Author Isabel Wilkerson to speak at the 2022 LEDA Summit on Race and Inclusion
Best-selling author Isabel Wilkerson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Humanities Medal, is the headliner of the 2022 Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance (LEDA) summit on race and inclusion : unite our voices.
Wilkerson will deliver a virtual keynote on June 7, which will be a hybrid event, with the party in person at Hope College in downtown Holland.
Wilkerson is the author of the New York Times bestsellers “The Warmth of Other Suns” and “Caste: The Origins of our Discontents.”
Gloria Lara is the Executive Director of the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance.
“She has become a passionate voice for demonstrating how history can help us understand ourselves, our country, and our current era of upheaval,” said Gloria Lara, LEDA’s executive director and Michigan Civil Rights Commissioner. “She is going to talk about our moment of racial truth. I think it’s really important that we continue to focus on that.
One day event
The upcoming one-day event marks the 17th annual LEDA Summit on Race and Inclusion.
This year’s theme, Uniting Our Voices, explores “how and why, in these troubled times, it’s more important than ever to come together and unite for real and lasting change toward racial equity and justice for all in our communities,” says Lara.
In addition to Wilkerson, the Reverend Dr. Jennifer Harvey, award-winning author and educator, will deliver another keynote address. Harvey’s most recent books, ‘Raising White Kids’ and ‘Dear White Christians’, bring her experience as an anti-racism activist and educator to inform conversations about how white communities can more deeply support racial justice work. led by communities of color, Lara says.
Breakout sessions
Lara adds that the 2022 summit will provide a unique one-day opportunity to “engage with the leaders of our communities, our state and our nation.”
Morning and afternoon breakout sessions will cover economic equity and wealth creation, health equity, book banning, the history of reconstruction, the experience of African immigrants, talking to kids about race, hate crimes, etc. There will also be a panel of young people from the region who will discuss their experiences and their hopes for the future.
Individuals and organizations can register for this event at https://whova.com/portal/registration/ledas_202206. Participants can participate in person or virtually. The deadline to register is June 6 at midnight.
Since 1996, LEDA has worked to dismantle barriers to ensure that people of all ethnic backgrounds have equal access and the opportunity to fully participate in community life.
