Location: Jennison 314

Immerse yourself in the art of Bisa Butler, and her “arresting portraits—composed entirely of vibrantly colored and patterned fabrics—that reimagine and celebrate narratives of Black life. Often using photographs as source images and layering materials and meanings, Butler brings to life personal and historical narratives of Black life and invites viewers to look closely and think deeply about the potential and purposes of portraiture.”(Art Institute of Chicago)

Location: Jennison 310

Immerse yourself in the quilts and quilters of Gee’s Bend: “For generations, women of the Bend have passed down an indigenous style of quilting geometric patterns out of old britches, cornmeal sacks, Sears corduroy swatches and hand-me-down leisure suits -- whatever happened to be around, which was never much. Quilts made of worn dungarees sometimes became the only mementos of a dead husband who had nothing else to leave behind…The results, not incidentally, turn out to be some of the most miraculous works of modern art America has produced.” (New York Times)

Location: Jennison 312

Immerse yourself in the art of Kehinde Wiley: “By applying the visual vocabulary and conventions of glorification, history, wealth and prestige to the subject matter drawn from the urban fabric, the subjects and stylistic references for his paintings are juxtaposed inversions of each other, forcing ambiguity and provocative perplexity to pervade his imagery. Wiley’s larger than life figures disturb and interrupt tropes of portrait painting, often blurring the boundaries between traditional and contemporary modes of representation and the critical portrayal of masculinity and physicality as it pertains to the view of black and brown young men.” (Kehinde Wiley)

Location: Jennison 308

Immerse yourself in the art of Nick Cave: This artist lives and works in Chicago, IL, “an artist, educator and foremost a messenger, working between the visual and performing arts through a wide range of mediums including sculpture, installation, video, sound and performance. Cave is well known for his Soundsuits, sculptural forms based on the scale of his body, initially created in direct response to the police beating of Rodney King in 1991. Soundsuits camouflage the body, masking and creating a second skin that conceals race, gender and class, forcing the viewer to look without judgment. They serve as a visual embodiment of social justice that represent both brutality and empowerment.” (Jack Shainman Gallery)

Location: Library Ground Floor

There will be a space in each of the buildings where presentations take place for quiet, undistracted reflection. This is a day to be able to sit with feelings and reactions which on any other day we might have to rush past or set aside. On this day of celebration, listening and learning, these are spaces to reflect on what we are taking in and listen to the quiet voices inside of us.

Presenters: Tzarina Prater, Associate Professor and Chair of English and Media Studies; Ken Stuckey, Assistant Professor of English and Media Studies; Jacob Crane, Associate Professor of English and Media Studies; Val Wang, Associate Professor of English and Media Studies; and Jim Miranda, Assistant Professor of English and Media Studies
Event Type: In-person
Location: Lindsay 28 (overflow Lindsay 27)

In this session, we will screen the 2016 documentary I Am Not Your Negro and then host a panel discussion. Directed by Raoul Peck, the film is based on the unfinished manuscript Remember This House by great American writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin. Narrated by actor Samuel L. Jackson, the documentary explores the history of racism in the United States through Baldwin's recollections of civil rights leaders Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as his personal observations about American history. It was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 89th Academy Awards and won the British Academy of Film and Television Award for Best Documentary. After the screening, faculty members Tzarina Prater, Ken Stuckey, Jim Miranda, Jacob Crane, and Anna Siomopoulos will answer questions and share their thoughts about the legacy of James Baldwin and the relevance of his writings and ideas for the contemporary moment.

Entrepreneurship through Acquisition

Presenters: President LaBrent Chrite and Lebone Moses '02, trustee, and CEO of Chisara Ventures, Inc.
Event Type: In-person or virtual
Location: Wilder Pavilion
Breakout Session Link: https://livestream.com/bentleyuniversity/events/11073152

Bentley University trustee and alumna Lebone Moses '02, founder and CEO of Chisara Ventures and founding GP of GIV Capital fund, will engage in a fireside talk on Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition, a wealth-building strategy with President Chrite.

