Mar. 23, 2007 Communique

UCCS to explore racism, multicultural issues through national conference

The changing face of America and how community leaders can be more effective in a multicultural society will be the subject of a national, award-winning conference presented by the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Matrix Center for the Advancement of Social Equity.

The White Privilege Conference meets for the first time in Colorado Springs April 18-21 and will provide attendees with strategies to address issues of privilege and oppression and to provide sustainable efforts to combat racism, sexism, homophobia, classism and religious intolerance.

“This conference provides our community with a unique opportunity to showcase our commitment to diversity, and to take another step forward in that commitment,” said Abby Ferber, director of the Matrix Center.

Annually, the White Privilege Conference brings together top scholars and activists to examine and explore issues of white privilege, diversity, multicultural education, leadership, social justice, race, sexual orientation and gender relations. It features top speakers and workshops designed to give attendees tools to employ in their workplaces, schools and community organizations.
Registration for one-day institutes and special events is available for those who cannot attend the entire conference.
Sponsors are welcome, and a Challenge Grant from the Gay and Lesbian Fund for Colorado will match any new donation up to a total of $2,500.
For details on lodging, fees, schedules, institutes, workshops, sponsorship opportunities and other information, please visit www.uccs.edu/wpc.
Keynote speakers include:

• John-Paul Chaisson-Cárdenas, product development manager, Northwest Area Foundation, expert on immigration issues
• Kevin Jennings, executive director, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
• Jean Kilbourne, award winning lecturer, documentary filmmaker and author
• Paula Rothenberg, writer, lecturer and consultant on topics including multicultural curriculum transformation, inequality and white privilege
• Jamie Washington,  president and founder, Washington Consulting Group

For detailed information about speakers, visit http://www.uccs.edu/~wpc/speakers.htm.

UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in northeast Colorado Springs, is the fastest growing university in Colorado and one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The university offers 26 bachelor’s degrees, 17 master’s and four doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 7,600 students annually. For more information, visit http://www.uccs.edu