Marquette University to host discussion on creating an intentional community at Symposium on Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice, April 23

April 18, 2024

MILWAUKEE - Marquette University will host its fifth annual Symposium on Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice on Tuesday, April 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Alumni Memorial Union, 1442 W. Wisconsin Ave. This symposium serves as an "institutional examen," a time to look inwardly at who we are and who we are called to be.

This year's theme is "Building Bridges: Creating an Intentional Community." In a deeply polarized national climate, we are called to walk in "right relationship" with each other, recognizing each other's inherent dignity and centering our responsibility to engage each other with care, kindness and compassion.

Registration for this event is required and available online. Media interested in attending open parts of the symposium should contact Kevin Conway, associate director of university communication, at [email protected].

Dr. Kaye Whitehead, professor of communication and African and African American studies at Loyola University Maryland, will deliver a keynote address, while participants will engage in interactive workshops designed to build capacity for dialoguing across differences, as well as hear from campus leaders about our call to "walk with the excluded" during a lunch panel and discussion.

Whitehead is the founder and executive director of the Karson Institute for Race, Peace and Social Justice. She is also a three-time New York Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker and the award-winning radio host of "Today with Dr. Kaye" on WEAA-FM 88.9. Her scholarship examines the ways race, class and gender coalesce in American classrooms, as well as in political and social environments.

The Symposium on Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice is hosted by the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, in collaboration with the University Committee on Equity and Inclusion. Participants explore discrimination at the intersections of race, gender and sexuality; discuss how we are working to address these issues; and offer a vision for the future of equity and inclusion at Marquette.

About Marquette University

Marquette University is a Catholic, Jesuit university located near the heart of downtown Milwaukee that offers a comprehensive range of majors in 11 nationally and internationally recognized colleges and schools. Through the formation of hearts and minds, Marquette prepares our 11,100 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional students to lead, excel and serve as agents of positive change. And, we deliver results. Ranked in the top 20% of national universities, Marquette is recognized for its undergraduate teaching, innovation and career preparation as the sixth-best university in the country for job placement. Our focus on student success and immersive, personalized learning experiences encourages students to think critically and engage with the world around them. When students graduate with a Marquette degree, they are truly prepared and called to Be The Difference.

About Kevin Conway

Kevin is the associate director for university communication in the Office of University Relations. Contact Kevin at (414) 288-4745 or [email protected].