How We Value People in Business

Presenters: Marcus Stewart '92, MBA '95, Professor of Management and Chair and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Tracy Noga, Professor and Chair of Accounting, and Panelists: Ike Okonkwo, CFO, Altaeros, Ashley Pajor, Manager, Circular Economy Center of Excellence, EY, Chip Wiggins, Professor of Finance 
Event Type: In-person
Location: Koumantzelis Auditorium

Why are people liabilities on the balance sheet? Don’t they add value? This panel will explore how business owners  have accounted for and valued their employees through different eras. They will explore the contemporary business practices which shape how we view and value employees. 

Bentley Goes to ADCOLOR 

Presenters: Isa Beltre '99, MSIAM '02, Lecturer in Marketing; Dayana Gamboni '24; and Ariana Pena-Herrera '24, Terry Jean '25, Kenan Fong '25, Erica Hernandez '25, Jaychele Schenck '26
Event Type: In-person
Location: Smith 305 (overflow 307)

Isa Beltre, Marketing Lecturer, was given the opportunity to bring a select group of Bentley students to the ADCOLOR conference held in Los Angeles, California. ADCOLOR's mission centers on celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion within the realms of advertising, marketing, communications, and related fields. This panel will highlight the students and allow them to share their experiences with the Bentley community. Founded by Bentley Trustee and alumna Tiffany Warren '97, "ADCOLOR  champions diversity and inclusion in creative industries. Our process is twofold. First, we help individuals and organizations RISE UP, letting their accomplishments and ideas shine. Then we teach these new leaders and would-be-mentors how to REACH BACK and find others who deserve to be noticed and promoted. Our goal is to create a community of diverse professionals who are here to support and celebrate one another." (ADCOLOR)

Supporting Underrepresented Students in the Classroom

Presenter: Dr. Anthony Abraham Jack, Faculty Director of the Newbury Center and Associate Professor, Boston University
Event Type: In-person
Location: LaCava 335

Dr. Anthony Jack will share his wisdom and expertise in how to build inclusive classroom environments for historically underrepresented student populations. This session provides an opportunity for faculty to engage directly with the keynote speaker from the morning celebration.

Fostering Brave Dialogues in the Classroom

Presenters: Wiley Davi, Professor of English and Media Studies and Dominique Wilburn, Director, Programs and Communications for the Center for Women and Business
Event Type: In-person
Location: Jennison 407

While most faculty are experts in their fields and aware of the pedagogical approaches that will enhance learning in the classroom, many have not been prepared to foster brave dialogues—those exchanges that challenge people’s core beliefs, that require vulnerability, and that often leave people with more questions than answers. In this workshop, we will create a space where faculty can discuss brave dialogues as a component of their courses and develop strategies to help both themselves and students embrace these types of honest, often challenging, but most importantly rewarding exchanges that will foster inclusion in the classroom and across campus.

Inclusive Teaching and Learning

Presenters: Inclusive Teaching Fellows, Moderators: Erin Kelley, PhD, Associate Dean of Assurance of Learning and Accreditation, Georgia Madway, Ed.M., Instructional Designer, Inclusive Pedagogy, Panelists: Samir Dayal: Professor, English and Media Studies, Silke Plesch: Lecturer, Natural and Applied Sciences, Amanda Sargent: Assistant Professor, Management, Tanseli Savaser: Assistant Professor, Finance
Event Type: In-person
Location: Smith 320

This fall, Bentley launched the Inclusive Teaching Fellows Initiative, where a cohort of 10 faculty have met regularly to discuss in greater depth five principles of inclusive teaching. At this session, four of the fellows will discuss their experience in discussing these topics within a cohort community, areas of success and challenge, and answer your questions about how Bentley can continue to embrace inclusive pedagogies. A brief overview of the Inclusive Teaching Fellows program will be provided, as well as information for those who are interested in participating in future cohorts.

Beyond Buzzwords: A Critical Look at Intersectionality in Data Analysis

Presenters: Eddie Kim, Assistant Professor of Mathematical Science; Zana Cranmer, Assistant Professor of Natural and Applied Sciences; Mateo Cruz, Assistant Professor of Management ; and Reagan Mozer, Assistant Professor of Mathematical Sciences
Event Type: In-person
Location: Jennison 313 (overflow 315)

This session will explore the term intersectionality in all of its complexity, starting with an understanding of the term itself and its roots in critical theory. We will then branch into its relevance to data analysis, introducing participants to both qualitative (e.g. portraiture) and quantitative (e.g. interaction modeling) research methods typically employed to account for intersectionality, as well as future directions and possibilities for researchers to more accurately capture the concept. Panelists will also offer illustrative examples of incorporating intersectionality, for better or worse, from their own experiences. The session will conclude with a moderated discussion with panelists tackling questions from their personal, and professional standpoints, followed by an open Q&A session for questions from the audience.

