Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Events

Current Events

Jackie Robinson: A Game Apart

Featuring acclaimed actor and playwright Mike Wiley
Date and Time: March 6, 2024 | 7 p.m.
Huff Concert Hall, Methodist University
More Information

Glimpse into baseball legend Jackie Robinson’s life during a bygone era of separate and unequal locker rooms, whites-only hotels and restaurant back doors. Witness the hopeless humiliation of a star player showered with adulation on the field—but a second-hand citizen outside the stadium.

Past Events

31st Annual MLK Brunch

January 15, 2024 | 10 a.m.

Community Conversations with Jane Elliott, Educator & Anti-Racism Activist

Nov. 14, 2023 | 6-8 p.m.
Huff Concert Hall, Reeves Fine Arts Complex

CIRCUIT: DEI Lunch & Learn: “National Indigenous Peoples Month”

Nov. 15, 2023 | 11 a.m. – Noon
Alumni Dining Room, Berns Student Center

Join Gavin Myrick, Director of Student Belonging & Inclusion, for a program focusing on the celebration of the culture and contributions throughout history of the Indigenous community.

CIRCUIT: DEI Lunch & Learn: “National Coming Out Day: LGBTQ Rights & Laws”

Oct. 18 | 11 a.m. – Noon
Alumni Dining Room, Berns Student Center

Join Gavin Myrick, Director of Student Belonging & Inclusion, for a program focusing on the rights and laws affecting the LGBTQ community nationwide.

NCAA Diversity & Inclusion Week

• MU Participates in the Social Media Campaign (Oct. 17-19)
• Day 1: Understanding the “Why?”

Fall Convocation: “Promoting Diversity and Inclusive Excellence”

Sept. 29 | 11 a.m. – Noon
Huff Concert Hall, Reeves Fine Arts Complex

Dr. Derek Greenfield is a visionary speaker, consultant, and thought leader dedicated to inclusive excellence and positive change. With his dynamic and interactive approach, creative ideas, track record of success, and sense of humor. His powerful keynotes and workshops on issues such as diversity and inclusion, motivation, team building, student development, Gen Z pedagogy, leadership, and hip-hop culture have been featured at a wide range of conferences, companies, and colleges, including over 150 athletics departments.

Occupational Therapy Lunch & Learn: DEI Through My Eyes

Sept. 26, 2023 | 11 a.m. – Noon
McLean Health Sciences Building, 2nd Floor

Light lunch served while discussing DEI issues. First-year Occupational Therapy students will present posters on their research interests related to justice, diversity, equity, or inclusion.

Exotic Hair Odyssey Education & Expo

September 23, 2023
Huff Concert Hall
Hosted by Marcus Doss Salon

CIRCUIT: DEI Lunch & Learn: “The History of Latinx Month from 1968 to the Present”

Sept. 20, 2023 | 11 a.m. – Noon
Alumni Dining Room, Berns Student Center

Gavin Myrick, Director of Student Belonging & Inclusion, hosted a panel of students who discussed the history of Latin culture in the U.S. and celebrated the food, music, and overall culture of Latin Americans.

The Talk

Sonny Kelly, Ph.D.
Scholar, Writer, and Performer
Brought to you by Methodist University’s Union-Zukowski Endowment for Multicultural Understanding

Returning to memories, re-examining history, and reckoning with an often confusing contemporary composite truth. This eclectic theatrical experience weaves together interactive theater, a dynamic embodied performance, and a multimedia production with the words of James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, W.E.B. Du Bois, Frantz Fanon, Paul Gilroy, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and others. Admission is free.

• “The Talk” One-Man Performance
  Feb. 2 | 6-8 p.m. | Huff Concert Hall
• Talking “The Talk” Workshop
  Feb. 3 | 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Huff Concert Hall

Blood Done Sign My Name

A play by Barefoot Productions adapted from the best-selling book Blood Done Sign My Name. Author and historian Tim Tyson recounts the 1970 murder of Henry “Dickie” Marrow in Oxford, N.C. and the events that follow.

• Feb. 11 | 2 p.m. | Huff Concert Hall

Womack Lectures in Religion & Ethics

“The Courage to Build: Black Religion and the Development of HBCUs”
Feb. 13, 2023 | 11 a.m. | PA Auditorium, Medical Lecture Hall

“Why Christianity Needs Critical Race Theory”
Feb. 13, 2023 | 2 p.m. | PA Auditorium, Medical Lecture Hall

Marla Frederick is the Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Religion and Culture at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. She served for 16 years as Professor of Religion and African-American studies at Harvard University. A graduate of Spelman College, Frederick earned her Ph.D. in cultural anthropology at Duke University.

In 2007, she co-authored a book entitled Local Democracy Under Siege: Activism, Public Interests and Private Politics, which won the Best Book Award from the Society for the Anthropology of North America. Her more recent works, Colored Television: American Religion Gone Global and Televised Redemption: Black Religious Media and Racial Empowerment, explore issues at the intersection of religion, race and media. Dr. Frederick’s ongoing research interests include the study of religion and economics and the sustainability of Black institutions in a “post-racial” world.

30th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Brunch

The 30th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Brunch was held at the Crown Expo Center, 1960 Coliseum Drive, at 10 a.m. Jan. 16.

5th Annual NCAA Diversity & Inclusion Social Media Campaign

This year’s themes are as follows:

• Day 1 (Tuesday, Oct. 18) — “Exploring My Identities”: Exploring student-athletes’ intersectional identities, perspectives and experiences.
• Day 2 (Wednesday, Oct. 19) — “Allyship is …”: Defining and highlighting personal examples of allyship to cultivate communities of belonging within athletics.
• Day 3 (Thursday, Oct. 20) — “Strength in Unity”: Outlining collective and institutional action steps for fostering belonging and inclusive excellence.

The campaign is a great opportunity for student-athletes, administrators, coaches, and fans across the country to use their platform to create a dialogue surrounding diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging and to communicate the need for and importance of developing inclusive environments to enhance the student-athlete experience.

DEI at the 25th B. F. Stone Lyceum

The 25th B. F. Stone Lyceum was a panel discussion entitled “Our Diversity is Our Strength: Addressing Race and Gender in Higher Education.” Panelists included Dr. Quincy Malloy (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), Dr. Carla Fagan (Social Work), Dr. Kyrstin Krist (Physical Education & Exercise Science), Dr. Kelly Walter Carney (English), Dr. Mica Mitchell (Physical Therapy), and Dr. Patricia Fecher (Education). The event took place April 7 in the PA Auditorium, Medical Lecture Hall.