Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity in Africa and the Diaspora

Co-hosts: MSU African Studies Center, Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and the Department of African American and African Studies

Racism and other longstanding inequities have prompted a global outcry against racial injustice. This dialogue will focus specifically on the nature and responses to racial injustice in Africa and the diaspora in the US, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. A panel of higher education leaders and scholars will share their perspectives and responses in a frank discussion of the ways in which higher education institutions may unknowingly perpetuate structural racism, the current state of global race relations and its role in increasing racist actions, and what should be done to create meaningful change.

We will examine issues that affect diaspora populations, as well as the legacies of apartheid and how they play out in the context of university policy priorities. We will also look at how faculty and students at universities are being prepared to address race and ethnicity issues in and outside the classroom and the ways in which we must meaningfully ensure student voices and advocacy are part of the solution in institutional change.

Agenda
8:00AM - Welcome remarks & introduction of dialogue

Moderators:
• Dr. Cassandra Veney, Professor and Chair, Dept of International Relations, US International University, Kenya (USIU)
• Dr. Upenyu Majee, Manager, Ubuntu Dialogues Project, African Studies Center, MSU

8:05AM - Opening Remarks: Dr. Pero G. Dagbovie, University Distinguished Professor & Associate Dean, The Graduate School, MSU: The historical context of the Black experience globally

Panelists
8:20AM - Jabbar R. Bennett, Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer, Michigan State University

8:30AM - Norman Duncan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Pretoria, South Africa

8:40AM - Funmi Olonisakin, Vice President International, Kings College London, United Kingdom

8:50AM - Ana Flávia Magalhães Pinto, Professor, Dept of History, University of Brasília, Brazil

9:00AM - Sharron Reed-Davis, President, Black Student Alliance

9:10AM - Q&A Session

9:25AM - Monique Kelly, Assistant Professor, Dept of Sociology, MSU

ORGANIZER: Alliance for African Partnership

WEBSITE: https://clacs.isp.msu.edu/events/upcoming-featured-events/perspectives-r...