Making “Taken for Granted” Racism Visible 

Presenters: Anne Rawls, Professor and Chair of Sociology and Sociology Faculty
Event Type: In-person
Location: Jennison 408 (overflow Jennison 410)

Members of the Sociology Department explain how the history and current structures of racial oppression and racialization in the US explains the deep divisions in US society today. A history of oppression and inequality becomes sedimented in social structures and interactional expectations such that the everyday practices all people in the US use to achieve normal ordinary objects, identities, meanings, and events – the “social facts” of the current society – are shaped in significant ways by that history. Unless we understand how this process works and learn to locate the structures of racism and inequality in our daily lives, we can do very little about it. Indeed, we will become confused about what the problem actually is.

Black United Body’s Unity Conference: Privilege Walk

Presenters: Black United Body (BUB)
Event Type: In-person
Location: Jennison 309

In commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Bentley University's Black United Body (BUB) proudly presents the "Elevate, Educate, Empower: BUB's Unity Conference." This transformative mini-conference is designed to honor MLK's legacy by fostering a community of awareness, understanding, and empowerment. The first BUB session is the impactful "Privilege Walk," guiding participants through a self-reflective journey that visually demonstrates societal advantages and disadvantages.

Redlining, Racism & Real Estate

Presenters: Juliet Gainsborough, Professor and Chair of Global Studies and Dylan Gottlieb, Assistant Professor of History
Event Type: In-person
Location: Smith 214 (overflow Smith 216)

The term redlining comes from a New-Deal era program of mortgage relief for homeowners. This session will explore the history of redlining in the United States and the ways in which current patterns of urban inequality reflect that history.  The session will also consider the ways in which grassroots mobilization and government policy can address the challenges created by redlining.

The CROWN Act

Presenters: DeeDee Cook, Institutional Equity and Title IX Intake and Support Manager, Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Oyenike Balogun-Mwangi, Tenure Track Assistant Professor for Natural and Applied Sciences
Event Type: In-person
Location: Jennison 409 (overflow Jennison 411)

This session will explore the CROWN Act, Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. This act became law in Massachusetts in 2022. We also invite participants to discuss their own experiences with hair discrimination. The CROWN Act was created “to ensure protection against discrimination based on race-based hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles such as braids, locs, twists, and knots in the workplace and public schools.” (The Crown Act)

HBCUs and the Divine Nine

Presenters: Mary Marcel, Associate Professor IDCC, Patrick Bates G’13, Claudette Blot, Director, Multicultural Center, Dr. Karen Bullock, Boston College, Joshua Nwozor G’17
Event Type: In-person
Location: Smith 301 (overflow Smith 303)

Did you know that Claudette Blot, Director of Bentley’s Multicultural Center and longtime director of Bentley’s CAP and STEP programs, is an HBCU grad and a Black Greek? She graduated from Wilberforce University in Ohio and is a member of Alpha Beta Sigma, a Black sorority. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Vice President Kamala Harris are also HBCU/Divine Nine alumni/members. Because of their traditionally southern locations, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Black Greek organizations have a long history that is unfamiliar to many New Englanders. This session will cover some of the basic facts and history of HBCUs and the “Divine Nine” Black Greek organizations. It will also include conversations with HBCU/Divine Nine alumni and members. 

Environmental Racism 

Presenters: Sophie Rodgers '20, Senior Manager for the Office of Sustainability; and Jordyn Garrett '24
Event Type: In-person
Location: Adamian 260 (overflow 262)

Join the Office of Sustainability to learn about the intersection between the environmental and racial justice movements and the history behind it. We will review and reflect on the history of racism within the environmentalist movement and define and review key environmental justice topics and case studies.

Bentley Brave Dialogues

Presenter: Patrick Couillard Hale, Director of Diversity and Inclusion
Event Type: In-person
Location: Jennison 307

The Princeton Review recently ranked Bentley University as #5 for having "little race/class interaction," an indicator based on how strongly students at the University agree that different types of students interact frequently and easily. This begs the question for us—what is keeping us from having these important interactions, and what can be done to build bridges between our various communities of difference. Join us for a series of Bentley Brave dialogue spaces where we can unpack important big questions around social justice.

