“The Next 200 Years Starts Now: Getting Beyond the Race Card Rhetoric”

The Division of Institutional Equity and Diversity at the University of North Texas is hosting a panel-style dialogue April 8th on the issue of reconciling race issues as seen from different perspectives.

The event begins with a welcome from UNT President Gretchen M. Bataille. Three speakers will share their perspectives on racial issues: Jonathan Hook, director of the office of tribal affairs in the EPA’s Dallas office and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation; Geronimo Rodriguez, vice president for diversity and community outreach for the Seton family of hospitals in central Texas; and Bob Lydia, first vice president of the Texas NAACP. Small group dialogues will follow each speaker. Mary Lynn Babcock, UNT associate professor of dance and theatre, and one of her colleagues will perform an original dance related to racial healing.

The event will be graphically recorded by artist Marilyn Martin. Using graphics and words, she will transcribe the meeting on murals and posters. This will encourage out-of-the-box thinking among attendees and produce an appealing record of the meeting. For more information about "The Next 200 Years Starts Now: Getting Beyond the Race Card Rhetoric," contact the UNT Division of Institutional Equity and Diversity, (940) 565-2711.

Information provided by UNT