CDOR continues virtually

The Campus and Community Dialogue On Race returns covering global justice for Black Lives.

The theme for this year’s Campus and Community Dialogue on Race will be “Global Justice for Black Lives: Examining the Past and Reimagining the Future.” Two guest speakers will present at the end of October and a keynote speaker will be introduced at the beginning of November. This event provides students, staff, faculty and community members a safe space to discuss race.

The events will take place on Zoom and instead of lasting a week, there will be talks and workshops taking place for two weeks from Oct. 26 – Nov. 7.

Featured speakers will be on Zoom and will be viewed webinar style, meaning the audience will not be able to view all other attendees, just the speaker.

CDOR has been holding annual events since 1998 and has grown exponentially since then. CDOR gives attendees the opportunity to participate in workshops, have those important discussions and listen to keynote speakers.

Claudia Rankine is the featured keynote speaker for this years’ CDOR event. She will be participating in two student engagements. The first will be a book talk at 11 a.m. for her new book “Just Us.” Next, is her keynote event taking place in the afternoon at 2 p.m. for “Citizen: An American Lyric,” a book loaded with poetry and media that questions racial politics.

Rankine’s talk will take place on Nov. 7 conveniently after the election.

Corrina Wells, the program coordinator for the Developing Hispanic Serving Institution (DHSI) grant program, explained that Rankine makes these questions about the topic available for her readers.

“What’s really powerful about the book is that she, as a Black woman, is making [racial politics] visible for all of her readers,” Wells said.

They added that Rankine makes relatable content for BIPOC and educational content for non-BIPOC.

The keynote event will also touch on Rankine’s process of writing and creating “Citizen,” a book-length poem about race in America.

Lawrence Ross will be holding a virtual talk Mon., Oct. 26 speaking on the politics of race in American colleges. This will be a follow-up on the talk he had earlier this year in February addressing campus racism.

Ross will be referencing his book, “Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on American Campuses.” The book exposes the racist practices prevalent in university politics that targets and distances students of color from engagement.

“Ross really focuses on higher education and the ways that racism is perpetuated in institutions of higher education,” Wells said.

Ross’ talk from earlier this year in February is available on the CDOR website on the welcome page.

Bettina Love, Ph.D, will be presenting during the “So You Want To Teach” series all day and cover various aspects regarding white supremacy, incarceration, and abolition on Tues., Oct. 27.

Douglas Smith, the African American Center for Academic Excellence Coordinator, explains that Love’s talk is about restoring humanity for children in schools.

Love will be incorporating her new book, “We Want To Do More Than Survive” in her talk.

“Dr. Love focuses on K-12, the overall education industrial complex and the ways that racism happens there,” Wells said

CDOR is also a class that gives students credit for helping plan and participate in the events. Indigo Eden, a CDOR peer mentor, expressed great appreciation for this year’s event planning.

“I give so much respect to the planning committee and everyone involved,” Eden said.

Registration is open and required for all featured speakers and sessions.