Constructing Borders

Presenters: Dr. Shelley White, Marisa Boni ’24, Tony Thein '22, MBA ‘23, Senior Program Coordinator, Brandeis COMPACT; Anthony Mariello ’23, and Abby Kirsch ’24
Event Type: In-person
Location: Library

The RSM Art Gallery in the Bentley Library is hosting “Passages of Border Militarism” from January 16 to February 24. In this session, the exhibition’s artist, Dr. Shelley White, will engage in a conversation with Bentley community members who participated in an alternative spring break trip to the Arizona-Mexico border in Spring 2023. Her exhibition features paintings, poetry, ceramics, prints, and interactive art components all focusing on the Arizona-Mexico borderlands, the border wall, and the effects of a militarized border buildup on people, animals, and climate.  In this session, we will reflect on borders, humanitarianism, militarization, activism, and social justice, considering these through the lens of Dr. King’s teachings.

Andromeda Lisle: Roots of Resilience: Art, Healing, and Indigenous Expression

Immerse yourself in a welcoming space designed for rest, reflection, and artistic expression. Join us for a transformative journey into the heart of Indigenous/Native American culture, art, and healing. You will actively participate in a collaborative art installation inspired by quotes that celebrate the resilience, beauty, and positivity within the Native American experience. 

Event Type: In-person
Location: Check-in to lunch on Jennison 3^rd floor (lounge adjacent to Academic Services)

Each lunch group will receive an envelope with a quotation from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and a current question connected to it for lunch discussion. 

Event Type: In-person
Location: Executive Dining Room

Spaces will be available in Adamian, Smith, Jennison and the Student Center for participants who would like a quiet atmosphere for lunch. No conversation, no talking; just a space to quietly enjoy lunch without having to return to one’s office or dorm room. 

Event Type: In-person
Location: LaCava 375

Participants in the BUB Unity Mini Conference:  Elevate, Educate, Empower are invited to this lunch session.

Event Type: In-person
Location: Check-in to lunch on Jennison 3^rd floor (lounge adjacent to Academic Services)

Celebrate Black artists! Join us for an immersive look into the beautiful, suggestive, powerful, affirming and visionary art of Bisa Butler, Nick Cave, the quilters of Gee’s Bend, and Kehinde Wiley. You will be able to explore and enjoy art by these African American artists in a series of rooms with projected images and informative videos about their work. You can stay in one artist’s room for your lunch or make it a moveable feast and dip into several during your Joy Space Art Lunch.

Location: Collins Creative Corner

Immerse yourself in a welcoming space designed for rest, reflection, and artistic expression. Join us for a transformative journey into the heart of Indigenous/Native American culture, art, and healing. You will actively participate in a collaborative art installation inspired by quotes that celebrate the resilience, beauty, and positivity within the Native American experience. 

Presenters: Patrick Couillard Hale, Director of Diversity and Inclusion; Marcus Stewart '92, MBA '95, Professor of Management and Chair and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; and Claudette Blot, Director of the Multicultural Center
Event Type: In-person
Location: Koumantzelis Auditorium

Join us for a soul-stirring celebration of diversity and talent, showcasing the vibrant and unique expressions of Bentley University's faculty and staff of color. This program will feature captivating performances in music, poetry, dance, and more throughout the day. Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of cultures within our community, and be a part of this collective experience of joy, connection, and shared celebration.

Black Influence in Fashion

Presenters: Black United Body (BUB) Rosie Thompson, ’26Mama Darboe ’26Nyleah Febles ’24Anuar Bessam ’25Kenan Fong ’25Muthoni Magachi ’24Carolina Torres ’27
Event Type: In-person
Location: LaCava 325A

Black Appropriation Workshop:  This session explores the intricate relationship between Black culture and the fashion industry. In "Black Influence in Fashion," participants delve into historical roots and engage in hands-on cultural appreciation activities. This workshop seeks to encourage discussion, reflection, and actionable steps towards positive change.   

