The sixth annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion conference welcomed keynote speakers Charlotte Clymer and Patrisse Cullors and also had 15 student speakers.
Webster hosted its sixth Annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion conference from Feb. 23 to Feb. 25. The conference focused on having constructive conversations about diversity and inclusion.
Keynote speakers included transgender activist Charlotte Clymer and Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors.
Panels and lectures touched on current topics such as Black Lives Matter. Cullors gave a presentation titled “When they Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Dialogue with Patrisse Cullors.” Cullors spoke on Wednesday, Feb. 24. Clymer closed the first night of the conference on Feb. 23 talking about being trans in a post-Trump era.
Other panels touched on issues that have found less discussion in the mainstream media, such as Maryam Laura Moazedi’s “The Urgent Need for a New Narrative on Ageing.” During the lecture, Moazedi talked about how we see age.
Students can see the full discussion here.
There were also panels and discussions with current Webster students. On Feb. 24, a panel titled, “Voices of Diversity: Global Student Leaders” brought seven students from campuses across the globe together to discuss diversity. On Feb. 25, Webster student Nae Lowery and her family.
On YouTube, Webster presented the Champion for All Awards to Mayor Ella Jones, mayor of Ferguson, Missouri, and Valerie E. Patton.
Vincent Flewellen, chief diversity officer at Webster University, said the conference received over 2,000 registrations. The event had 48 speakers. According to Flewellen, 15 were students at Webster, which is the highest number of student voices DEI has had.
Flewellen said he was excited to see the conference grow and is now looking to future events.
“We will be challenged to outdo ourselves, but I am looking forward to partnering with Chancellor Stroble and members of the 2022 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Planning Committee to begin work on our seventh annual conference,” Flewellen said in a statement.
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Cas Waigand (she/her) was the editor-in-chief for the Journal (Spring 2021). She majored in journalism with a minor in photography. Cas also covered COVID-19 and the 2020 general election. She enjoys writing, watching Netflix, crocheting, and taking photos.
