Equity and Belonging Speaker Series begins Friday

The CWU Office of Equity and Belonging Speaker Series is kicking off Friday, March 14, and anyone in the community is welcome to attend the free event.

The first guest in the series will be Dr. Deena Gonzalez, one of the most influential scholars of Chicana, Latina, Native American and Indigenous history in the United States. Friday’s free event in the Mary Grupe Center is open to the public and will begin at 3 p.m.

Next up will be a visit from Patrisse Cullors, an American activist, artist, and writer who will deliver the keynote address during the 11th annual President’s Diversity Awards on Thursday, April 17, at 5 p.m. in the SURC Ballroom. Free tickets are required and are available through Wildcat Tickets.

Two weeks later, CWU will welcome best-selling author Dr. Joshua Moon Johnson, an award-winning speaker and leader for LGBTQ+ advocacy. He will be speaking at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 29, in the SURC Theatre, and anyone is invited to attend.

The fourth and final installment of the Office of Equity and Belonging Speaker Series will be Judy and Dennis Shepard on May 14 at 6 p.m. in the Milo Smith Tower Theatre. The couple, who lost their son to a hate crime in 1998, founded the Matthew Shepard Foundation, and were pioneers in the movement to create federal hate crime legislation. Free tickets will be required and will be available on Wildcat Tickets.

Vice President of Diversity and Belonging Dr. Charlita Shelton and her colleagues are looking forward to this star-studded speaker series, as she explains in a recent promotional video. If you have questions about the inaugural Equity and Belonging Speaker Series, email charlita.shelton@cwu.edu.