ETSU To Host Equity And Inclusion Conference

From East Tennessee State University:

July 21, 2021

JOHNSON CITY – Registration is open for the third annual Equity and Inclusion Conference at East Tennessee State University featuring keynote speakers and presenters from across the country. This virtual event is scheduled for Sept. 20-21, with a new student track on Sept. 22.

The conference theme, “From Discussion to Action: Bold Steps Toward Equity and Inclusion,” highlights the importance of personal action. Those who attend will build confidence when encountering situations that call for understanding, empathy and advocacy. Because these skills are relevant in a wide variety of settings beyond ETSU, the community is encouraged to take part.

“Each of us has a personal responsibility to advocate and work together to build a more inclusive community, but many wonder how to get started,” said Dr. Keith Johnson, vice president for Equity and Inclusion at ETSU. “The Equity and Inclusion Conference provides the environment for action to begin and the tools to build an inclusive future for all.”

Dr. Paul Farmer, co-founder for Partners in Health, and Vernon Wall, president of One Better World, LLC, will serve as keynote speakers on Sept. 20 and 21, respectively.

Farmer is a leading voice on global health equity and social justice and has authored multiple books, including “An Introduction, and To Repair the World: Paul Farmer Speaks to the Next Generation,” and most recently “Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds: Ebola and the Ravages of History.” He is a professor at Kolokotrones University and chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and chief of the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. The story of Farmer’s role in the transformation of global health care is portrayed in the film, Bending the Arc, available on Netflix.

As founder of the consulting firm One Better World, LLC, Wall specializes in engaging others in courageous social justice and equity conversations. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University and Indiana State University and a founder and facilitator of the Social Justice Training Institute. Wall has over 30 years of professional student affairs experience, is a past president of the ACPA, College Student Educators, International and has co-edited two books on issues of inclusion on today’s college campus. He currently serves as director of business development for LeaderShape, Inc.

The student track of the Equity and Inclusion Conference will feature two additional keynote speakers– bestselling author, veteran and former CEO the Robin Hood foundation, Wes Moore, and D’Lo, a queer/transgender Tamil-Sri Lankan-American speaker and performer.

“This year, we are expanding the conference to include a day dedicated to students and the topics they are especially interested in,” Johnson said. “Students need opportunities to gather and talk about how their lives changed during the pandemic and learn how they can unite to champion social justice on campus and beyond.”

Early bird registration for the Equity and Inclusion Conference is open until Aug. 31. Registration fees are $50 for ETSU employees and $60 for community members through Aug. 31; after that date, fees are $65 and $75, respectively. Student registration is free when students use their ETSU email address to sign up. Non-ETSU students may register for $25.

For registration or more information, including details on the agenda, speakers and panelists, visit the Equity and Inclusion Conference web page at etsu.edu/equity/conference.php, or call the ETSU Office of Equity and Inclusion at 423-439-4445. For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at 423-439-8346.

This press release was produced by East Tennessee State University. The views expressed are the author's own.