Celebrating the Life & Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
2021 Schedule of Events
DEI Entrepreneaurship Panel Webinar
Thursday, January 14, 2021
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Eastern
CMU's Alumni & Constituent Engagement office presents a panel discussion with alumni and industry experts focused on the centralization of diversity, equity and inclusion frameworks as a foundational ingredient to building inclusive companies. This panel is intended to engage current and future entrepreneurs. Registration required in advance. A brief Q&A will follow.
Simple ways to give back on MLK Day January 18, 2021
Drop off a non-perishable donation to a local foodbank in your area. You can also support our CMU Pantry with a donation.
Collect new and unopened hygiene items for a local homeless or women’s shelter.
Call an elderly neighbor to check in on them.
Contact a local non-profit or environmental agency and inquire about any upcoming outdoor clean-up day events.
Donate to a local social justice organization committed to eradicating racism in your community.
Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper uplifting a social justice issue that you're passionate about.
Carnegie Mellon Chamber Series: An Evening with Vadim Gluzman
Monday, January 18, 2021
7:30 - 8:30 p.m. Eastern
The Carnegie Mellon University Chamber Series brings together members of the CMU Faculty and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for outstanding music making in an intimate space.
Due to the pandemic, the 2020-2021 Chamber Series performances will be virtual only, livestreamed on the CMU School of Music YouTube Channel. There is no cost to watch these livestreamed performances.
The theme of the 2020-2021 Chamber Series is “Arts Unified.” Each performance will open with a text of a black author/activist read by a CMU student and will feature at least one musical work written by a black composer.
The Carnegie Mellon Chamber Series is generously sponsored by Mrs. Cynthia Friedman.
Pittsburgh Racial Justice Summit
Friday, January 22, 2021
5:30 - 8:30 p.m. Eastern
Saturday, January 23, 2021
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Eastern
For free CMU registration, please fill out this form where you will be directed to the Pittsburgh Racial Justice Summit Eventbrite registration site with a pre-set code for free registration.
The Center for Student Diversity & Inclusion, along with the College of Engineering and the Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office, will provide free registration for CMU students to attend this hallmark Pittsburgh community conversation. The summit features panels, workshops and interactive dialogues aimed at coalition building toward eradicting racism. For over 23 years, this event has brought together thousands of people to find ways to collaborate in the struggle against racism, to work to eliminate police brutality and to build bridges among our communities.
For more information about the summit, please visit pittsburghracialjusticesummit.org.
CAUSE, Heinz College Speaker Series on Racial Disparities in American Policing and Health Care Systems: Vanessa N. Gamble
Friday, January 22, 2021
4:30 - 6:30 p.m. Eastern
Vanessa N. Gamble will discuss "Exploring Connections between the Current Impact of Covid-19 and Past Epidemics and Pandemics in African American and U.S. History." Dr. Gamble is University Professor of Medical Humanities at The George Washington University. She is the first woman and African American to hold this prestigious, endowed faculty position. She is also Professor of Health Policy in the Milken Institute School of Public Health and Professor of American Studies in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Gamble is Adjunct Professor of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Throughout her career she has worked to promote equity and justice in medicine and public health.
Black Male Summit Dinner Discussion: A Look Back as We Progress Forward
Monday, January 25, 2021
6:00 - 7:00 p.m. Eastern
In light of the continued social unrest of 2020 we want to look back on the experiences of Black men and discuss how we continue to move forward in support of Black male identity development as a campus community. This event is open to all individuals, regardless of gender, race, or national origin, who support the advancement of Black men in the Carnegie Mellon community, including students staff, faculty, administrators, and alumni.
MLK Interfaith Breakfast
Friday, January 29, 2021
10:00 - 11:30 a.m. Eastern
Every year, members of the Carnegie Mellon community are invited to an informal breakfast with campus and community interfaith leaders, followed by conversation about the life and legacy of Dr. King through the lens of faith, activism, and social justice. This year, please join us for a virtual gathering featuring a keynote by Dr. Eboo Patel.
Dr. Eboo Patel is the Founder and President of Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), a non-profit organization working to make interfaith cooperation a social norm in America. He is a respected leader on national issues of religious diversity, civic engagement, and the intersection of racial equity and interfaith cooperation. He is the author of four books and dozens of articles, and is a frequent keynote speaker at colleges and universities, philanthropic convenings, and civic gatherings, both in person and virtually. He served on President Obama’s Inaugural Faith Council.
