The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28, in the University Theatre in the Center for Performing Arts at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Those who would like to attend .

Goodell is a New York Times bestselling author of the book, 鈥淭he Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet,鈥� which examines the impact that temperature rise will have on the planet. During his lecture, Goodell will discuss extreme heat, sea level rising, geoengineering, climate change, and America鈥檚 energy future.

鈥淲e are excited to welcome esteemed author Jeff Goodell to our campus,鈥� said Dr. Melvin Beavers, the chancellor鈥檚 inaugural fellow for diversity, equity, and inclusion. 鈥淗is latest book is a powerful and eye-opening exploration of the significant changes and challenges impacting our world as a result of climate change. Jeff Goodell has dedicated the past two decades of his life to reporting on the issue of climate change, making him a true expert in the field.鈥�

Goodell is the author of six previous books, including 鈥淭he Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World,鈥� which was a New York Times Critics Top Book of 2017. During his journalism career, Goodell has covered climate change for more than two decades for publications like Rolling Stone and The New York Times Magazine and is a 2020 Guggenheim Fellow. As a commentator on climate change and energy issues, he has appeared on NPR, MSNBC, CNN, CNBC, ABC, NBC, Fox News, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 Inclusive & Inspiring Speaker Series began in 2022 and is an opportunity for the campus community to hear from a variety of voices on subjects that advance understanding around issues of national and global importance.

Previous speakers include Heather McGhee, author of 鈥淭he Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together,鈥� and M贸nica Guzm谩n, author of  鈥淚 Never Thought of it That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times.鈥�

The event is sponsored by the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Office of the Chancellor and the Diversity Council. For more information, contact Beavers at mebeavers@ualr.edu.

The post 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock to Host Bestselling Author Jeff Goodell Feb. 28 appeared first on News.

The 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Diversity Council and the Office of the Chancellor are hosting the workshops, facilitated by Braver Angels, that are designed to equip participants with the skills needed to bridge divides and foster constructive dialogue. Both sessions are free and will be offered via Zoom.

“We are so thrilled to work with Braver Angels to provide these bridge-building workshops on campus,鈥� said Dr. Melvin Beavers, the Chancellor鈥檚 DEI fellow. 鈥淭hey will provide our faculty, students, and staff with a platform to come together and delve into challenging topics. These workshops offer a space for us to navigate these discussions with respect, dignity, and understanding. This is particularly important in today’s political landscape. I think these workshops reflect parts of our institution’s core values, showcasing our commitment to fostering meaningful dialogue.”

The first workshop, 鈥淒epolarizing Within,鈥� will be held from 6-9 p.m. Sept. 20. Register at . This workshop is designed to foster skills to help participants lessen the effects of polarization when encountered in political conversations.

The second workshop, 鈥淪kills for Bridging the Political Divide,鈥� will be held from 6-9 p.m. Oct. 23. Register at . This workshop is for people who are interested in having better conversations with people on the other side of the political aisle. Participants will learn and practice skills to have respectful conversations that clarify differences, search for common ground, and affirm the importance of the relationship.

The workshop facilitators will include Braver Angels National Team members Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter, chair of the Department of Applied Communication at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, Maggie Bayless, moderator training coordinator, and Mary Thomas-Vallens, moderator forum coordinator.

Chatham Carpenter, who recently served for two years as a volunteer co-director of the Office of Field operations for Braver Angels, now serves as a co-lead for regional operations for Braver Angels in five states. The 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock workshops are also part of a wider Braver Angels campaign, , that she helps manage. The national campaign for civic renewal encourages participants to take at least one action to help bridge the political divide and bring Americans together in constructive dialogue.

The workshops are a continuation of the bridge-building conversations 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock has been building in recent years. In February, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock welcomed M贸nica Guzm谩n, author of 鈥�.鈥�

Guzman, who serves as senior fellow for public practice with Braver Angels, served as the speaker for the 2023 Inclusive and Inspiring Speaker Series, held a workshop for students and faculty, and met with members of the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Cabinet and Racial Barriers Committee.

For more information, contact Dr. Melvin Beavers at mebeavers@ualr.edu.

The post 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock to Host Bridge-Building Conversation Workshops appeared first on News.

The Juneteenth event will celebrate freedom and heritage through critical conversations about the origins of Juneteenth, affirming traditions within Black culture, and reflections upon the legacy of Juneteenth. The event is sponsored by PepsiCo and the Office of the Chancellor.

“I think Coretta Scott King sums up the importance of Juneteenth well when she says, 鈥楽truggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won, you earn it and win it in every generation,鈥欌�� said Dr. Melvin Beavers, assistant professor and the chancellor鈥檚 DEI fellow. 鈥淛uneteenth is always a good reminder that freedom, like maintaining a democracy, requires action, work, and a commitment to seeing everyone’s humanity.”

