Lectures & Events 

"'There's No Jim Crow on Soviet Trains:' Black Sojourners in Search of the Soviet Promise" with Joy Carew

Monday, Feb. 22, 4 to 5:30 p.m., Remote

Joy Gleason Carew, Ph.D., is a linguist and (recently-retired) professor of Pan-African Studies at the University of Louisville. Her degrees are from Case Western Reserve University (B.A. in Russian and French), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (M.A. in Comparative Literature in Russian and French), Cornell University (M.A. in Linguistics, Slavic and romance focus), and Illinois Institute of Technology (Ph.D. in Linguistics).

Register for the talk with Joy Gleason

A Fireside Chat with Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr.

Monday, Feb. 22, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Remote 

The inaugural Black Futures Summit Presentation featuring Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr., Chair and James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor, Princeton University. This presentation is supported by The Smith Family Endowment in the Humanities.

Presented by the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion & The Humanities Scholars Program in collaboration with the Department of History and CAUSE. Zoom link to be distributed to registrants on the morning of the event.

Register for the fireside chat

Stay Grateful: A Weekly Gratitude Practice

Tuesday, Feb. 23, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Remote

Practices in gratitude can help us regulate our mood, build our resilience and cultivate increased happiness and satisfaction. Join us to learn some strategies on how to be more grateful throughout your day and for a weekly opportunity to practice and to share your gratitude with our CMU community. Facilitated by Angie Lusk, program director, Student Affairs Wellness Initiatives.

Join "Stay Grateful" via Zoom

Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program Information Session 

Wednesday, Feb. 24, 4:30 to 5 p.m., Remote 

Want to spend a semester studying, interning and living in Washington DC? Come learn more about our Washington Semester Program from program manager Meghan Mattern. You'll study policy with former policy-makers; intern on Capitol Hill with think tanks and non-profits, or with any of the many organizations in the nation's capital; and explore a vibrant city with a close-knit cohort of students. 

Join the Washington Semester Program Information Session

MAPW Staff Information Session 

Wednesday, Feb. 24, 4:30 p.m., Remote

The English Department’s master’s degree in professional writing has been a popular choice for many CMU staff seeking to become more effective communicators. Join us for a Master’s in Professional Writing (MAPW) Information Session on to learn about pursuing this degree as a CMU employee. The MAPW teaches professional students to create and execute verbal and visual information strategies (including for print, online and social- and multi-media) and develops their skills for careers as writers, communication specialists and information designers. The next application deadline is Wednesday, March 31 and the final application deadline is Wednesday, June 30. The Department of English will be waiving the GRE requirement for applications submitted for fall 2021, fall 2022 and fall 2023.

RSVP to the information session to receive the zoom invitation

MLK Selected Reading Discussion

Thursday, Feb. 25, 12 to 1 p.m., Remote

In February, the Center of Student Diversity and Inclusion will be discussing Dr. Eddie Glaude's book "Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own." 

If you would like a copy of the book, please contact the Center. Zoom link to be shared with registrants the morning of the event.

Register for the selected reading discussion 

The Art of the Handwritten Note with Angie Lusk 

Thursday, Feb. 25, 12 to 1 p.m., Remote 

Join CMWA and Angie Lusk, program director for Student Affairs Wellness Initiatives, for "The Art of the Handwritten Note." One part gratitude exercise, one part mindfulness practice, this workshop encourages reflection and the spirit of kindness.

Learn more about the workshop 

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) 2.0 

Thursday, Feb. 25, 12 to 5 p.m., Remote

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an evidence-based, nationally-recognized training that teaches participants how to identify, understand, and support individuals struggling with mental health or substance use challenges. While this training was previously only offered in-person, MHFA 2.0 is an entirely virtual training consisting of 2 hours of self-paced instruction followed by 5 hours of live instructor-led training via Zoom. This training will be available to all CMU community members regardless of their physical location. Live instructor-led Zoom trainings are facilitated by representatives from Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) and University Health Services (Health Promotion). Registration is required for this event and is limited to 20 participants per training. 

