With these new possibilities, Roxane Gay was brought up, and thankfully, she accepted.
Because of virtual, livestreamed events, new doors were opened for Jorgenson and Smith to reach out to speakers who would normally be outside of the university’s budget. Though planning events online because of a pandemic can be stressful, to say the least, it can also provide new opportunities that would have been impossible to do in person. When considering who to feature for the opening event, they wanted to be intentionally intersectional, “highlighting voices that aren’t always highlighted in issues with race.” Demetrius Smith, Program Director for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at UW-Eau Claire partnered together to create “Racing Toward Justice.” “Racing Toward Justice” will have monthly events, such as discussions, panels, or speakers, throughout this school year, excluding December and May. Christopher Jorgenson, Director of the Gender & Sexuality Resource Center at UW-Eau Claire, and Dr. Following the opening of the new Center for Racial and Restorative Justice on the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s campus, a flagship program was created, titled “Racing Toward Justice.” Their first event kicks off this Tuesday, September 29th, with a livestreamed conversation with New York Times best-selling author Roxane Gay, who will be “examining race through an intersectional lens and against a backdrop of current events.”ĭr.