The Juneteenth celebration will begin at 10 a.m. June 19 in the Stella Boyle Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Building with a welcome by Chancellor Christina Drale followed by a 鈥淲hat Juneteenth Means to Me鈥� video presentation and a Juneteenth performance by S. Juain Young.

At 10:30 a.m., Dr. Carl Moneyhon, professor emeritus of history at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, will speak about the origins of Juneteenth and the impact of reconstruction. Moneyhon鈥檚 primary fields of study are the Civil War and Reconstruction eras with a focus on events in Arkansas and Texas. His article, 鈥淓mancipation Day to Juneteenth: The Origins of a Texas Celebration,鈥� is scheduled for publication by Southwestern Historical Quarterly in July 2024.

From noon to 2 p.m., the celebration will move to the Donaghey Student Center Ledbetter Hall for a catered lunch featuring Black-owned businesses, including CBR鈥橺 Catering, Cici鈥檚 Chicken and Waffles, and SAP鈥檚 Creole Cuisine. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn more about community organizations who are joining in the Juneteenth celebration and pick up a copy of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 commemorative Juneteenth Cookbook.

The celebration moves back to Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall at 2 p.m., when Michael Williams will introduce Sen. Joyce Elliott, who will give her speech, 鈥淩emembering Juneteenth 鈥� Celebrate, Educate, and Inspire.鈥�

Sen. Elliott was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 2000 and to the Senate in 2008. After reaching her term limit on Dec. 31, 2022, she now serves as the executive director of Get Loud Arkansas, a nonprofit organization working to fight voter suppression, register new voters, engage low-propensity voters, and mobilize all eligible voters to utilize the power of their vote to shape the future of Arkansas. She is also the co-chair of the board for the National Center on Education and the Economy, an organization dedicated to the study, design, and building of equitable, high-performing, and cost-effective education and work development systems that prepare students to contribute to our democratic society and compete in the global economy.

All of the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Juneteenth events are free and open to the public. Please visit this link for a full schedule of events. Those who plan to participate in person for the Sen. Elliott and Moneyhon talks as well as the Juneteenth lunch. Virtual participants may register via .

Those who register for the Juneteenth events will also be placed in a book raffle for a chance to win one of the following books: 鈥淭he Impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction on Arkansas鈥� by Carl Moneyhon; 鈥淯nder the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and the Health of the Nation鈥� by Linda Vilarosa; 鈥淲eathering – The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society鈥� by Arline Geronimus; and 鈥淗ow the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America鈥� by Clint Smith.

The post 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock to Mark Second Annual Juneteenth Celebration appeared first on News.

The donation will support DEI initiatives on campus and will provide valuable programming to the community such as the university鈥檚 second annual Juneteenth celebration on June 19, which will feature state Sen. Joyce Elliott as the keynote speaker.

June 19 is annually celebrated as Juneteenth, the oldest national commemoration of the ending of slavery in the country. The holiday originates from June 19, 1865, the day the last slaves in the country were freed in Galveston, Texas, at the end of the Civil War. It was declared a federal holiday in 2021, and 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock held its first Juneteenth celebration last year featuring an historical reenactment by S. Juain Young & Artists United and a Black-owned food truck festival.

“We are so excited to receive support and funding from PepsiCo,鈥� said Dr. Melvin Beavers, assistant professor and the chancellor鈥檚 DEI fellow. 鈥淭he impact of their support will go a long way in helping us build a strong foundation for our work to make sure 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock is a place that fosters diversity, equity, inclusion, and most importantly belonging for all.”

The Little Rock PepsiCo leadership of Mike Williams, key account manager, Jesse Fox, general manager, and Brandon Pharr, senior sales manager, presented the donation to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock May 31 in the Bailey Alumni Center.

鈥淧epsiCo is honored to play such a significant role in the great work going on at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock surrounding its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative through our 鈥楽tronger Together鈥� platform,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淐ommunity support of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives is crucial for every company, institution, and organization across America these days.鈥�

The donation is a part of , an initiative to bring a positive impact to communities. The community-focused program leverages the expertise of Pepsi and its partners to facilitate conversations, bring people together, and create smiles in communities in need.

鈥淭hank you to the PepsiCo team for being a great community partner in so many ways and certainly for your support of the crucial DEI initiatives taking place on campus,鈥� said Christian O鈥橬eal, vice chancellor of university advancement. 鈥淭ogether, we are shaping a future that celebrates diversity and fosters an environment of belonging. Thank you for standing with us in making a lasting impact on the lives of our students and the entire university community.鈥�

The post PepsiCo Donates $25,000 to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock for DEI Programming appeared first on News.