Summit Theme: The Power of Community: Courage, Healing and Unity

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

The unprecedented events in our nation are actively challenging us to choose between comfort or courage in how we learn, teach and work. The loss of connection has impacted the ways we interact in a physically separated world. The theme of this semester’s virtual Diversity and Inclusion Summit is “The Power of Community - Courage, Healing, and Unity.”

The goal of the summit is to provide a foundation to help us build community resilience, foster mutual respect, and promote empowerment, visibility, validation and unity among students, faculty and staff. We will explore the multiple intersecting events that affect our campus community, because they also impact the broader community of our region and our nation.

Our need for a more inclusive, diverse and equitable environment has deepened the importance of courage, healing and unity as we move forward together through these uncertain times. We hope that you will join us remotely to engage with, draw strength from, and be inspired by the power of our community.

9:00 am - 10:15 am
The Power of Community: A “Boulder” Talk Show │Register

  • With: Dyonne Bergeron, Tanya Ennis, Ofelia Morales, and Janice Torkildsen.
  • Location: Virtual
    “In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart is the power to do it.” -Marianne Williamson.

    This talk show will creatively inform and empower our community to thrive, validate our stories and connections, and show us how to be vulnerable while transforming into a Boulder version of ourselves. It will also help us to understand the complexities of humanity while providing ways of healing and courage via storytelling of lived experiences and more.

11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Gratitude with attitude: Queer community anywhere and everywhere | Register

    • With: Morgan Seamont
    • Location: Virtual
      Beginning with Adam Eli's idea that queer people anywhere are responsible for queer people everywhere, we will explore how a commitment to queer conscience forms a stronger, more courageous, and caring community. Being queer in a homophobic society means that we have all picked up a lot of scratches and dents along the way, but our cultural history includes ways to repair those dents. Enhancing our recognition and obligation to each other builds an even stronger community where we are supported from within to maintain an attitude of defiance to heteronormativity.

    1:00 pm - 2:15 pm
    Practicing Courage: Microaggressions and So You Want to
    Talk About Race     with Nikki McCord │ Register

    • With: Nikki McCord, Amanda Rybin Koob, Kalyani Fernando
    • Location: Virtual
      In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo prompts readers to consider the direct actions they can take to prevent and intervene in racist microaggresions. Still, it can be difficult to disrupt power differentials and dynamics, especially when academic hierarchies are in the room. During this interactive session, participants will engage in activities to explore their own privilege and power, possibilities for intervention, and see models for practicing courage and vulnerability on campus and beyond.

      All are welcome to join this online event. You can access the many formats of the book in our collections here and the book discussion guide here.

    5:00-6:15pm
    A Wild Heart: The Path to Healing │Register

    • With: Ysatiz Piñero
    • Location: Virtual
      Participants will engage in an interactive, thought-provoking discussion and reflective, critical-thinking exercises that explore empathy, respect and healing. Participants will ask themselves the following questions throughout the session: What does respect look like in my community? Am I enough? Am I loved? Am I worthy? What does healing look like within my community and for myself?

      “A wild heart is awake to the pain in the world, but does not diminish its own pain. A wild heart can beat with gratitude and lean into pure joy without denying the struggle in the world. We hold that tension with the spirit of the wilderness. It’s not always easy or comfortable – sometimes we struggle with the weight of the pull – but what makes it possible is a front made of love and a back built of courage.” Brené Brown.