We invite you to join us this fall as we, Diversity & Social Justice Education (Conversation Café) and the University YMCA (Friday Forum), partner to bring back our series:

Our Community in Action:  Advancing Social Justice in Champaign-Urbana and Beyond.

We will be hearing from community leaders tackling our most pressing public concerns through an unwavering pursuit of social justice. 

This series will continue to take place on most Fridays during spring semester, 2023, from Noon - 1:00 PM, at the University YMCA, 1001 S. Wright St., Champaign, IL.

Lunch will be available, at no cost, and is part of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs "Lunch on Us" series and is paid for in part, by the Student Cultural Programming Fee (SCPF).

To view past presentations:  https://universityymca.org/friday-forum/

Spring 2023 Lineup:

2/3/23 - Stories From the Center: University Y Founders Day Event

Cassie Carroll, Mike Doyle, Becca Guyette, and John Jordan; Moderated by Scott Peters, Cornell  University

2/10/23 - Art, Healing, and Justice

Lou Turner, Liza Sylvestre, and Christopher Jones; Moderated by Sam Smith, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

2/17/23 - Envisioning Equity and Excellence in Public Schools

Angela Ward, Amy Bloomberg, and Brandon Caffey; Moderated by Imani Bazzell, Center for Civic Engagement and Social Justice

2/24/23 - The Importance of Interfaith in Jewish Tradition

Rabbi Allyson Zacharoff, New York University

3/3/23 - Risograph, Zines, and "Cheap" Art

Will Arnold, Art @ the Y exhibition on view through 3/10

3/24/23 - Building Anti Racist Immigrant Communities: reflections on arts mediated dialog projects

Ken Salo, Urban & Regional Planning

3/31/23 - In pursuit of intersectional equity beyond the walls of academia: Learning from the marginalized Sunni-Baluch women needleworkers in peri-urban Iran

Atyeh Ashtari, Urban Planning PhD Candidate

4/14/23 - Community Violence and Anti-Violence Efforts

Rachel Garthe, School of Social Work and Jorge Elvir, City of Champaign

Moderated by Sam Smith, KCPA

4/21/23 - Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in our Communities

Hosted by Diversity & Social Justice Education Interns