The 2022 Legally Black: Black Law School Summit aims to increase diversity within the legal field. The event will include invited speakers and panelists ready to continue advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession.

Topics include: promoting diversity in law schools and law offices, retaining and developing Black lawyers, and advancing social justice.
Hosted by the Multicultural Center and GSU College of Law. 

For more information, please contact Dagem Araya at daraya1@gsu.edu 
As a part of our Community Connections (C2) Womxn of Color Mentoring Initiative, this week, we highlight Emmy award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay (b. August 24, 1972) as our #WomxnChangingTheWorld!

Ava DuVernay’s journey didn’t start in film. Her first passion was journalism, something she was inspired to pursue after an internship with CBS. After the allure wore off, DuVernay pivoted into public relations and worked for several agencies before creating her PR firm, Duvernay Agency, where she specialized in the entertainment and lifestyle industries. In 2005 DuVernay made her first short film, the 12-minute short entitled Saturday Night Life, toured the festival circuit and was broadcasted as a part of Showtime’s Black filmmaker showcase in 2007. After nearly a decade of refining her craft and the critical acclaim she received after the premiere of Selma, the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture commissioned her to create a film about African-American history. Since then, DuVernay has worked on several different movies and TV shows as a producer, director or writer. Her most notable works are A Wrinkle In TimeQueen SugarWhen They See Us and 13th.

🌎 Culture & Identity: Ava Marie Duvernay was born in Long Beach, California and grew up in Lynwood, California. She was raised by her mother and stepfather but kept her biological father’s surname which has Louisiana creole origins.

This week in our Social Justice Corner we are highlighting a Trailblazer, Laverne Cox!  

Culture & Identity: Ms. Cox is an African American Actress and LGBTQ+ advocate who rose to prominence from her spectacular performance in the Netflix series "Orange is the New Black". 


Life: Laverne Cox was born on May 29, 1972, in Mobile, Alabama, and raised by a single mother and her grandmother. In 2014, she opened up about being bullied as a child and her attempt to commit suicide at the age of 11 in result of being called homophobic slurs.

Ms. Cox became the first transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in any category for her role as Sophia Burset, a transwoman firefighter who was incarcerated for credit-card fraud, in Orange is the New Black. When asked about the role, Ms. Cox stated: "Sophia is written as a multi-dimensional character who the audience can really empathize with—all of the sudden they're empathizing with a real Trans person. And for Trans folks out there, who need to see representations of people who are like them and of their experiences, that's when it becomes really important.". Following this nomination, Ms. Cox went on to be the first ever transgender person to bless the cover of Time Magazine. 
 
Impact: Outside of her acting career, Ms. Cox is an outspoken activist pursuing justice for LGBTQ+ people, and gender equality. She has sparked conversations about transgender culture, the discrimination that transgender people experience, the intersection of transgender identities and race, as well as numerous other topics relating to LGBTQ+ experiences.
Dear students,

We are excited to share that Georgia State University is participating in a project with the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education (IDHE). The project includes understanding students of color experiences with politics, civic engagement, protesting, elections, and leadership on and off campus. Researchers from IDHE would like to hear from students of color. They want to elevate your voices and experiences in the hope that colleges, universities, policymakers, and political officials can better understand your interests and engagement in political learning and engagement in democracy.

They will be scheduling focus groups on zoom. There are 6 possible focus groups you can sign up for and each will take place for an hour and a half:

  • Black or African American Student Focus Group, February 22nd at 11am ET (Tuesday) with Norma Lopez
  • Black or African American Student Focus Group, February 22nd at 6pm ET (Tuesday) with Nancy Thomas
  • Black or African American Student Focus Group, February 24th at 6pm ET (Thursday) with Margaret Brower
  • Students of color Focus Group (all invited that identify this way), February 25th (Friday) at 11am ET with Nancy Thomas
  • Black or African American Student Focus Group, March 1st (Tuesday) at 6pm with Margaret Brower
  • Students of color Focus Group (all invited that identify this way), March 4th (Friday) at 11am with Norma Lopez

Your participation in this project will be really helpful for future programming/ higher education initiatives. As a thank you for participating in this project, IDHE will be providing you with a $10 gift card to Amazon. 

When you get a chance, let us know which focus group day/time you would be most interested in participating in. After signing up for a focus group we will share the link to the event with you.

Connecting with audiences is at the heart ofthe Ailey experience, so Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's much-anticipated return to the Fox stage is reason to rejoice” “Celebrate Artistic Director Robert Battle's 10th anniversary season with new works, audience favorites, and beloved classics, including the timeless Revelations

You only have five chances to see Ailey in Atlanta! Learn more at the link below!

Special Days This Week
Black History Month: February
 
Black History Month was first initiated by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the son of former slaves, who received a Ph.D. from Harvard University and is considered a pioneer in the study of African American History. He believed that truth could not be denied and reason would prevail over prejudice. Thus, he founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) and Negro History Week in 1925. In 1976, this week expanded into Black History Month, also known as African American Heritage Month. 
Aromantic Spectrum Awarness Week: Feb 20-26th

Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week (ASAW) is an annual, international event meant to spread awareness and acceptance of aromantic spectrum identities and the issues we face, as well as making more people aware of our existence while celebrating it.
World Day of Social Justice: Feb 20th

Since 2009, the World Day of Social Justice has been celebrated on February 20th. The United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution to recognize that date. The day is an opportunity to remember that social justice is necessary for peace, security, and development around the world. In its resolution, the UN recognized the need for more international efforts on poverty education. The promotion of gender equality and social well-being are also top priorities
Presidents Day: Feb 21st

Presidents' Day is celebrated every year on the third Monday of February — February 21 this year. All the presidents in American history are remembered for their work in making America the country it is today.
The Multicultural Center | multicultural.gsu.edu