ESU to Host Inaugural Do it for the Culture Diversity Conference
Posted by: Elizabeth Richardson on March 16, 2021, No Comments
East Stroudsburg University will host the inaugural Do it for the Culture Diversity Conference for the campus community on April 14 and 15. This year’s conference is sponsored by ESU’s Center for Multicultural Affairs and Inclusive Education, Gender and Sexuality Center, and the division of Campus Life and Inclusive Excellence. The theme of this year’s conference is “Breaking the Ice and Broadening our Narratives in the Fight for Antiracism.”
The two-day conference, intended for students, faculty and staff of the university, will open its virtual doors to the public for the keynote address on Wednesday, April 14 at 5:30 p.m. The keynote address will be delivered by Melissa DePino and Michelle Saahene of Privilege to Progress. They will speak on the topics of Black Lives Matter and creating awareness to inspire action towards racial justice.
Saahene and DePino started From Privilege to Progress (P2P) – a national movement to desegregate the public conversation about race and racism – after meeting in a Starbucks in Philadelphia in 2018 where they witnessed two innocent Black men being arrested. DePino spoke up as Saahene tweeted a video of the incident. The conversation they started that day created awareness and inspired action. Their work at P2P has been featured on Jada Pinkett Smith’s Red Table Talk, NPR’s Radio Times and Code Switch, Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien, MSNBC’s AM Joy, and in numerous additional television, print and online outlets.
Through their #ShowUp movement, they continue the conversation with a commitment to learning together as a community, speaking up in everyday situations, and amplifying the voices of people of color. As speakers and conversation moderators, Saahene and DePino connect with audiences on a personal level, allowing them to recognize the power they have as individuals to make a positive impact, giving them the tools to effect change in their everyday lives.
During their presentation at ESU Saahene and DePino will discuss how to create a culture of authentic inclusion and diversity in the workplace, a healthy and profitable business, and a more equal and just society.
The keynote address can be accessed, at no cost via Zoom.
For more information about From Privilege to Progress, visit fromprivilegetoprogress.org.
For more information about the Do it for the Culture Diversity Conference, contact Lyesha Fleming, director of the Center of Multicultural Affairs and Inclusive Education, by calling 570-422-3896 or email lfleming@esu.edu.
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