OSU-Cascades to Host Virtual Talks by National Civil Rights Activist, Thought Leader on Race and Culture

BEND, Ore. – A civil rights activist and a leader on race, religion and contemporary culture will each be featured at virtual presentations hosted by the Oregon State University - Cascades Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Laboratory this fall.

Featured guests

Tamika D. Mallory, who gave what has been called “the speech of a generation” in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, will join a conversation with Erika McCalpine, executive director for strategic diversity at OSU-Cascades from 6 to 7:15 p.m. on Oct. 6. Her talk is titled “An Evening with Tamika D. Mallory: Real Activism.”

Michael Eric Dyson, a distinguished professor of African American studies, ethics and society at Vanderbilt University, will present “Reckoning with Race and Racism in America” from 6 to 7:15 p.m. on Nov. 3. He is the author or editor of more than 20 books on subjects including Malcolm X and Tupac Shakur. 

“Tamika Mallory and Michael Dyson are at the forefront of conversations about race and social justice,” said McCalpine. “We’re proud to bring their national and community perspectives to all Central Oregonians as we work together to build a fair and equitable community.”

Tamika Mallory

Mallory will join McCalpine for a wide-ranging and practical conversation about community activism. Mallory served as the youngest executive director of the National Action Network, a civil rights organization, from 2011 to 2013. 

She was one of the leading organizers of the 2017 Women’s March and named that year as one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world.

Michael Eric Dyson

Dyson will explore the cultural and social forces that have shaped the nation’s approach to issues of race, and discuss reasons to hope for a better future while reckoning with the past.

He is also a New York Times contributing opinion writer, and a contributing editor of The New Republic and ESPN's The Undefeated website.

Ebony magazine cited Dyson as one of the 100 most influential African Americans, and one of the 150 most powerful Blacks in the nation. He has received an American Book Award for “Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster” and two NAACP Image Awards.

The events are supported by the OSU President’s Commission on the Status of Black Faculty and Staff Affairs.

The presentations are free, but registration is required. To register, visit https://osucascades.edu/dei-lab/events or contact [email protected].