Marywood University to Hold Inaugural “Changing the Narrative” Workshop Series

Marywood University will hold its inaugural workshop series titled, “Changing the Narrative,” an initiative focused on addressing issues around equity and inclusion in higher education and in the community, on Friday, February 28, 2020, from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m., at various locations on campus. Registration begins at 8 a.m. in the Upper Main Dining Room, at the Nazareth Student Center. A Continental breakfast and light lunch will be provided. This event is free and open to the public. To register, visit: https://forms.gle/STD6XLt4omjDAK1YA

The workshop series will challenge our views on race, ethnicity, gender identification, and disability through the lens of intersectionality (the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group). The workshop will focus on our own narratives or beliefs about the world, and having the courage to engage with the narratives of others to help us to understand, grow, and develop from the experience.

Chad Dion Lassiter, executive director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC), will serve as the keynote speaker for the workshop series and will begin his presentation at 6 p.m. in the Sette LaVerghetta Center for Performing Arts on the University’s campus. Mr. Lassiter began serving as the Executive Director of Pennsylvania’s top civil rights agency in 2018. Since that time, he has initiated a “NO HATE IN OUR STATE: town hall series, a “Social Justice Lecture Series,” and a racial reduction response team. In addition, he has implemented the Lean Management program at the PHRC. He  has scheduled several specific trainings for the staff so they can be better equipped to do their work including HUD training, EEOC training, and Implicit Bias training.

For additional information about Marywood University’s “Changing the Narrative” workshop series, please contact Yerodin Lucas, Ph.D., interim director for the Office of Equity and Inclusion and Title IX coordinator, at ylucas@maryu.marywood.edu, or call (570) 340-6042. To register for the free workshop series, please visit https://forms.gle/STD6XLt4omjDAK1YA.