Diversity and Inclusion

Monday, January 20 | 6-7:30 p.m.
Lawrence Memorial Chapel

Lawrence University is excited to host the 34th Fox Cities Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

Hear from:

• Keynote Speaker Dr. Charisse Burden-Stelly

With musical performances from:

• NOIR | Lawrence University student group
• Preston Parker ft. The Omoladé Academy
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Choir
  • Community members are invited to join this choir! The choir will meet through Zoom once in December and will begin in-person rehearsals in January.

Also featuring the presentation of Jane LaChapelle McCarty Unity in Diversity MLK Community Leader and MLK Educator awards:

• The MLK Committee is accepting nominations for these awards. More information can be found on this form.
• The deadline to submit nominations is Sunday, Dec. 20.

Thank you to our sponsors!

• People of Progression
• Appleton Area School District
• United Way Fox Cities
• Boys & Girls Club of the Fox Valley
• City of Appleton
• The Boldt Company
• ThedaCare

About Dr. Burden-Stelly

Dr. Charisse Burden-Stelly is a critical Black Studies scholar of political theory, political economy, intellectual history, and political and historical sociology. Her research pursues three complementary lines of inquiry:

1. The transnational entanglements of U.S. capitalist racism, anticommunism, and antiblack racial oppression.
2. Twentieth-century Black anticapitalist intellectual thought, theory, and praxis.
3. Theories and discourses of economic development in the African diaspora.

Dr. Burden-Stelly is the author of Black Scare/Red Scare: Theorizing Capitalist Racism in the United States and the co-author, with Dr. Gerald Horne, of W.E.B. Du Bois: A Life in American History. She is also the co-editor, with Dr. Jodi Dean, of Organize, Fight, Win: Black Communist Women’s Political Writings and of Reproducing Domination: On the Caribbean and the Postcolonial State with Dr. Aaron Kamugisha and Dr. Percy Hintzen. Additionally, she guest edited the “Claudia Jones: Foremother of World Revolution” special issue of The Journal of Intersectionality.

Her published work appears in journals including Small Axe, Monthly Review, Souls, Du Bois Review, Socialism & Democracy, International Journal of Africana Studies, CLR James Journal, and American Communist History. Dr. Burden-Stelly’s words are featured in popular venues including Monthly Review, Boston Review, Essence magazine, Teen Vogue, Jacobin, The Nation, and Black Agenda Report. She has been interviewed on podcasts, radio shows, and news shows including The Real News Network, Breakthrough News, Black Myths, Millennials Are Killing Capitalism, The Red Nation, AJ+, Bad Faith, The Katie Halper Show, Revolutionary Left Radio, Guerilla History, Upstream and the New Books Network.

Dr. Burden-Stelly is a member of the Black Alliance for Peace and Community Movement Builders.

Thursday, Nov. 7 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Warch 325 – Pusey Room

Stop by and let us celebrate YOU and connect with other First-Gen students, faculty, and staff.

The event will feature:

• A faculty & staff spotlight wall
• Student spotlights
• A gratitude station
• A photo station

Learn more about our First-Gen Student Association and events planned for the Winter and Spring Terms!

The President’s Committee on Diversity Affairs (PCDA) is excited to announce the launch of a new series, “Everyday Encounters,” aimed at fostering meaningful conversations within the Lawrence community. These gatherings will focus on bridging divides across religion, race, gender, ideologies, and class through critically engaged, respectful dialogue.

In addition, PCDA will share resources to guide these conversations, starting with articles from Stanford University and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation. These readings offer practical insights for navigating difficult discussions.

We have three events scheduled:

• Thursday, Oct. 24 | “How to Disagree Without Getting Cancelled”
• Thursday, Nov. 7 | “The Election Happened. Now What?”
• Wednesday, Jan. 15 | “Democracy and Disagreement”

Questions or suggestions? Contact IDEAS@lawrence.edu.

“The Election Happened. Now What?”

Thursday, Nov. 7 | 12-1 p.m.
Warch 226 – Mead Witter

Lunch will be provided! Please RSVP via the form.

“How to Disagree Without Getting Cancelled”

Thursday, Oct. 24 | 12-1 p.m.
Warch 325 – Pusey Room

Lunch will be provided! Please RSVP via the form.

Wednesday, Oct. 30 | 7-8:30 p.m.
Main Hall 201

Most people have heard of the Trail of Tears that five Native Nations suffered during the 1800s, but very few know that similar events dramatically altered life for Native People here in Wisconsin. This presentation will discuss the numerous forced removals that the Ho-Chunk People endured from 1832 to 1865 and the Indian Boarding School period that followed. Dr. Lewis will share oral histories from Ho-Chunk Elders about the removals, the boarding schools, and the long-lasting effects they caused. Attendees are encouraged to practice self-care during the presentation as the topics and stories will be challenging.

Dr. Marcus Lewis (he/him/his) is a proud citizen of the Ho-Chunk Nation and a Black cisgender male who has made significant strides as a higher education leader, educator, and advocate. With a deep commitment to promoting educational access and opportunities for underrepresented populations, Dr. Lewis has dedicated his career to fostering inclusive excellence.

As a sought-after keynote speaker and presenter, he shares his expertise with educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and the business sector. His unique blend of scholarly insight and practical experience allows him to tackle challenging topics with clarity and approachability, engaging audiences from diverse backgrounds. Dr. Lewis continues to inspire change and empower individuals through his passionate advocacy for equity in education for learners of all backgrounds and abilities.

This event is sponsored by the Ethnic Studies and History Departments and the Lawrence University Native Alliance (LUNA).

Friday, October 11 | 12:30-3 p.m.
Diversity & Intercultural Center – Memorial 113

Welcome and welcome back to all our LGBTQIA+ identified students, staff, and faculty. All are welcome to come have a nosh and meet others.

Friday, October 4-Sunday, October 6
Warch 204 – Cinema

Join us for our annual event showcasing recent critically acclaimed films from Latin America and the Spanish-speaking world! Attend one screening or all of them! Plus, stay for Q&A sessions with the filmmakers and other events.

Friday, October 4

5 p.m. | Without Prescription / Receta No Incluida
Puerto Rico, 2022
Followed by a Q&A and reception with Director Juliana Maité

Attempting to silence the OCD voice in her head, Olivia escapes a family party to illegally acquire pills from the town’s pharma-dealer, David. She becomes trapped in David’s apartment by a massive rainstorm and the two must help each other.

Saturday, October 5

2 p.m. | The Eternal Memory / La Memoria Infinita
Chile 2023
Directed by Maite Alberdi

Chilean couple Augusto and Paulina have been together for 25 years, but Augusto was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease eight years ago. Both of them fear the day he will no longer recognize her.

4 p.m. | Love and Revolution / Te Estoy Amando Locamente
Spain 2023
Directed by Alejandro Marín

Set in 1977 Seville, at a time homosexuality was a crime in Spain, the plot follows Reme and her son Miguel (a wannabe singer and performer) who become acquainted with the budding Andalusian LGBTI movement.

Sunday, October 6

2 p.m. | Cassandro
Mexico 2023
Directed by Roger Ross Williams and starring Gael García Bernal

Saúl Armendáriz, a gay amateur wrestler from El Paso, Texas, rises to international stardom when he creates the character Cassandro, the `Liberace of Lucha Libre.’ He upends not just the macho wrestling world, but also his own life.

4 p.m. | Alegría
Spain 2021
Directed by Violeta Salama

After some time living in Melilla, Alegría rediscovers her Jewish roots in the wake of the wedding of her niece Yael. The film explores the blending of culture, identity, religion, and family.

Learn more about the film festival