PEMBROKE — UNC Pembroke’s Office of Student Inclusion and Diversity and the Social Justice Symposium Committee recently announced events for the annual Social Justice Symposium to be held virtually March 1-4.

First held in 2008, the Social Justice Symposium, according to Student Inclusion and Diversity Director Dr. Lawrence Locklear, “provides a space for students, faculty, staff, alumni, scholars and the community to advance equity, inclusion and social justice. The event works to increase awareness, share ideas and experiences, foster dialogue, highlight research and resources, build networks and empower participants by providing strategies and techniques for taking action against injustice.”

The 2021 symposium, he shared, “will explore how the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated social justice issues, particularly for marginalized and minoritized communities and identities.”

While admission is free, registration is required to attend the symposium. To register, visit uncp.edu/sjs. The deadline to register is Friday, February 26. Registrants will receive information on how to attend the symposium virtually.

The four-day symposium includes a daily keynote address and breakout sessions. Events to be held during the symposium are below. Additional details can be found at uncp.edu/sjs.

— Feb. 25 : Deadline for submitting original artwork for the Black Lives Matter mobile mural that will be displayed around campus during the symposium. Visit uncp.edu/sjs for submission details.

— Recorded session: Presentation of Black Lives Matter Mural: A National Perspective by the UNCP Art Club and Black Student Union features a discussion of national Black Lives Matter murals created in 2020.

Monday, March 1

3-4 p.m.: Keynote Address

COVID-19 Pandemic and Racial Health Disparities in the United States by Dr. Sojung Lim, assistant professor of sociology and director of the Yun Kim Population Research Laboratory at Utah State University.

4-5 p.m.: Breakout Session

COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned from South Korea by Dr. Sojung Lim, assistant professor of sociology and director of the Yun Kim Population Research Laboratory at Utah State University

Faith-Based Community’s Perspective: How a Church Addresses Contributing Factors to Disparities during the COVID-19 Pandemic by Dr. Jackie Davis, director of the Community Health and Wellness Institute at UNC Pembroke.

Tuesday, March 2

2-2:55 p.m.: Keynote Address

Covid-19 and Information Inequality in North Carolina counties by Dr. Sojin Jang, assistant professor of political science and public administration at UNC Pembroke.

3-3:55 p.m.: Breakout Session

Xenophobia, Othering and Disease by Dr. Abigail Reiter, assistant professor of sociology at UNC Pembroke and Aziza Samieva, instructor of sociology at Wake Technical Community College.

4-4:55 p.m.: Breakout Session

Global Impact of COVID-19 on Women by Aziza Samieva, instructor of sociology at Wake Technical Community College with a session reflection by Dr. Brooke Kelly, assistant chair and professor of sociology and co-coordinator of gender studies minor at UNCP.

Wednesday, March 3

(Activism and COVID Day)

2-2:55 p.m.: Breakout Session

Black Lives Matter presentation with Sonya AmenRa of Black Lives Matter Wilmington

3-3:55 p.m.: Keynote Address

A Virus Without Papers: Understanding Covid-19 and the Impact on Immigrant Communities with Dr. Elizabeth Kiester, associate professor of sociology at Albright College

4-4:55 p.m.: Breakout Session

Debriefing of the June 26, 2020 march in Pembroke to end police brutality with the senior coordinator of TRIO Student Support Services at UNC Pembroke Concetta Bullard, UNCP student Thomas Crowe-Allbritton, UNCP Career Counselor John Dunlap, UNCP student Dominick Feaster, UNCP Director of Campus Engagement and Leadership Abdul Ghaffar and UNCP SGA President Cotrayia Hardison

5-6 p.m.: Breakout Session

UNCP March to End Police Brutality: Where do we go from here? with Director of Community and Civic Engagement at UNCP Christie Poteet, UNCP student Dominick Feaster and Senior Coordinator of TRIO Student Support Services UNC Pembroke Concetta Bullard.

Thursday, March 4

12:15-2 p.m.: Virtual showing of the film: Monumental Crossroads (2018)

2-2:55 p.m.: Breakout Session

Discussion: Monumental Crossroads (2018) with the film’s director Tim van den Hoff, Assistant Professor of History Dr. Adam Domby from the College of Charleston, Associate Professor of History Dr. Hilary Green from the University of Alabama and Emil Little

3-3:55 p.m.: Breakout Session

Awareness & Action: Investigating Our Own Biases with Dr. Leslie Locklear, project coordinator with First Americans’ Teacher Education Program at UNCP.

4-5 p.m.: Breakout Session

Next Steps: Reflecting and Taking Action facilitated by assistant professor of Political Science at UNCP Dr. Melissa Buice, professor and Faculty-in-Residence of the Esther G. Maynor Honors College and gender studies minor co-coordinator Dr. Michele Fazio at UNCP and chair of the Department of American Indian Studies and Associate Professor of American Indian Studies Dr. Mary Ann Jacobs at UNCP.

The Social Justice Symposium is sponsored by the Office of Student Inclusion and Diversity, the Social Justice Committee, the Department of History and the Department of Political Science and Public Administration.