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Free Speech for Engaged Citizenship: On Campus & Beyond | Alex Morey | Wednesday, March 1, 6:00 P.M. | Brookens Auditorium

Engaged citizens use their voices to express themselves, support causes they care about, and make positive societal change. But given today’s often volatile environment impacting speech around critically-important issues like race, COVID-19, abortion, and more, using this core right can seem — or even be — risky.

Viewing Student Success on Campus Through a Historian's Lens | Dr. Jessica Harris | Wednesday, February 15, 6:00 P.M. | Brookens Auditorium

Equity is a moral, social, and economic imperative. The democratic and economic future of the state of Illinois and the country rests in our collective ability to get a greater number of citizens with a post-secondary credential. The equity gaps that persist in student outcomes at colleges and universities are rooted in the past and have endured over time.

Flamenco-Jazz Crosscurrents: A Musical Case Study of Intercultural Collaboration | David Chiriboga, Wendy Clinard, & Dr. Brian Stark | Wendnesday, February 1, 6:00 P.M. | Brookens Auditorium

In this presentation, jazz saxophonist Dr. Brian Stark will outline the interaction of cultural forces during the evolution of the flamenco-jazz style, with a special emphasis on jazz musician Miles Davis’s perception of the similarities between his experience as a Black American and that of the Spanish Roma people who originated flamenco.

Turning Adversity into Positive Career Traits | Oscar Garcia | Wednesday, November 9, 12:00 PM | Student Union Ballroom

Each of us has our own story. Our own struggles. Our own victories. Our own purpose. Oscar takes you on a personal journey of belittlement, self-doubt, cultural reaffirmation, and embracing our uniqueness. You'll learn how to turn adversity into positive career traits.

What We Choose to Remember | Christy Coleman | Friday, October 21, 6:00 PM | Brookens Auditorium (Overflow Room in PAC C/D)

Throughout the United States people are steeped in conversations regarding what should be taught in schools, commemorated on the public landscape and preserved in cultural organizations. These conversations are far from new, nor are they any less thoughtful or virulent than in times past. What is vastly different is voices previously silenced are now engaged.

Salt of the Earth | Daniel Aguilar, Hinda Seif, & Isabel Skinner | Thursday, October 13, 6:00 PM | Brookens Auditorium

Salt of the Earth presents the true story of Mexican-American zinc miners who strike to end unsafe work conditions and unequal wages with their white counterparts. The film explores themes regarding the role of organized labor, what it means to be American, race, and feminism.

The Woman They Could Not Silence | Kate Moore | Tuesday, September 27, 6:00 PM |Brookens Auditorium

New York Times bestselling author Kate Moore will speak*(virtually) about her latest book The Woman They Could Not Silence.  This riveting tale explores the life of Elizabeth Packard, a Kankakee, Illinois woman who in the years leading up to the Civil War was unjustly committed to the Jacksonville Insane Asylum.