While inclusive excellence has become somewhat of a buzzword on the DU campus, said so often that it sometimes seems to lose its meaning, the actual plight for a school and world in which diversity is celebrated and inclusivity expected is still alive and well. The culmination of on-campus efforts to promote this ideal is the DU Diversity Summit, a tradition since its humble inception in 2001. This year the legacy will continue with the theme “Beyond Good Intentions: Confronting My Bias to Change Our Community.” The series of workshops, awards and lectures will run Jan. 21-22.
This year’s program includes over 30 workshops that people can attend, all centered around a theme of inclusive excellence and, more specifically, what exactly can be done to make DU and the world a more inclusive place. Workshops such as “Change from Within: Becoming Aware of Our Internal Biases” (10:15-11:30 a.m. Jan. 21) and “Understanding Labels: Do I Fit in that Box? Do You?” (3:15-4:30 p.m. Jan. 22) focus on inward reflection about diversity and bias, whereas others such as “I’m Not Racist, But…: Exploring the Implicit Bias on DU’s Campus” (10:15-11:30 a.m. Jan. 21) and “Confronting Faith-Based Bias: Examining Religion in the Media” (3:15-4:30 p.m. Jan. 22), among others, examine social and cultural institutions that contribute to bias.
Along with these workshops, the program includes a screening of “Standing in the Gap”, a documentary on race and education in Colorado, as well as a talk with the directors of the films, and speeches by keynote speakers Dr. Eddie Moore Jr., founder of America & MOORE, LLC (a foundation that gives diversity, privilege and leadership trainings and workshops) and one of the nation’s top motivational speakers/educators, as well as Dr. Damon Williams, Senior Vice President, Chief Educational and Youth Development Officer at The Boys and Girls Clubs of America and founding leader of the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Educational Achievement at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
In addition, this year, a complementary series called “Extremism and Islamophobia in Perspective”, organized by AHSS Religious Studies and other partners, will run in conjunction with the Diversity Summit. This series will feature a talk (“Understanding ISIS’ Appeal”), faculty panel (“The US and Extremism”) and a workshop (“Addressing Islamophobia”).
More information on the summit, as well as a link to register, can be found at the Diversity Summit’s Website.
