The University of Utah’s Friday Forums on Racism in Higher Education are back for a second season. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) at the U first launched Friday Forums in September 2020 as part of its collective call to action for truth, healing and the building of an anti-racist campus. Each month of the academic year, EDI hosts these national conversations with the goal of helping attendees start on a journey to eradicate racism and share best practices for sustained growth and action.

“The first year of Friday Forums set us on multiple paths to bring the U, Utah and national communities together to confront our complicit practices in racism that are deeply rooted in organizations and institutions for higher education,” said Mary Ann Villarreal, vice president for EDI. “I want to say ‘thank you’ again to the incredible panelists and participants who joined us last year. This year, we hope we will learn from each other models for centering equity practices in our every day, continuing to disrupt systemic racism at our every turn.”

The first Friday Forum of the 2021-22 academic year will focus on leading with equity. While many organizations and institutions for higher education use the acronym “DEI” for their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, the University of Utah puts equity first with its division for EDI. This conversation, moderated by Villarreal, will enhance our understanding of what it means to lead with an equity framework that fosters change, engagement and justice for the purposes of dismantling supremacy in all forms and helps increase student retention, engagement and belonging.

Panelists

• Estela Bensimon, university professor emerita, University of Southern California
• Jelani Cobb, staff writer for The New Yorker and the Ira A. Lipman Professor of Journalism, Columbia University

Breakout sessions

After the general session (1-2 p.m.), attendees will have the opportunity to join a breakout session of their choice (2-3 p.m.) to discuss leading with equity in the classroom, workplace or community.

Learn more and register here.