JUST Life Webinar: A Conversation on Humanitarianism

By Vicki Dagostino, PhD; Lynne Hamer, PhD; Chitranjan Greer-Travis

Special to The Truth

The University of Toledo’s Provost, Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education (SPFE) Program within The Judith Herb College of Education, in collaboration with Melvin Lars (Educator, School Administrator, Businessman, Author, Diversity Trainer, and Activist) and Selwyn Jones (Uncle to George Floyd and Social Justice Activist) present the JUST Life Webinar: A Conversation on Humanitarianism.

The webinair is cosponsored by many northwest Ohio organizations that are leading the charge for humanism in place of dehumanization, including The Sojourner’s Truth.

The webinair is the result of work challenging white supremacy in education, led by graduate students who came together through a Ph.D. seminar. Chitranjan Greer-Travis is a first-year Ph.D. student studying philosophy of education. He entered the program after serving for many years as a police officer in Detroit and witnessing firsthand trauma-inducing tragedies.

Greer Travis will moderate the webinair, which will include prominent researchers on the trauma experienced by African Americans due to “just life” racism. These medical & psychological experts and diversity & inclusion advocates human impact of psychological, social, and institutional racism that diminish the possibility for African Americans to just live.

As educators and citizens, we must acknowledge and learn to respond to African American and other POC’s trauma and its effects, caused and magnified by ongoing systemic racism. We need to learn humanitarianism and reject dehumanization.

Prominent scientists and speakers who will participate in the webinair include Dr. Jean Lud Cadet, M.D. and Chief, Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH, NIDA, Baltimore, Maryland; Elaine Eason-Steele, co-founder, The Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute For Self-Development; Dr. Niecy Fuqua, CEO, Diversity & Inclusion PM; Selwyn Jones, social activist and uncle of George Floyd; Melvin Lars, educator, social activist, and founder and CEO, A Brighter Future; Anita Peek, director, The Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute For Self-Development; and Dr. Asha Pillai, MD, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, associate professor of Pediatrics, Microbiology & Immunology, Division of Stem Cell Transplantation, Deputy Director of Translational Research and Training.

Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in small group breakout sessions to reflect on and discuss the presentations, to brainstorm solutions, and to make connections needed to work together to fight against racism in all of its manifestations.

Contact! Vicki Dagostino, PhD, (vicki.dagostino-kalniz@utoledo.edu ) , Lynne Hamer, PhD,

(lynne.hamer@utoledo.edu, 419-283-8288) or Mr. Chitranjan Greer-Travis

(chitranjan.greer-travis@utoledo.edu )

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