Diversity Speaker Series will host a panel on Black Lives Matter

"We want our students to be well-informed about why this has been, and continues to be, an important issue in our national consciousness."

In the summer of 2013, the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter was born out of frustration and hope.

To help the Towson community fully understand why these three words have become so important nationally, the Center for Student Diversity (CSD) will host a panel discussion titled “#BlackLivesMatter” on Wednesday, March 23 at the West Village Ballrooms starting at 7 p.m.

The event will feature a moderated panel discussion followed by a Q&A session. It will feature guest panelists:

  • Opal Tometi: Co-creator of the viral twitter hashtag #BlackLivesMatter and executive director for the Black Alliance for Just Immigration
  • Bree Newsome: Filmmaker and activist who removed the Confederate battle flag from the South Carolina State House
  • Dr. Heber Brown, III: Social activist, community organizer and senior pastor of Pleasant Hope Baptist Church in Baltimore.

“I hope the panelists will share their experiences of activism and provide context and tools for meaningful participation in the Black Lives Matter movement,” said Santiago Solis, assistant vice president of student affairs for diversity. “We want our students to be well-informed about why this has been, and continues to be, an important issue in our national consciousness and how they can contribute towards multi-racial solidarity on campus and in the greater community.”

Tickets are free and available now to students, faculty and staff along with limited seating for the general public. Doors open at 6 p.m. for ticket holders and there will be open seating for all guests beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The panel discussion is being presented as part of the Center for Student Diversity’s Diversity Speaker Series and John Gissendanner Memorial Lecture program.

Each semester the CSD works to bring culturally relevant speakers, educators, activists and entertainers to campus. This program is meant to give students access to some of the world’s most influential minds of our time.

“The Diversity Speaker Series is an opportunity for a campus-wide conversation around issues of social justice,” Solis said. “While the focus remains on student learning and development, we are intentional about also engaging faculty, staff and the general community.”