Registration is now open for the Yale Alumni Association diversity, equity, and inclusion conference, “Impact: Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Through Social Change,” to be held on campus March 29-30.
The two-day conference will explore our roles in effecting social change to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The goal of the conference is both to inspire and educate, with alumni sharing their personal journeys and speakers examining the historical and social context for DEI in the United States.
The conference builds on the work of the YAA Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the DEI Working Group that was formed to help execute the task force’s recommendations. The conference has been designed and executed by Yale alumni and the YAA and is open to the public.
“The Impact conference is for anyone and everyone,” said YAA Executive Director Weili Cheng ’77. “You don’t need to be an activist or a DEI expert to get a lot out of this event. Above all, we want this to be a welcoming space where attendees can engage in challenging and productive conversations, and where we can all listen and learn to be more responsible citizens when it comes to DEI and advancing DEI issues.”
The conference will open Friday evening, March 29, at Yale Law School with a discussion titled, “Winning the Freedom to Marry: Lessons for Achieving Change,” featuring former New York Times Supreme Court correspondent and current Yale Law School lecturer Linda Greenhouse '78 MSL and renowned attorney and activist Evan Wolfson ’78, the founder and president of Freedom to Marry.
It continues with a full-day session on Saturday, March 30, at the Yale School of Management. Sessions will include stories of inspiration from alumni leaders; historical breakout gatherings led by renowned Yale faculty; personal stories of alumni facing DEI challenges; and experiential workshops focused on bystander intervention training, navigating differences, diversity and environmental justice, running for office, opinion writing, and more.
Cornell Brooks ’90 JD, former president of the NAACP and current professor at the Harvard Kennedy School, will deliver the keynote address.
The complete schedule, as well as the link to register for the event and a link to submit a story for the session on facing DEI challenges, can be found on the YAA website.
