Anti-racist writer and educator to visit Grand Valley

Tim Wise, an anti-racist author, essayist and educator, will give a presentation January 31 about effective training that addresses racism and inequality.

Wise’s presentation, “Beyond Diversity: Challenging Racism in an Age of Backlash,” will take place at noon in the Grand River Room of the Kirkhof Center. The event is approved for LIB 100 and US 201 classes. It is free and open to the public; registration is not required.

Wise was named one of “25 Visionaries Who are Changing Your World” by Utne Reader in 2010 and has spoken at more than 800 college and high school campuses in all 50 states. He has also lectured internationally in Canada and Bermuda on issues of race and education, religion, and racism in the labor market.

“Tim Wise is among the most prominent anti-racist writers and educators in the United States,” said Colette Seguin Beighley, director of the LGBT Resource Center. “It’s a privilege to have him visit Grand Valley again to discuss moving beyond diversity and challenging larger systems of oppression.”

The LGBT Resource Center will host a viewing of the film “Vocabulary of Change: Angela Davis and Tim Wise in Conversation,” on Monday, January 28, at 4 p.m. in the Pere Marquette Room of the Kirkhof Center. During the film, Davis, also a leading racial scholar, and Wise discuss the state of contemporary global politics.

The event is in conjunction with Campus Leadership Week and marks the university’s second “Intersections” program, which is a series of events hosted by Grand Valley’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, Women’s Center and LGBT Resource Center. The series provides opportunities for the campus community to look at the world through multiple dimensions including race, gender, sexual orientation, and class status among others.

Wise’s visit is co-sponsored by Inclusion & Equity, African/African-American Studies, Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Frederik Meijer Honors College, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Counseling and Career Development Center.

For more information, visit www.gvsu.edu/intersections.