Eastern Michigan University will host an all-day student conference entitled, “Conversations on Race” in the Student Center Ballroom this Friday.
Students from different colleges and universities throughout southeast Michigan are going to meet to discuss race and the challenges of it. Thomas Sugrue, a professor of history and sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, will deliver the keynote address.
Sugrue specializes in 20th century American politics, urban history, civil rights and race. He has also authored books including, Not Even Past: Barack Obama and the Burden of Race and Sweet Land of Liberty: The Forgotten Struggle for Civil Rights in the North.
The university said the overall goal of the event is to empower students to engage in “healthy dialogues” and to create a community of “respect and appreciation” of all races on the various EMU campuses.
The event will have various panel discussions and breakout sessions including a morning discussion on “How to Engage in Conversations on Race” with EMU Regent Jim Stapleton, EMU Provost and Executive Vice President Jack Kay, John Rakolta, chairman and CEO of Walbridge Aldinger, and other distinguished guests.
In a statement released by the university, Kay said the event will offer the campus community a chance to have productive conversations and “see through lenses other than our own.”
“Rave is a term that elicits feelings ranging from pride to disdain, love to hate and trust to fear,” Kay said.
The event is free to the public, but registration is encouraged. To register, visit emich.edu/race.
