Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Events

December 6, 2016 - 5:15pm to 7:00pm

Join us at a reception to recognize the work of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategic planning committee and to hear more about our plan.​  

This event is open to all School of Social Work Community Members 

Introduction to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the School of Social Work

Overview of Strategic Plan

Reflections from Committee Members

Critical Intersectionality In the School of Social Work

Closing Remarks

Snacks and light refreshments will be provided.  

RSVP encouraged but not required.

December 5, 2016 - 5:00pm to 7:30pm

Natalie Jensen (MSW '16) shares a performance art piece, interactive exhibit, and reflective discussion on the journey through sudden and traumatic loss.

December 5, 2016 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm

The Critical Intersectionality Interdiciplinary Workshop provides space for Rackham PhD students to discuss, share readings, and present research regarding complex theoretical and methodological issues related to intersectionality. Graduate students at any stage of their research are welcome. Lunch will be provided. 

November 30, 2016 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

As a response to violence and social justice issues worldwide, the School of Social Work is hosting several Current Events Cafes.

Cafes provide a reflective conversational space to process, (un)learn together, and move forward social justice work - micro, mezzo, and macro. 

To be responsive to current events, topics and resources will be announced via email a few days prior to each cafe.

Snacks provided.

November 30, 2016 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm

Join us for an opportunity to hear the stories of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers in the Master's International program through the art of PechaKucha.What's PechaKucha?! It is a presentation format where the speaker shows 20 images, each for 20 seconds. and taste foods from these RPCVs respective countries!!

November 14, 2016 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

As a response to violence and social justice issues worldwide, the School of Social Work is hosting several Current Events Cafes. Cafes provide a reflective conversational space to process, (un)learn together, and move forward social justice work - micro, mezzo, and macro. To be responsive to current events, topics and resources will be announced via email a few days prior to each cafe.

Join us at the Current Events Cafe on Monday, 11/14, 12-2pm, in room 2202 of the School of Education for a space to process, debrief, and discuss the election results.

Professor Cristina Bares will facilitate hands-on reflective activities; such as origami, coloring, and journaling. You are also encouraged to bring a laptop or tablet as we will work together to create a list of local, national, and global actions.

Snacks provided. 

Register Now

November 2, 2016 - 6:00pm to 7:30pm

This workshop by Nalgona Positivity Pride focuses on the unique multigenerational experiences women and queer people of color have had with colonialism and its connection to the development of eating disorders. 

November 2, 2016 - 2:00pm to 4:00pm

As a response to violence and social justice issues worldwide, the School of Social Work is hosting several Current Events Cafes. Cafes provide a reflective conversational space to process, (un)learn together, and move forward social justice work - micro, mezzo, and macro. To be responsive to current events, topics and resources will be announced via email a few days prior to each cafe. This cafe topic is Art & Social Justice. 

Join us for music, painting, and conversation about the role of art and creativity in social [justice] work: from art therapy to films/documentaries, community murals, and spoken word poetry.

Visit the resources*** below to begin exploring the topic:

American Art Therapy Association

Artists as Activists: Pursuing Social Justice (Huffington Post Article)

Sarah Kay: If I should have a daughter… (TED Talk about spoken word poetry)

The 25 Most Amazing Community Arts Projects

Prison Creative Arts Project (U-M LS&A Program)

***Note: Art may disrupt, cause conversation, unite, or be triggering. Viewer discretion is advised.

Feel free to bring friends and other current event resources with you.

Snacks and art supplies provided. 

Register Now

October 27, 2016 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm

Join the Dean's TBLG Matters Initiative for a workshop + discussion on topics around gender including pronoun usage, best practices in the classroom, microaggressions, and more! 

Refreshments and snacks will be provided!

For more information or accessiblity needs, please contact: brendonh@umich.edu

October 23, 2016 - 3:00pm to 5:00pm

Students, staff, and faculty are invited to participate in a discussion of the first chapter of Grace Lee Boggs's book, The Next American Revolution. The first 30 people to arrive will receive a hard copy of the book to borrow from the school. 

October 21, 2016 to October 22, 2016

Toxic Borders and Bondages: Intersecting Ecology with Capitalism, Racism, Heteropatriarchy and (Dis)possession" will offer graduate students the opportunity to explore the following questions.

How does the discourse and lived reality of "toxicity" redefine the borders of mind, body, and community?

What becomes coded as "toxic" and what does not?

Through a provocation to erect borders and a simultaneous admonition that they will fail, the notion of toxicity urges critical inquiry into how barriers of aversion are both configured and undermined. At this symposium, we aim to collaborate across discourses and develop a space for dialogue about how toxicity broadly writ has become discursively bonded to certain natural, human, and national bodies in order to uphold systems of colonization and imperialism, racism and white supremacy, capitalist accumulation and dispossession, patriarchy and compulsory heterosexuality, and other regimes of hierarchical oppression.

Keynote addresses will be given by environmental justice scholars Julie Sze from the University of California, Davis and John Gamber from Columbia University.

October 13, 2016 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

Come join the School of Social Work as we welcome Jason Turkish, Esq., "...a leading voice for the disabled and those who need a fair shot, Jason uses his lifetime of personal experience, and superior legal training, to achieve life-changing results for his clients."

