26
February
2018
|
12:34 PM
America/Chicago

UHD Hosts #SayHerName Conference March 23

The College of Humanities & Social Sciences (CHSS) and UHD's Center for Critical Race Studies is hosting a #SayHerName Conference on Friday, March 23, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the Welcome Center.

The one-day conference will feature a Crunk Feminist Collective Roundtable, UHD Alumni/Student Panel, UHD Faculty Women of Color Panel, and TED-like Talks with guests from the Crunk Feminist Collective:

  • Robin M. Boylorn, associate professor of Interpersonal and Intercultural Communication at the University of Alabama and co-author of The Crunk Feminist Collection" (The Feminist Press 2017).
  • Sheri Davis-Faulkner, senior program director for WILL Empower with the Center for Innovation in Worker Organization in the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University.
  • Rachel Raimist, associate professor of media production at the University of Alabama and award-winning filmmaker.

In 2014, CHSS' Center Critical Race Studies hosted its first Scholar-In-Residence, Dr. Brittney Cooper, associate professor of Women's & Gender Studies and Africana Studies at Rutgers and a founding member of the Crunk Feminist Collective.

"The conference is multi-purposed," said Dr. DoVeanna Fulton, dean of CHSS. "On one hand, it's designed to increase our students' awareness of issues that impact the lives of women of color and the way the forms of activism can take, both within and outside the academy. And on the other, it's an occasion to recruit students to UHD."

With an intent to increase awareness about issues that impact the lives of women of color, the conference—open to the UHD community and alumni—will also host students from Lone Star College, Houston Community College, San Jacinto College, Lee College, and seniors from Houston area high schools.

With full support from UHD President, Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz and senior administration, students who attend will have the opportunity to earn scholarships. CHSS is devoting $100,000 to student scholarships to fund about 50 scholarships. Other UHD colleges also will be contributing scholarships during this event. New students, who attend and enroll at UHD during the conference are eligible for scholarships, will have the opportunity to meet with UHD advisors and admissions counselors; meet with specific partners that UHD is collaborating with for student success; and apply to the University.

According to Fulton, UHD's student population is 60 percent women, of which, almost 75 percent are black and Latina; however, the graduation rate of this population is only 27 percent.

"We anticipate that students who choose to attend UHD as a result of attending this conference will make a significant impact on enrollment and increase our recognition to current and future students and the surrounding region," added Fulton. "As a University, the primary message we want to convey is that for students who are often marginalized and lack the access to educational opportunities—UHD is not only the place for them, but it's a place that consciously works toward social justice through the classroom while empowering our student population."

This conference dovetails into the #SayHerName national movement launched by the African American Policy Forum (AAPF), which promotes frameworks and strategies that address a vision of racial justice that embraces the intersections of race, gender, class, and the array of barriers that disempower those who are marginalized in society. AAPF is dedicated to advancing and expanding racial justice, gender equality, and the indivisibility of all human rights, both in the U.S. and internationally.

"We see you and are here to empower you," said CHSS Assistant Dean Crystal Guillory. "The way this conference ties into this movement is to bring the national conversation to UHD."

The conference is free; however, registration is required to attend. The deadline for registration is March 20.

For more information, contact CHSS Assistant Dean Crystal Guillory at guillorycry@uhd.edu.