Weber State Hosts Anti-Racism Event
OGDEN, Utah – Weber State University will host a virtual presentation for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month titled “Mobilizing Around Anti-Asian Racism,” May 13 from 6-7:30 p.m. via Zoom video conferencing.
“I am thrilled we have an opportunity to elevate and celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage, history and culture at Weber State this May,” said Adrienne Andrews, assistant vice president for diversity and chief diversity officer. “I am hopeful our keynote speaker, Dr. Helen Zia, will spark a new conversation throughout the campus and community as we seek first to understand each other and then be understood by each other.”
Activist, author and former journalist, Zia is the daughter of immigrants from China. She has spoken on issues ranging from human rights and peace to women’s rights and countering hate violence and homophobia. She is featured in the Academy Award-nominated documentary “Who Killed Vincent Chin?” and was profiled in Bill Moyers’ PBS series, “Becoming American: The Chinese Experience.” She is also a Fulbright Scholar and a graduate of Princeton University’s first co-educational class.
The event is free and open to the public, but participants are required to register at this link. Attendees can submit questions for the speaker at this link.
The presentation is part of Weber State’s efforts to promote a more diverse and inclusive campus environment. The university has been working since last fall on a series of presentations and discussions to coincide with Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebrations, aimed at providing resources for Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander students, as well as the general campus population.
“We cannot continue to allow the myth of the model minority to absolve us of seeing the overt and covert racism being experienced by members of our Asian and Pacific Islander communities today or any other day moving forward,” Andrews said. “Additionally, we cannot let a racist frame undermine our ability to learn with and from each other as we celebrate the identities that make up our world. I am hopeful that the kickoff for this annual keynote series will help us move forward to honoring and celebrating a part of the circle that makes us whole.”
For a photo, visit this link.
Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
Shaylee Stevens, Office of Marketing & Communications
801-626-7948 • shayleestevens@weber.edu- Contact:
Tia Nero, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program coordinator
801-626-6030 • tianero@weber.edu