UK to Host 2nd Annual Men of Color Symposium
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 29, 2021) — The University of Kentucky Martin Luther King (MLK) Center, in collaboration with the UK Office for Institutional Diversity and the Office of Student Success, will host the second annual Men of Color Symposium. The two-day symposium will take place from Thursday, Feb. 4, through Friday, Feb. 5.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Promoting community, courage, care and connections.” The goal in establishing this theme is to promote unity among men of color and to offer sessions that will allow participants to participate in personal, career and community development.
“The Men of Color Symposium provides our students, community members and regional partners opportunities to engage in conversations and topics that affect men of color each and every day,” said Jason Brooks, executive director for institutional engagement. “Since our last Men of Color Symposium in February 2020, men of color from around the nation have experienced a great magnitude of death through institutional structures, injustices, emotional and mental stressors due to the pandemic and rising unemployment because of the current state of our economy. The University of Kentucky prides itself in leading the state in discussions, program development and advocacy work for our students and those within our community. This symposium, in part, is the foundation of what’s to come from the University of Kentucky.”
Open to students and professionals across Kentucky and beyond, attendees will be exposed to renowned speakers, presented with insightfully themed sessions with applicable and practical information and opportunities to discuss building support for men of color.
The schedule for both days is as follows:
Symposium Schedule Day 1
9:45 a.m. Opening remarks
10-11:30 a.m. Morning session
Noon-1:30 p.m. Keynote Address with former Kentucky Rep. Charles Booker
2-3:30 p.m. Afternoon session
Symposium Schedule Day 2
10-11:30 a.m. Morning session
Noon-1:30 p.m. Keynote Address with attorney Benjamin Crump
2-3:30 p.m. Afternoon session
In order to provide a safe opportunity for participation, the conference will be offered virtually with multiple sessions available.
Click here to register for the 2021 symposium and for information on keynotes and breakout session presenters.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.