Beyond Beats

Presenters: Black United Body (BUB) Denise Donkor ’27Daya (Yalonda) Ssemakula ’26Markus Facey-Castillo ’27Kevin Aprea Cabrera ’26
Event Type: In-person
Location: 
Location: LaCava 305A

Black Appropriation Workshop:  This session explores the intricate relationship between Black culture and the music industry. "Beyond Beats" navigates the appropriation of Black music, examining case studies and collaboratively creating a playlist celebrating diverse Black musical contributions.

Criminal Trials and Cultural Expression: The Rap Lyric Dilemma

Presenters: Black United Body (BUB) Mozart Saint-Cyr ’26Mich Ongwen  ’26India Haynesworth ’26
Event Type: In-person
Location: LaCava 305B

Empowerment Workshop: "Criminal Trials and Cultural Expression: The Rap Lyric Dilemma" examines the legal implications of rap lyrics. This workshop seeks to encourage discussion, reflection, and actionable steps towards positive change.

Representation Matters: Decoding Brand Marketing

Presenters: Black United Body (BUB) Kassidi Thompson  ’26Adrian Ramonetti  ’25Edissa Ndaikeza ’27Tia Hashem ’26
Event Type: In-person
Location: LaCava325C

Empowerment Workshop: “Representation Matters: Decoding Brand Marketing" will explore the impact of brand marketing on societal narratives. This workshop seeks to encourage discussion, reflection, and actionable steps towards positive change.

Bentley Entrepreneurs and How They Grow

Presenters: Yaro Fong-Olivares, Executive Director of the Gloria Cordes Larson Center for Women and Business; Chris Fevry '16, CEO and Co-Founder of Your Green Package; and Eval Silvera '99, Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Brockton Beer Company 
Event Type: In-person
Location: Executive Dining Room

Yaro will engage Chris and Eval in a fireside chat about their paths as entrepreneurs. Chris Fevry ’16 is founder and CEO of Dris, “the next generation of manufacturing and distribution of quality marijuana with the goal to make it accessible and available for everyone so they can experience the transformative power of cannabis.” Eval Silvera '99 is Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Brockton Beer Company.  “Brockton Beer Company was started by five families that happened to meet by chance in a city that puts diversity and community at the core of its foundation. We represent different backgrounds and ethnicities and were united by our children through schooling and community events. As we grew closer through our weekly Friday night Game Nights and gatherings, we became family. So, when the idea of starting a brewery became a topic at Game Night, it was only a matter of time before our crew moved forward with our plans. After getting to know and learning from other Massachusetts breweries, and seeing our friends successfully open Article XV Brewery in Weymouth, we became committed to do this in the City of Champions.”

The Myth That Made Us: How False Beliefs about Racism and Meritocracy Broke Our Economy (and How to Fix It) (In-Person or Virtual)

Presenter: Jeff Fuhrer, Nonresident Fellow, Governance Studies, Race, Prosperity, and Inclusion Initiative, The Brookings Institution
Event Type: In-person or virtual
Location: Wilder Pavilion
Breakout Session Link: https://livestream.com/bentleyuniversity/events/11073154

Jeff will discuss his book The Myth That Made Us. He exposes how false narratives—of a supposedly post-racist nation, of the self-made man, of the primacy of profit- and shareholder value-maximizing for businesses, and of minimal government interference—have been used to excuse gross inequities and to shape and sustain the US economic system that delivers them. Evidence from other developed capitalist economies shows it doesn’t have to be that way. We broke this (mean-spirited) economy. We can fix it. Jeff’s key areas of focus include universal access to high-quality early childhood education; more effective use of our community college system as a pathway to stable employment; restructuring key aspects of the low-wage workplace; providing affordable housing and transit links; supporting people of color by serving as mentors, coaches, and allies; and implementing Baby Bonds and Reparations programs to address the accumulated loss of wealth among Black people due to the legacy of enslavement and institutional discrimination. 

Educating the Next Generation of DEI Professionals

Presenters: Gary David, Professor of Sociology and DEI Professionals
Event Type: In-person
Location: Smith 305 (307 overflow)

This panel will discuss the various ways in which DEI professionals are being educated and prepared in school and organizations. We will discuss what DEI professionals need to know to be effective at their jobs, how the current political climate has impacted DEI efforts, and how to integrate justice and belonging into DEI.