Faculty Dialogue: The Past, Present and Future of the Black Experience 

Thursday, Feb. 25, 4 to 5 p.m., Remote

How has the culture of "Blackness" changed through time? Join a panel of CMU faculty for a rich dialogue centered on what their research reveals about the historical and present-day Black experience and how it can inform the creation of a more equitable future.

This dialogue will feature Dietrich alumnus and faculty member Kevin Jarbo and Chante Cox-Boyd and Aishah Scott. The event is open to faculty, staff, students and alumni. 

All participants must register for this event. A Zoom login link will be provided in a confirmation email.

Register for the dialogue by Wednesday, Feb. 24

BIPOC Connection Hour

Thursday, Feb. 25, 4:15 to 4:45 p.m., Remote

BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) students only. This is a space for BIPOC students to come together in community, and to share and process the different ways we navigate our experiences within White-dominant spaces. This will be a consistent space, free of judgment and expectations. Come every week or come when you can; we will be here.

With:

• Dareen Basma, Ph.D
• Kym Jordan Simmons, PhD
• Viviana Ferrer-Medina, Psy.D.

Join the Connection Hour on Zoom

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) Proposal Workshop

Thursday, Feb. 25, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Remote 

Learn about new submission requirements for SURG/SURF and participate in a Q&A session.

Meeting ID: 948 2213 5128
Passcode: 586996

Join the workshop via Zoom

Indigenous Sovereignty + Black Liberation

Thursday, Feb. 25, 4:30 p.m., Remote

A roundtable discussion with Sunshine Adam, Zainab Amadahy and Erica Violet Lee about how the fight for Indigenous sovereignty (including #LandBack) and Black liberation (including reparations) can be built through solidarity rather than competition. Alaina E. Roberts, assistant professor of history at the University of Pittsburgh and author of the forthcoming book "I've Been Here All the While: Black Freedom on Native Land," is the moderator. The guest participants will discuss their experiences and visions for the future.

Learn more information and register for the roundtable. 

Libraries Speaker Series: Bekezela Mguni

Thursday, Feb. 25, 7 to 8 p.m., Remote

What does it mean to approach the practice of archiving through a justice-centered lens? Archivists play a critical role in the preservation of our history, how we interpret the current moment, and what evidence is left behind in order to help us understand and shape our future. Whose story is deemed valuable? Whose life is seen as important enough to be remembered? What cultural lenses will we use to look at our experiences? In this talk, Bekezela Mguni examines how archives can be both sites of powerful memory keeping as well as oppression and violence.

Bekezela Mguni is a queer Trinidadian artist, librarian, and educator. She has more than 15 years of community organizing experience in the reproductive justice movement and holds an MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh. She was a 2015-2016 member of the Penn Ave Creative Accelerator Program with the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater and launched the Black Unicorn Library and Archive Project, a Black feminist community library and archive. She is currently an artist-in-residence at Artist Image Resource and the librarian-in-residence at the Pittsburgh International Airport. This event is sponsored by the Alumni Association.

Join the talk with Bekezela Mguni  

Algorithms of Deception: A Case for Nuanced Election Data 

Friday, Feb. 26, 12 to 1 p.m., Remote 

The 2020 elections demonstrated how voters of color can shift the electorate. Predicting any voters’ behavior or political attitudes involves processes that are part art and part science. While it is assumed that the science of elections is more stable than the art of elections, this is not the case. It is easy to state, algorithms are neutral, they are just code.

In "Algorithms of Deception: A Case for Nuanced Data," Allison Clark draws upon her social science and civic engagement experience to investigate how the data science of campaigns can replicate the biases of the humans who create them.

This presentation will use the Nov. 3 elections in Florida and the Georgia Senate runoff races to illustrate how culturally competent messaging impacted the voter turnout efforts (GOTV) in the 2020 elections. Are election algorithmic systems flawed? If so, how do election algorithms based on flawed data impact voter engagement? What measures can be taken to avoid these pitfalls? Sponsored by the Institute for Politics and Strategy and the CMU chapter of the Alexander Hamilton Society.

