Please join the UVM Office of the Vice President for Human Resources, Diversity and Multicultural Affairs for the 9th annual Blackboard Jungle Symposium, Intercultural Dialogues: The Power of Open Spaces, on March 31 & April 1, 2016. A provocative keynote presentation and panel discussion, “The Rachel Dolezal Phenomenon: Transracial Identity”, will be held on Thursday, March 31, 2016 from 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. in the Dudley H. Davis Center. This presentation will feature keynote speaker Dr. Nikki Khanna, associate professor of sociology at the University of Vermont and author of Biracial in America, with panelists Dr. Alec Ewald, associate professor of political science at the University of Vermont, and Dr. Randall Harp, assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Vermont. This event is free and open to the public.
On Friday, April 1, 2016 there will be a full day of symposium panels and workshops that are designed to support UVM faculty, staff, and all others seeking to develop skills, knowledge, and a deeper understanding of diversity that supports excellence in teaching, service, and research. The symposium sessions are dedicated to creating “open spaces” where all members of our community can participate in authentic dialogue, valued reflection, and expanded learning to promote inclusive excellence for all. The registration fee for Friday’s Learning Day is $40 for the general public.
Dr. Beverly Guy-Sheftall, Anna Julia Cooper Professor of Women’s Studies at Spelman College and founder and director of the Women’s Research and Resource Center, will be the keynote breakfast speaker. Dr. Damon Tweedy, author of Black Man in a White Coat and assistant professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center, will be the luncheon keynote speaker.
For more information and to register, please visit www.uvm.edu/hrdma/blackboardjungle.