CSR, Corporate Social Activism and Public Relations

Presenter: Jason Zhou, Assistant Professor of Experience Design (formerly Information Design and Corporate Communication)
Event Type: In-person
Location: Jennison 313 (overflow space Jennison 315)

In this panel, we will talk about the latest research on corporate social advocacy in public relations research. We will discuss corporate social advocacy/brand activism; key issues including racial justice, abortion rights, and gun violence; building authenticity in communication; cases in CSA/brand activism; and positive and negative consequences of CSA/brand activism. Live cases will be discussed and students will be challenged regarding their decisions from a corporate perspective.

Jamaican Journeys 

Presenters: Howard Goode, MBA‘19, Adjunct Lecturer of Experience Design (formerly Information Design and Corporate Communication); Isa Beltre '99, MSIAM '02, Lecturer in Marketing; and Students
Event Type: In-person
Location: Lindsay 25

The histories of Boston and Jamaica are inextricably linked. You could tell the story from the triangular trade (Atlantic Slave trade) and the North End molasses flood, immigration patterns, through present day and into the future. As you look around, you could come to notice that Boston has a high population of Caribbean descendants. But what of this population do we know? What can their history tell us about how they behave, their potential and their contributions to building this, their new home. Jamaican Journeys seeks to explore some of these linkages through three main pillars: Explore, Connect and Impact. Working at the intersection of business, justice and cultural exchange, these three pillars reverberate some of MLK's core teachings of: economic justice, solidarity across races and community building.

Fostering Brave Dialogues in the Classroom

Presenters: Wiley Davi, Professor of English and Media Studies and Dominique Wilburn, Director of Programs and Communications, Center for Women and Business
Event Type: In-person
Location: Jennison 407

While most faculty are experts in their fields and aware of the pedagogical approaches that will enhance learning in the classroom, many have not been prepared to foster brave dialogues—those exchanges that challenge people’s core beliefs, that require vulnerability, and that often leave people with more questions than answers. In this workshop, we will create a space where faculty can discuss brave dialogues as a component of their courses and develop strategies to help both themselves and students embrace these types of honest, often challenging, but most importantly rewarding exchanges that will foster inclusion in the classroom and across campus.

Inclusive Teaching & Learning

Presenters: Inclusive Teaching Fellows, Moderators: Erin Kelley, PhD, Associate Dean of Assurance of Learning and Accreditation, Georgia Madway, Ed.M., Instructional Designer, Inclusive Pedagogy , Panelists: Samir Dayal: Professor, English and Media Studies, Silke Plesch: Lecturer, Natural and Applied Sciences, Amanda Sargent: Assistant Professor, Management, Tanseli Savaser: Assistant Professor, Finance
Event Type: In-person
Location: Smith 320

This fall, Bentley launched the Inclusive Teaching Fellows Initiative, where a cohort of 10 faculty have met regularly to discuss in greater depth five principles of inclusive teaching. At this session, four of the fellows will discuss their experience in discussing these topics within a cohort community, areas of success and challenge, and answer your questions about how Bentley can continue to embrace inclusive pedagogies. A brief overview of the Inclusive Teaching Fellows program will be provided, as well as information for those who are interested in participating in future cohorts.

How do you think about Race in Quantitative Research? 

Presenters: Eddie Kim, Assistant Professor of Mathematical Science; Lily An; and Brein Yvette Mosely
Event Type: In-person
Location: Smith 301 (overflow Smith 303)

This session introduces participants to the burgeoning field of “QuantCrit”: the deliberate application of Critical Race Theory to quantitative methods and research. This session will present QuantCrit in three ways: (1) the short history of QuantCrit starting with CRT, (2) current best practices as established by the field, and (3) uplifting scholarly work that exemplifies the integration of QuantCrit into research practice. Attendees will leave this session with an understanding of the theoretical framing of QuantCrit as well as with concrete examples of how to incorporate QuantCrit into their own research or questions.

Racism, Poverty and Health Oh My! The Black Voice: Leading in Unprecedented Times

Presenter: Melissa Hector '11, Director of Equitable and Strategic Initiatives, Boston Public Health Commission
Event Type: In-person
Location: Adamian 260 (overflow space, Adamian 262)

Racism is a threat to public health and safety, and is a paramount social determinant of health, shaping access to the resources that create opportunities for health, including access to food, housing, education and employment. Racism remains a persistent barrier to health equity for all Black and African American people in the U.S. Melissa discusses the history of Black health in the United States as it pertains to the alignment with Black activism. She explores the evolution of Black activism awareness and involvement in health outcome disparities that Black people experience. She highlights accountability for disproportionate health outcomes for minorities, particularly Black Americans, and examines a parallel relationship between Black activism and scrutiny of systemic racism as regards health systems and health outcomes for Black people in the United States.

