The Office of Student Inclusion & Diversity (OSID) and the Social Justice Committee at UNC Pembroke recently announced events for Social Justice Week, to be held in person and virtually April 3-5.
Social Justice Week provides a space for students, faculty, staff, alumni, scholars and the community to advance equity, inclusion and social justice. The Social Justice Symposium (April 3) and JusticeCon (April 4-5) will be held during the week. While admission is free, registration is required to attend the week’s events. To learn more, visit uncp.edu/sjw.
Social Justice Symposium
On Monday, April 3, OSID and the Social Justice Committee will host the Social Justice Symposium. The symposium serves to increase awareness, share ideas and experiences, foster dialogue, highlight research and resources, build networks and empower participants by providing strategies and techniques for taking action against injustice.
The keynote speaker is Dr. Jonathan “Jay” C. Augustine, a pastor, professor, author and advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. Dr. Augustine serves as the senior pastor of St. Joseph AME Church in Durham, N.C., and as general chaplain of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. A professor and published scholar, his most recent books are When Prophets Preach: Leadership and the Politics of the Pulpit (Fortress Press, 2023) and Called to Reconciliation: How the Church Can Model Justice, Diversity and Inclusion (Baker Academic, 2022). Augustine earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Howard University before serving as a decorated infantry officer in the U.S. Army. After holding a publicly elected and gubernatorially appointed office, he accepted the call to ministry. He earned a Master of Divinity from United Theological Seminary, before completing a fellowship at Princeton Theological Seminary.
Breakout sessions will create conversations around topics such as MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women), Black face, social justice under threat, research in sociology, body image, wrongful convictions in the justice system and truthful liberating dialogues.
To register for and learn more about the Social Justice Symposium, visit uncp.edu/sjs.
JusticeCon
On April 4-5, OSID will host the second annual JusticeCon––a two-day UNCP Comic-Con experience that offers students, faculty and staff a chance to explore the intersection of fandom, popular culture and social change. This year, we are partnering with Campus Engagement & Leadership, Livermore Library and eSports Club to provide additional community engagement opportunities.
JusticeCon features an Exhibit Hall, Cosplay Catwalk, poster session and gaming area.
The keynote speaker is Dr. Paul Booth, a professor of communication at DePaul University. He is the author/editor of fifteen books, including the forthcoming Adventures in Space and Time: A Doctor Who Reader (with Matt Hills, Joy Piedmont and Tansy Rayner Roberts), A Fan Studies Primer (with Rebecca Williams), Board Games as Media, Watching Doctor Who (with Craig Owen Jones,), Playing Fans and Fan Phenomena: Doctor Who and Digital Fandom 2.0. Dr. Booth runs the annual DePaul Pop Culture Conference.
Sean Whalen is a featured speaker. Born in Washington, D.C. and the youngest of four children, Whalen was raised in Silver Spring/Olney, Maryland, and graduated from Sherwood High School. His break came doing commercials and his first film, The People Under the Stairs (1991). Whalen also appeared in Twister in 1996. Whalen has worked in every genre of film and television. He is also an acting coach, writer, producer, looper, acting teacher and heads the comedy department at Studio 4: James Franco’s Film & Acting School in North Hollywood.
Other featured speakers include Tony award winner Corey Mitchell, author and educator Joy Piedmont, A Tribe Called Geek founder Johnnie Jae, UNCP faculty member Dr. Max Dosser, and TikToker Dava Renee (HistoryInSixtie).
Breakout sessions will discuss topics such as U.S. imperialism through the lens of Sonic the Hedgehog, plant blindness through the Avatar universe, music as a vehicle for social change, queerbaiting and popular icons and dodging red flags in relationships.
To register for and learn more about JusticeCon, visit uncp.edu/justicecon.