Mr. Turkish will explore the history of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as major legal developments. The goal of the presentation is to educate non-attorney individuals without disabilities on how they can be advocates and allies to the disability community. 

Refreshments will be provided.

RSVP here »

October 13, 2016 - 8:00am to October 14, 2016 5:00pm

Current MSW students will be available in the conference exhibit hall to share information on U-M's MSW and PhD programs.

October 12, 2016 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

As a response to violence and social justice issues worldwide, the School of Social Work is hosting several Current Events Cafes.

Cafes provide a reflective conversational space to process, (un)learn together, and move forward social justice work - micro, mezzo, and macro. 

To be responsive to current events, topics and resources will be announced via email a few days prior to each cafe.

Snacks provided. 

Register Now

October 10, 2016 - 5:30pm to 6:30pm

Film screening of No Mas Bebes and discussion led by Alexandra Minn Stern. 

Event sponsored by the LatinX Social Work Coalition, LANAMA, MESA, AND CCI

They came to have their babies. They went home sterilized. The story of immigrant mothers who sued county doctors, the state, and the U.S. government after they were pushed into sterilizations while giving birth at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center during the 1960s and 70s. Led by an intrepid, 26-year-old Chicana lawyer and armed with hospital records secretly gathered by a whistle-blowing young doctor, the mothers faced public exposure and stood up to powerful institutions in the name of justice. 

October 7, 2016 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

As a response to violence and social justice issues worldwide, the School of Social Work is hosting several Current Events Cafes.

Cafes provide a reflective conversational space to process, (un)learn together, and move forward social justice work - micro, mezzo, and macro. 

To be responsive to current events, topics and resources will be announced via email a few days prior to each cafe.

Snacks provided. 

Register Now

September 27, 2016 - 5:00pm to 7:00pm

SSW Reads is a school-wide initiative intended to explore the life and perspectives of individuals engaged in social change work. The program is intended to foster a greater sense of community within the school and encourage more opportunities for critical dialogue about important social issues. This year’s SSW Reads book is The Next American Revolution by Grace Lee Boggs.

All students, staff and faculty are invited to attend a screening of American Revolutionary, a documentary about Grace Lee Boggs. This event will be followed by a Q&A to learn more about the program and how you can be involved.

Two screenings are available, please register for only one.

RSVP here »

Or attend the noon screening.

September 27, 2016 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

SSW Reads is a school-wide initiative intended to explore the life and perspectives of individuals engaged in social change work. The program is intended to foster a greater sense of community within the school and encourage more opportunities for critical dialogue about important social issues. This year’s SSW Reads book is The Next American Revolution by Grace Lee Boggs.

All students, staff and faculty are invited to attend a screening of American Revolutionary, a documentary about Grace Lee Boggs. This event will be followed by a Q&A to learn more about the program and how you can be involved.

Two screenings are available, please register for only one.

RSVP here »

Or attend the evening screening.

July 30, 2016 - 10:00am

Summer Commencement will be held at Power Center at 10 a.m. Reception immediately following in the School of Social Work.

Important instructions for graduates »

* Note: there will be a International Champion Cup Soccer game at the stadium that same date of graduation that will impact Commencement. You may want to begin planning early.

June 27, 2016 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm

Join us in recognizing World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15th) with a screening of the short documentary, "An Age for Justice", a film that chronicles true stories of elder abuse survivors. A discussion following the film will be facilitated by Janet Hunko, Director of the U-M Health System's Housing Bureau for Seniors. This event will provide attendees with a better understanding of how abuse and neglect of older adults may manifest, and increased knowledge of how to combat it in our communities.

This event is sponsored by the Gerontology Learning Community.

Lunch will be provided.

RSVP here »

April 23, 2016 - 12:00pm to 3:00pm

An admissions representive will attend the California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education at San Jose State University to share information about U-M's MSW and PhD programs. For more information contact ssw.msw.info@umich.edu.

April 14, 2016 - 6:30pm to April 15, 2016 2:00am

The SSW People of Color Collective is thrilled to host a live recording of BuzzFeed podcast Another Round with Heben Nigatu and Tracy Clayton. These co-hosts cover everything from race, gender and pop culture to squirrels, mangoes, and bad jokes on their weekly podcast. They’ve interviewed a number of esteemed guests, including Ta-Nehisi Coates and Hillary Clinton. Now they're taking the show on the road! Join the ladies of Another Round for a LIVE SHOW on U-M's campus.

This event will be free and RSVP is encouraged. Doors open at 6:30 for resource fair showcasing campus and community organizations. Show starts at 7:30.

There will also be an after party at Club Above for $5 per person. You can register for the free event at the Union and purchase tickets for the Club Above after party here.

April 13, 2016 - 4:00pm to 5:30pm

In her presentation, Dr. Marie Gottschalk, a professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, will examine why the carceral state, with its growing number of outcasts, remains so tenacious in the United States. Dr. Gottschalk specializes in American politics, with a focus on criminal justice, health policy, race, the development of the welfare state, and business-labor relations.