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Isaiah Spencer-Williams performs spoken word
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Performers and activists use art to spark change at 51精品视频鈥檚 Diversity Forum 2022

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  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Cathedral of Learning was filled Tuesday night with the sounds of inclusion, activism, empowerment and social justice.

Spoken word performers, writers and hip-hop artists gathered with 51精品视频 community members for 鈥淪parking Change: An Evening with Friends,鈥 an intimate, in-person celebration of art as a source of joy, resilience and community during this year鈥檚 .

鈥We are thankful for the awesome artists that we have tonight, an array of folks who helped us think about a better world through the pen, through dance, and through other forms of creativity,鈥 said Ron Idoko, diversity and multi-cultural program manager of the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Taylor Waits, a PhD student in 51精品视频鈥檚 Department of English, served as DJ and emcee.

The event featured spoken word performer and PhD student in environmental engineering Isaiah Spencer-Williams,听hip-hop songwriter and 1Hood educator Jordan 鈥淟ivefromthecity鈥 Howard, writer and slam poet Adriana Ramirez, and singer Britney Yauger and pianist Thanakarn Limtham.

DJ and emcee Taylor Waits hypes up the crowd
Jordan 鈥淟ivefromthecity鈥 Howard performs one of his songs
Adriana Ramirez reads excerpts from one of her essays
Pianist Thanakarn Limtham and singer Britney Yauger Limtham perform original songs.
Kit Ayers and Angie Bedford-Jack watch a livestream on a laptop
Taylor Waits talks to Tea Haze.

Howard鈥檚 mother, Lydia Howard, who attended the event, said the night鈥檚 artistic expressions helped introduce people to new perspectives.

鈥淚 think it's important to have events like these, because as people keep talking about ending racism and getting to know each other, how will we get to know each other?鈥 she said.

鈥淎rt is a wonderful way to get to know each other because a lot of people may not listen to rap. They may not listen to somebody sing a ballad by somebody who plays on the keyboard. They may not listen to spoken word. This gave an opportunity to understand it all.鈥

The Center for Creativity and Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion hosted the event in the center鈥檚 new space in the basement of the Cathedral of Learning, B50. The event was also livestreamed as part of the Diversity Forum 2022, 鈥淩ewiring Our Systems: Transforming the Intersections of Inequity,鈥 held for free online from July 25-28.

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鈥斕Donovan Harrell; photos by Mike Drazdzinski, 51精品视频

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Top photo: Isaiah Spencer-Williams, a PhD student in environmental engineering, performs spoken word.

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