Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Events

November 14, 2016 - 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM ET

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 - 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM ET

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 - 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM ET

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 - 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM ET

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: [email protected]

October 23, 2016 - 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM ET

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 - 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM ET

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 - 8:00 AM to October 14, 2016 5:00 PM ET

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 - 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM ET

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 - 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM ET

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 - 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM ET

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 - 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM ET

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 - 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM ET

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 - 10:00 AM ET

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 - 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM ET

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 - 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM ET

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 [email protected].

April 14, 2016 - 6:30 PM to April 15, 2016 2:00 AM ET

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 - 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM ET

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.

April 12, 2016 - 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM ET

You are invited to join the Geriatric Learning Community and Sigma Phi Omega (geriatric honor society) at the SSW to learn more about our aging world. Professionals who share the common goal of serving older adults will discuss ageism and how it manifests in our society. Specific topics include: working with TGLBQI elders, elder abuse & neglect, and more. Lunch will be provided.

RSVP here »

For more information, please contact Ling Lin ([email protected]) or Ani Grigorian ([email protected]).  

As a bonus, take the online quiz to test your knowledge on gerontology. Students who take this quiz and attend one Careers in Aging event will be entered to win a prize. Winners will be picked at the panel event on 4/12.

April 11, 2016 - 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM ET

In response to positive feedback following our last two TBLG + Christianity Lunches, the TBLG Matters Dean’s Initiative is excited to announce a third event, bringing back MSW student and seminarian Jonathan Vanderbeck to host an informal “Christiani[TEA] and Talkback” event.

This event will be a chance for students and faculty to come and learn more about the intersection between Christianity and TBLG identities, as well as a chance to hear from Jonathan about his perspectives on how this topic is (or isn’t) handled within the School of Social Work. We’ll provide the tea, cups, and light snacks. Feel free to bring a bag-supper and to come and go as you are able.

April 8, 2016 - 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM ET

The Social Work & Sport Association (SWSA) is holding a Mental Health and Sports Panel. Panelists inlcude Barb Hansen, Will Heininger, Tom George and Kent Bernard.

RSVP here »

April 8, 2016 - 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM ET

During this talk, Prof. Marilyn Sinkewicz, Assistant Professor of Social Work, will discuss findings from her current paper, which explores two different theories, with very different policy implications, that have emerged to explain the reciprocal and reinforcing relation between psychopathology and socioeconomic status: social causation (poverty leads to mental illness) and social selection (mental illness leads to poverty). The study she will discuss uses nationally representative longitudinal data to examine causation and selection processes and their relative predictive value over the adult life course.

Lunch will be provided. Please note any dietary needs in the RSVP comments

RSVP here »

April 8, 2016 - 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM ET

"Indigenous and Political Influences on Intimate Partner Violence Policies and Prevention Work in Aotearoa (New Zealand)"

by Professor Daniel Saunders, Ph.D., University of Michigan School of Social Work

New Zealand has been a world leader in the development of child custody laws designed to protect survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) and their children.  It has also been a leader in the development of indigenously-based, restorative justice practices with possible applications to IPV. Professor Saunders will share some highlights of his four month Fulbright Scholars project in New Zealand in which he studied its history of IPV policy reform and its prevention programs influenced by indigenous Maori culture.

RSVP here »