It’s easy to feel overwhelmed right now—the climate crisis, violence against immigrants, wars, social and economic inequality, and countless other catastrophes have left communities in need of spaces where people can digest information and imagine a stronger future.

The Center for Media, Religion and Culture will create that space at its upcoming conference, Why We Come Together.

“This is a moment to really ask radical questions about what we do and how to do it better,” said Nabil Echchaibi, director of the center and associate dean of scholarly and creative work at the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information at CU Boulder. “CMDI is a platform for that kind of reflection.”

The purpose of the conference isn’t to go over the endless list of tragedies society is facing. Instead, it’s to uplift, by creating a space for scholars, educators and activists to rethink how communities come together and how industries can reorganize for the greater good.

“Academia thrives on assessment, but we wanted to figure out what’s on the other side of assessing the world,” said Echchaibi, also a professor of media studies at CMDI. “The idea is to go beyond that—to ask tough questions in order to think through them, and then figure out a more humane response to the moment in which we live.”

The conference will include talks from three featured speakers:

• Fred Moten, professor of performance studies and comparative literature, New York University. His teaching and writing focus on poetics, aesthetics, Black studies and critical theory.
• Nichole M. Flores, associate professor of religious studies, University of Virginia. She researches the relationship between aesthetics and democracy, with emphasis on the Catholic and Latine theological and ethical traditions.
• Jen Deerinwater, an award-winning journalist and organizer. Deerinwater is the founding executive director of Crushing Colonialism, an indigenous storytelling, arts, and media nonprofit.

Nabil Echchaibi

Moten’s talk will open the conference; Echchaibi said his work on the Black radical tradition and spaces of study make him a natural fit for the event.

“Fred Moten has always said that you have to live in the brokenness of the moment, because the brokenness of the moment is what really produces something that we don't necessarily recognize,” Echchaibi said. “He's a jazz musician, a poet, a scholar. He's the kind of eclectic thinker who you really want for a conference like this.”

This year’s conference is the center’s 12th, and takes place as it celebrates its 20th anniversary. To mark the milestone, a reception will be held on Friday, Oct. 23, recognizing the work faculty and fellows have done to explore the intersection of media and religion.

Beyond that reflection, Echchaibi hopes the event prompts people to reflect deeply and boldly on the world around them.

“It’s a moment for people to stop, pause, and acknowledge the brokenness of the world, and to acknowledge the fact that we live in this brokenness,” he said. “Whether we live here in Boulder or we live in the Congo, we are all implicated and we need to assume that responsibility.”

Iris Serrano graduated from CMDI in 2026 with degrees in journalism and strategic communication. She covers student news and events for the college.