Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity

ACTIONS

Next 'Diversity Dialogue' is Sept. 15

The Diversity Dialogue Series, sponsored by the Office of Inclusion and Equity, takes place on Wednesday, Sept. 15, at noon. “Protecting Honesty in Education: 3 Challenges Facing Students, Educators, and Families in Ohio” will address efforts by more than 26 states to restrict and censor how race, identity and structural discrimination are taught in America’s classrooms. See more.

New name for the Black Male Summit

The original premise of the Black Male Summit was to facilitate a stakeholder dialogue on the general well-being of Black men in institutions of higher learning. The annual Summit is held to discuss and share innovative strategies with the primary aim of enhancing educational, career, business and networking opportunities for Black male students, faculty and staff on colleges campuses.  

Though the original intent was to focus solely on Black young men, the demography of the participants has always remained diverse. Summit participants have shared a latent recognition that members of minority populations are faced with challenges similar to those historically considered to be specific to Black males. Available statistics indicate an aggregate trend when it comes to educational successes and career opportunities for Black, Latino/Hispanic and other minority males. The story is not different in other areas, including health disparities and incarceration rates. Blacks and other minority populations have what may be described as intertwining life experiences. Therefore, it has become imperative to adopt a strategy that effectively embraces inclusivity, particularly with regard to programs and activities that seek to address the challenges of the minority male population in general.

The Black Male Summit seeks to broaden its scope so that minorities, other than Blacks, would consider themselves not as external observers, but rather as active participants during the annual event. As a result, the title of the event has been changed to reflect the diversity of the target participants. We look forward to 2022 and the inaugural "Black, Brown and Beyond Male Summit" tentatively scheduled for April 8-9, 2022.

Social Justice Task Force releases recommendations

Members of the University’s Social Justice Task Force have released a series of recommendations designed to strengthen diversity, equity and inclusion across campus to ensure a welcoming and affirming environment.

Video: Northeast Ohio Online Vigil Against Anti-Asian Violence

The Northeast Ohio Online Vigil Against Anti-Asian Violence on March 19, 2021, was supported by The University of Akron , Asian Services in Action, the Akron NAACP, the Akron Civil Rights Commission, the United Way of Summit & Medina and many others. #StopAsianHate

Major activities