Telling Our Stories

Presenters: Hope Houston, Executive Director of the Library and Guest
Event Type: In-person
Location: Library

Join us for a session with a storyteller who will invite you to tell your story in your own words. “While the conventional stories of our history and our social roles provide a powerful gravitational pull, storytelling has always played a significant part in challenging the status quo. The ability to imagine a world that is different than the present is the beginning of any movement for change: to be able to communicate the world one imagines to others and have it feel possible is the power of narrative” (W. K. Kellogg Foundation)

The Fabric of Anti-Blackness

Presenter: Nana Adu, Assistant Director of Gender and Sexuality Student Programs
Event Type: In-person
Location: Jennison 316

The Fabric of Anti-Blackness will serve as an introductory exploration into the topic of Anti-Blackness, its historical context, and consequences on both a national and global scale. This workshop offers attendees the space to engage intentionally in self-reflection, group dialogue, and activities. Interested participants are encouraged to enter the space with an open mind and readiness to interrogate how Anti-Blackness operates at the four I's of oppression -- internalized, interpersonal, institutional and ideological. Case studies of Anti-Blackness in the media, medicine and other areas will be examined, providing attendees with the space to further understand and identify the implications of Anti-Blackness on both Black and Non-Black individuals and communities. This workshop will not be all-encompassing -- attendees are strongly encouraged to bring into the space their current perspectives and understandings of Anti-Blackness, and expect to leave the space with the lens for further examination of the topic at Bentley.

Let Girls Dream and Letter-writing 

Presenter: Darakhshan Nazir, MSBA'25
Event Type: In-person
Location: Lindsay 27

Sitara: Let Girls Dream is a 2020 Pakistani animated short film directed and written by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. The film attempts to spotlight the issue of child marriage. In the 1970s, in the old city of Lahore, lives Pari, a fourteen-year-old girl who dreams of becoming a pilot. The film is silent, but at its close, a written message appears: "Around the world every year, the dreams of 12 million child brides will never take flight". As the credits roll, a series of still illustrations tell another story of hope: The father has learned his lesson and sends Mehr to school. She graduates and becomes a pilot, flying away in a plane and wearing an outfit just like Amelia Earhart's.
Darakhshan will lead letter-writing after the screening.

Know Your Rights

Presenter: Kelly Downes, Director, Office of  Institutional Equity, Law, DEI, Management 
Event Type: In-person
Location: LaCava 340

Join the Office of Institutional Equity for a conversation on the legal foundations of civil right laws in the US, and your rights as a Bentley community member with Kelly Downes, Director, and Title IX Coordinator of the Office of Institutional Equity. 

Charity vs. Social Justice

Presenters: Brian Shea '14, Senior Associate Director, Programs and Center Operations, Service Learning Center; Samantha Eddy, Senior Associate Director, Programs and Center Operations, Service Learning Center; Anthony Mariello '24, Jonathan White, Associate Professor of Sociology; Elisa Shao '24; and Cassandra Dubitsky '24
Event Type: In-person
Location: Morison 101

Many who honor Dr. King on his birthday and throughout the year focus in on his messages of service (charity), neglecting his deeper message of systemic change and working toward the realization of human rights for all people (social justice). Throughout his life, and particularly in his later works, Dr. King cautioned of the dangers this poses: “philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.” This session, co-led by BSLCE student leaders and staff, aims to flesh out charitable models and ways of thinking in comparison to models of social justice, considers shifts from the former toward the latter, and imagines toward actions we can all take in our lives to work toward Dr. King’s charge to “commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights.”

Andromeda Lisle: Roots of Resilience: Art, Healing, and Indigenous Expression

Location: Collins Creative Corner

Immerse yourself in a welcoming space designed for rest, reflection, and artistic expression. Join us for a transformative journey into the heart of Indigenous/Native American culture, art, and healing. You will actively participate in a collaborative art installation inspired by quotes that celebrate the resilience, beauty, and positivity within the Native American experience.