equity symposium

Olympia – The Evergreen State College is proud to announce the 6th Annual Equity Symposium, being held Wednesday – Thursday, April 17-18, 2024. With the theme of "Building Skillful Coalition," this year's symposium aims to empower our community with the skills necessary to challenge the systems of oppression that divide us.

Each year, the Equity Symposium provides a vital space for our community to come together in pursuit of knowledge and skills related to equity, social justice, and liberation. This year's theme underscores the importance of fostering collaboration and understanding in an era marked by polarization.

The keynote speaker for the 2024 Equity Symposium is the renowned human rights activist, Loretta J. Ross. As the recipient of the 2022 MacArthur Foundation "Genius" award and an Associate Professor at Smith College, Loretta brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the symposium. With a career spanning over four decades, Loretta has been a trailblazer in activism and social change since the 1970s.

Ross is known for her groundbreaking work on building coalitions through compassionate dialogue. In her acclaimed work, "Calling In the Calling Out Culture," she offers a transformative approach to overcoming political differences by emphasizing empathy and respect in difficult conversations. Her induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2024 is a testament to her significant contributions to the advancement of human rights and social justice.

The portion of the event featuring Ross is open to the public but requires tickets which can be found at the EventBrite site – there will also be a virtual option to register for. For more information about the Equity Symposium, please visit evergreen.edu/equity-symposium.

OLYMPIA – The Evergreen State College’s two-day Equity Symposium took place on April 19th and 20th. Each year, this event brings the Evergreen community together with speakers, performances, workshops and social events to inspire, teach and celebrate.

Students, staff and faculty attended sessions over the two days to continue building a vision of equity, belonging and social justice across the college’s two campuses and beyond. This year’s theme was “You Are Enough: Healing Towards Belonging and Collective Liberation.” 

Check out photos from this year's Equity Symposium below! 

Stay tuned for additional photos from ALOK's Keynote Address. See you next year at the Equity Symposium!

OLYMPIA – The Evergreen State College’s two-day Equity Symposium takes place this Wednesday and Thursday, April 19 and 20. Each year, this event brings the Evergreen community together with speakers, performances, workshops and social events to inspire, teach and celebrate.

This year’s theme is “You Are Enough: Healing Towards Belonging and Collective Liberation.” Students, staff and faculty will have the opportunity to attend sessions over the two days that symposium planners aim to continue building a vision of equity, belonging and social justice across the college’s two campuses and beyond. 

The symposium starts at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 19 with Dr. Leticia Nieto who will lead an interactive plenary session until noon at the House of Welcome. Then for the next two days, Greeners will have their choice of several different sessions on topics from how to heal our relationship with the community post-pandemic, disability justice, how to engage some of the tensions around anti-racism work, to an Evergreen beach walk and aquarium activity. 

Wednesday’s events conclude with the screening of the film Rhythms of the Land about Black farmers in the United States. At the end of the viewing, attendees will have the opportunity to talk with film director Dr. Gail P. Meyers. 

The keynote event at 7 p.m. on Thursday, in the auditorium, is open and free to the public and features author, poet, comedian and public speaker, ALOK. They are internationally acclaimed, and their work explores themes of trauma, belonging and the human condition. In recognition of their work, they have been honored as the inaugural LGBTQ Scholar in Residence at the University of Pennsylvania and awarded a GLAAD Media Award and Stonewall Foundation Visionary Award. Over the past decade, they have toured in more than 40 countries, most recently selling out their runs at the Soho Theatre in London, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and the Kennedy Performing Arts Center.

Although this event is free, tickets are required for entry. Ticket availability is limited as most of the 1,000 tickets have already been claimed. 

For more information about Evergreen’s Equity Symposium, please visit the website. 

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