degree. FGS are trailblazers within their communities and at University of Michigan. Come meet other staff, students, and faculty who are also trailblazers at UofM. This event is free and open to all incoming and transfer first-generation students and their parents to meet and greet faculty, staff, and students across the university.

It is highly encouraged to complete the RSVP form included below by August 20, 2019. Though it is not required for attending the Open House, we use this form to assist with design and accommodations at the event. Light snacks will be provided. There is no dress code for this event. 

August 20, 2019 - 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM ET

The SSW Book Club will discuss Fracturing the Founding: How the Alt-Right corrupts the Constitution, by John E Finn.

You are welcome to join us, whether or not you have attended before, and whether or not you have finished the book.

All members of the SSW community are invited. Feel free to bring your lunch.

July 22, 2019 - 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM ET

Microaggressions - the subtle everyday verbal and nonverbal slights and insults which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages - can effect anyone. In this thought-provoking presentation, attendees learn how background influences individuals' perceptions and experiences of other; strategies for building strong relationships; and ways to create more mindful & inclusive work environments. Facilitated by Clarissa Love of the Office of Health, Equity & Inclusion.

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