UK to Host Men of Color Symposium Feb. 6
Jan. 29, 2020 UPDATE: Registration for this symposium is now full.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 23, 2020) — In two weeks, the University of Kentucky Martin Luther King (MLK) Center, in collaboration with the UK Office for Institutional Diversity and the Office of Student and Academic Life, will host the first Men of Color Symposium. The symposium will take place 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at the UK Gatton Student Center.
This free, one-day event aims to promote self-awareness, unity, academic motivation and the importance of men of color in leadership positions.
"I believe this is an amazing opportunity to bring people together all across the Commonwealth to build community and talk about how to better support men of color through all walks of life," said Ja'Mahl McDaniel, associate director of the MLK Center. "We are excited to have renowned speakers and experts to share time with our UK and larger campus community."
Sonja-Feist Price, UK's vice president for institutional diversity, says this event lives out the ideals of Lyman T. Johnson, who fought for diversity, equity and inclusion, particularly for those whose voices were either silenced or ignored. UK is currently commemorating Johnson and 70 years of integration on campus this academic year.
"The fact that we have an opportunity to discuss issues and solutions relevant to the success of men of color is extremely important to our campus community and the state of Kentucky," Feist-Price said. "Both professionally and personally, this symposium is near and dear to my heart, and I am beyond excited about the ways in which this symposium will lead to practical and actionable initiatives, not only on our campus but campuses throughout the Commonwealth. I salute Jason Brooks, Ja'Mahl McDaniel and the entire team at the MLK Center for hosting what is sure to be a transformative event, which is among the first of its kind in our state."
The symposium is open to students and professionals across Kentucky. While free of charge, seating is limited and registration is required.
The theme of the conference is "Building a Pipeline: College, Career, & Community," offering sessions that will allow participants to engage in personal, career and community development. Workshops will offer applicable and practical information, and networking opportunities will be available with renowned leaders from the university and beyond, including:
- award-winning speaker, author and entrepreneur DeAndre Carter, who will give the opening ceremony presentation;
- hip-hop artist David "Olmeca" Barragan, who will give a performance during lunch;
- James Moore, vice provost for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer at Ohio State University, who will provide the closing ceremony keynote; and
- Roger Cleveland, professor at Kentucky State University, who will also provide a closing keynote.
For more information about the symposium, visit www.uky.edu/mlkc/men-color-symposium.
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.