Special Edition DIN
A Follow Up to Beyond 101: Case Study Edition
Thursday, February 4, 2021
4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Eastern
Join the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion on Thursday, February 4 at 4pm for a follow up to our special edition of our Diversity Inclusion Network meetings. The Center hosted the Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation for a presentation and discussion on bias, discrimination, and supporting our CMU community members of diverse genders and sexualities in December. Join us for a continuation of the conversation and a chance to practice and discuss through case studies. All are welcome to attend.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Keynote Lecture: A Conversation with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
5:00 - 6:00 p.m. Eastern
In this moderated questions and answer discussion, Dr. Kendi will lead conversations on anti-racism education at the university level, initiatives to advance anti-racism, engagement and responses to public discourse around anti-racism framework, and the role of policy-based initiatives in creating societal change.
For more information, please visit cmu.edu/uls.
Tartan Allies: Session 1
Thursday, February 18, 2021
2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Eastern
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.
A Taste of Their Own Medicine: Intersex People Fight Back
Thursday, February 18, 2021
4:30 - 6:00 p.m. Eastern
Pidgeon Pagonis, co-founder of the Intersex Justice Project, activist, and educator on the rights of people who are intersex will present on intersex history, activism, binaries, and spectrums.
Pidgeon has a decade of experience advocating, facilitating workshops, and educating audiences about intersex rights.
The Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion, PRISM, and CMQ+ are excited to bring Pidgeon to Carnegie Mellon.
CAUSE, Heinz College Speaker Series on Racial Disparities in American Policing and Health Care Systems: Alondra Nelson
Friday, February 19, 20214:30 - 6:30 p.m. Eastern
Nelson will discuss "Contemporary Movements to Combat the Racial Disparities of Covid-19 Compared to Past Efforts to Address Epidemics and Pandemics in the United States." Nelson is president of the Social Science Research Council and Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study. A scholar of science, technology, and social inequality, she is author, most recently, of The Social Life of DNA: Race, Reparations, and Reconciliation after the Genome. Her publications also include Body and Soul: The Black Panther Party and the Fight against Medical Discrimination; Genetics and the Unsettled Past: The Collision of DNA, Race, and History; and Technicolor: Race, Technology, and Everyday Life. She is also editor of “Afrofuturism,” an influential special issue of Social Text.
A Fireside Chat with Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr.
Monday, February 22, 2021
6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Eastern
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.
MLK Selected Reading Discussion
Thursday, February 25, 2021
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Eastern
In February, the Center will be discussing Dr. Eddie Glaude's book Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own.
More information on our selected readings is listed below.
If you are a current student, faculty, or staff member at Carnegie Mellon and need assistance obtaining a copy of Begin Again, please contact the Center by emailing csdi@andrew.cmu.edu.
Tartan Allies: Session 2
Friday, February 26, 2021
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Eastern
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.
MLK Selected Reading Discussion
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Eastern
In March, the Center will be discussing Cathy Park Hong's book Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning.
More information on our selected readings is listed below.
If you are a current student, faculty, or staff member at Carnegie Mellon and need assistance obtaining a copy of Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning, please contact the Center by emailing csdi@andrew.cmu.edu.
MLK Selected Reading Discussion
Friday, April 30, 2021
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Eastern
In April, the Center will be discussing Ijeoma Oluo's book Mediocre: the Dangerous Legacy of White Male America.
More information on our selected readings is listed below.
If you are a current student, faculty, or staff member at Carnegie Mellon and need assistance obtaining a copy of Mediocre: the Dangerous Legacy of White Male America, please contact the Center by emailing csdi@andrew.cmu.edu.
2021 Selected Readings
February 2021 Selected Reading
Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr.
March 2021 Selected Reading
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong
April 2021 Selected Reading
Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo
"Through the last 150 years of American history — from the post-reconstruction South and the mythic stories of cowboys in the West, to the present-day controversy over NFL protests and the backlash against the rise of women in politics — Ijeoma Oluo exposes the devastating consequences of white male supremacy on women, people of color, and white men themselves. Mediocre investigates the real costs of this phenomenon in order to imagine a new white male identity, one free from racism and sexism."
Martin Luther King Jr. Writing Awards
Due to the coronavirus pandemic and a transition in program leadership, the awards competition and celebration will not take place in 2020-2021. Please save the date for the return of the Writing Awards on January 17, 2022.
We welcome you to revisit the 2020 Writing Awards with us in the video below.