OHIO to host third annual Diversity Leadership Institute on April 22

“Pathways to Anti-Racism" theme will engage participants in discovering strategies to foster an anti-racist campus and community culture

Ohio University’s Division of Diversity and Inclusion will host the third annual Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI) on Thursday, April 22with the theme “Pathways to Anti-Racism." 

“I have been inspired by the resolve and continuous dedication to diversity by our OHIO students, faculty and staff,” President M. Duane Nellis said. “I am looking forward to participating in the 2021 Diversity Leadership Institute, which I believe will add to our University’s collective commitment to anti-racism. I commend the Division of Diversity and Inclusion for all they do to support our campus community.”

Beginning at 9:45 a.m., the one-day event brings together students, faculty, staff, community members and outside expertise to discover strategies to foster a sustainable anti-racist campus and community culture. An annual tradition, OHIO’s DLI encourages learning, reflection and rigorous exploration on a timely diversity and inclusion topic.

This year’s keynote address, from 10 – 11 a.m., will be given by Dr. James D. Anderson. Dr. Anderson is dean of the College of Education, the Edward William and Jane Marr Gutgsell Professor of Education, and affiliate professor of History, African American Studies, and Law at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His scholarship focuses broadly on the history of U.S. education, with a subfield on the history of African American education. His book, The Education of Blacks in the South, 1860-1935, won the American Educational Research Association outstanding book award in 1990. Anderson was elected to the National Academy of Education in 2008.

“We are pleased to host Dean Anderson for Ohio University’s third Diversity Leadership Institute,” said Dr. Gigi Secuban, vice president for diversity and inclusion. “These campus-wide conversations help us reflect on where we are and where we still need to go to transform our collective vision of an equitable and inclusive community into action. The recent rise in visibility of anti-Asian violence across our country has been a sharp reminder of our collective responsibility.”

Following the keynote, DLI participants will be invited to join one of two anti-racism reflection workshops that best fits their schedule that day. In the workshop, participants will have an opportunity to share reflections on the keynote address, examine OHIO’s Inclusive Excellence Strategic Plan goals through the lens of anti-racism and brainstorm specific action items, and develop plans for engaging with colleagues and neighbors around anti-racism.

Learn more about the Institute, see the schedule of events, and register to attend on the Institute’s webpage.