UA to Host Symposium on Politics of Diversity and Visibility

TUSCALOOSA,  Ala. — The University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences will host the seventh annual Discerning Diverse Voices Symposium, a daylong symposium that showcases interdisciplinary scholarship and creative activity on all aspects of diversity, March 9 in Gorgas Library.

A keynote performance by Hill L. Waters, a scholar-artist collaboration between Durell M. Callier and Dominique C. Hill, will explore love, intimacy, violence and the black queer body at 4 p.m.

A pre-keynote panel will include students from the “How Does it Feel to be a Problem” video that circulated last year about the racial climate at UA and contributed to the We Are Done movement on campus.

“This year’s theme, The Politics of Diversity and Visibility, in many ways reflects and reinforces the ongoing goals and initiatives our College and University have around issues of inclusivity,” said Dr. Robin Boylorn, UA associate professor of communication studies and event organizer.

“The symposium is a space to have difficult dialogues and honest conversations about topics and issues of difference that are often silenced. We hope to provide a venue for students, staff and faculty to hear and talk about how and why diversity is important. As a College of Communication and Information, it is our responsibility to facilitate these discussions.”

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. in Gorgas Library 205 followed by nearly 50 presentations on diversity research from scholars around the Southeast. The event is free and open to the public.

Contact

UA Media Relations, 205/348-5320

Source

Dr. Robin Boylorn, 205/348-8078, rboylorn@ua.edu