Visit the website for more information or to register for the event. 

Immigrant Connection Hour

Friday, Feb. 26, 1 to 2 p.m., Remote 

Join us in this weekly connection hour, hosted by immigrants for immigrants! This event is open to all members of the CMU community.

With:

• Dareen Basma, Ph.D
• Shubhara Bhattacharjee, Psy.D
• Mengchun Chiang, Ph.D

Join Zoom Meeting ID: 969-6481-1810

Tartan Allies: Session 2 

Friday, Feb. 26, 1 to 3 p.m., Remote

Tartan Allies is a series of sessions offered to CMU faculty, staff and students to foster a network of people who are committed to working toward an affirming environment for all at CMU. In particular, the series focuses on being an ally to those in the LGBTQ+ community.

Tartan Allies is made up of three progressive sessions, with participants free to choose the number they wish to complete. As our name suggests, being an ally is not a passive behavior. Good and effective allies listen, learn and act.

Join us for Tartan Allies sessions if you are interested in becoming a part of this inclusive and supportive community. Zoom information will be distributed on the morning of the session.

Register for Tartan Allies 

Afro-Cuban Women: Between Democracy and Revolution (1902-1952)

Monday, March 1, 12 to 1:30 p.m., Remote

Dr. Manuel Ramírez Chicharro is a visiting scholar in the University Research Institute for Latin American Studies at the University of Alcalá and a member of the Comparative Studies Group of the Caribbean and the Atlantic World at the Spanish National Research Council. His research focuses on the status of Afro-Cuban women during the Cuban Republic, how they challenged a non-inclusive democracy and how they shaped more radical state-building projects in Cuba. Chicharro researches how Black, mulatto and white women actively advanced the suffrage movement, but also how white feminists did not include Afro-Cuban women in national processes by not considering their struggle against both gender and racial discrimination. Chicharro argues that Afro-Cuban women had to struggle for recognition not just against a racist and male-dominated political environment, but also against their middle-class, white feminist colleagues. Ramírez Chicharro is the author of two award-winning books published in 2019: "Más allá del sufragismo: Las mujeres cubanas en la democratización de Cuba" (1933-1952) ("Beyond Suffrage: Cuban Women and Democracy in Cuba" [1933-1952]) and "Llamada a las armas. Las mujeres en la revolución cubana" (1952-1959) ("A Call to Arms: Women in the Cuban Revolution" [1952-1959]).

Register for Afro-Cuban Women: Between Democracy and Revolution

SoA Spring 2021 Lecture Series: “Reframing Utopias: Radical Anxiety / Radical Futures” ft. Pascale Sablan & Michael Stone-Richards

Monday, March 1, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Remote 

“Reframing Utopias: Radical Anxiety / Radical Futures” pairs Pascale Sablan (Beyond the Built Environment) and Michael Stone-Richards (College for Creative Studies) in conversation with moderators Kirman Hanson and Shariq Shah to share their thoughts on the collapse of familiarity, the interrelatedness of exposure, attention and care, and their visions on the power of action towards revolutionary futures.

The SoA Dialogue Series “Reframing Utopias” pairs our 2021 Spring Lecture Series guests in a set of moderated themed conversations, challenging and inspiring us to re-envision our future. 

Visit the website for more information.

Economics Student Advisory Committee Meeting

Thursday, March 4, 4 to 4:30 p.m., Remote

Join us during the Economics Student Advisory Committee monthly drop-in meetings to connect with other economics majors, give feedback on the program, suggest future events, and learn about program updates and opportunities. Your voice is important, and we'd love to hear from you at our E-SAC meeting!

Questions? Contact Kathleen Conway.

Learn more and RSVP for the meeting

Event status and details are subject to change. All events are taking place EST, unless noted otherwise. Check the Dietrich College calendar for more upcoming events.