The Friday Forums on Racism in Higher Education have wrapped up for the Fall 2021 semester, but that doesn’t mean you can’t catch up on what you missed and save the dates for spring.
This is the second academic year of Friday Forums—national conversations hosted by Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) at the University of Utah. Each month, hundreds of people from Utah and beyond tune in to the virtual panel discussions with thought leaders from around the country.
The first three Friday Forums of the 2021-22 academic year focused on leading with equity, shared equity leadership and embracing discomfort to lead change. Panelists so far this year have included Jelani Cobb, Estela Bensimon, Amy Collier, Dilip Das, Elizabeth Holcombe, Eddie Cole, Kristin Esterberg and Paulette Granberry Russell.
Moderators are invited from across the University of Utah campus. The first three moderators this fall were Mary Ann Villarreal, vice president for EDI; Franki Santos Laanan, associate dean for faculty and student affairs for the College of Education and professor; and Charmelle Green, deputy athletics director and chief operating officer for Utah Athletics.
After the main panel, attendees are invited to select a breakout session to dive further into the conversation and antiracism work.
EDI 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. The Forums are a commitment to the state and region in elevating national conversations and showcasing models of disrupting complicit racism. Each session welcomes national thought leaders to lead discussions and provide opportunities for participants to share ideas on actionable items toward a diverse, equitable and inclusive campus.
Friday Forums resume on January 28, 2022, with “The Power of Belonging.” In February, the conversation will focus on how to close equity gaps and in March, the topic is EDI as part of promotion and tenure.
Learn more about Friday Forums and watch past sessions here.