Town hall aims to initiate change through open dialogue Thursday, Feb. 20
CMU Civil Rights and Racism Town Hall flier
A Civil Rights and Racism Town Hall aims to nurture a culture of open dialogue, empowerment and education on campus from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20 in the Bovee University Center auditorium.
The event has numerous hosts, including the Organization of Women Leaders, DREAM Central, Central Michigan for Bernie Sanders, Student Advocates for Prison Reform and the Incarcerated, NextGen America at Central and the New America Project (NAP).
The town hall hopes to cultivate a conversation regarding civil wellness on campus. Bringing together the priorities of several student organizations and guest speakers, the event aspires to outline problems and initiate solutions.
Although it is a project involving multiple parties, the town hall is the brain child of NAP, a first-year organization devoted to elevating democratic socialism on campus.
Flushing senior and NAP founder Emily Jones said the event sprang from a desire to ensure issues from the past are unforgotten and intentions for the future are carried through. Discriminatory events which occurred at CMU in the 2018-2019 academic year included:
- A racist whiteboard message targeted African American women residing in a Sweeney Hall dorm room | http://www.cm-life.com/article/2018/11/event-coverage-sweeney-protest
- White nationalist literature was discovered dispersed throughout university property | http://www.cm-life.com/article/2018/11/patriot-front-cards-fall-2018
- Two hate messages received by transgender resident assistant within two weeks of each other | http://www.cm-life.com/article/2018/12/threatening-note-in-residence-hall
"We hope that a town hall style will allow students to express their experiences in a safe space while also taking action on issues," Jones said.
The town hall will feature a segment on Michigan civil rights laws and stereotyping. Other presentations will be from the following speakers:
- John Montgomery of Midland Progressives
- Communications and Marketing Assistant Imani Clark of the Ezekiel Project, an interfaith and interracial organization centered on social and systemic changes within the Great Lakes Bay Region
- Haseeb Moten of the Michigan Center for Progressive Public Policy
- Civil Rights and Civil Litigation Practice Manager Rob Robinson of the State Attorney General Office
"This (event) will elevate marginalized voices and show that they matter more than the hateful people targeting them," Jones said, emphasizing the town hall will be symbolic of CMU's potential to be a more informed and transparent haven for students and community members.
She said her organization will be recording the event in its entirety and providing it to President Robert Davies, as he will be traveling during the event.
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