It’s been a little over 60 years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, but the messages from that speech resonate today. “MLK: Now is the Time” is an immersive journey that explores key themes of Dr. King’s speech and highlights systemic inequities that persist in our society. Through first-person stories and interactions, “MLK: Now is the Time” drops a participant into a thoroughly modern interpretation of a contemporary March on Washington. This immersive session leverages the power of extended reality (XR) to provide a unique and impactful learning experience. Facilitated by: Horane Diatta-Holgate, Program Director of Inclusive Pedagogy, Kaneb Center for Teaching Excellence; XR Collective Format: Discussion/Workshop10:00–11:30 a.m. (in VR headsets for registrants); 12:00–1:00 p.m. (Lunch/discussion); 1:00–3:00 p.m. (in VR headsets for registrants)Audience: Administrators, faculty, staff, students Session Objectives: Through XR simulations and discussion, our objectives for the workshop/discussion include:Empathetic Understanding: Participants will step into the shoes of individuals from various backgrounds, gaining insight into the challenges they face.Interactive Scenarios: Participants will engage in real-life scenarios, facilitated by XR, to make decisions and/or navigate situations to learn DEI principles.Safe Space for Dialogue: Participants will have opportunities for open discussions, sharing experiences, and learning from one another in a supportive environment.Practical Tools for Inclusion: Receive guidance on implementing inclusive practices in both personal and professional spheres, leveraging XR as a tool for positive change.Part of the Tech for Good series being presented during Walk the Walk Week by Teaching and Learning Technologies (Office of Information Technology), the Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship (Hesburgh Libraries), Notre Dame Learning, and the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights Originally published at learning.nd.edu.

On Jan. 29, 2025, during Walk the Walk Week, Notre Dame staff are invited to attend the first Beloved Community Gathering, an evolution of the Unity Summit series. Beloved Community Gatherings are designed to highlight actions that can be taken to break down barriers and build bridges on campus, in the region, and in the world.  Register to attend the event, which includes lunch and a welcome by Notre Dame Executive Vice President Shannon Cullinan. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, a spiritual writer, preacher, and community-cultivator, will be the keynote presenter for the event. Wilson-Hartgrove serves as assistant director for partnerships and fellowships at Yale University’s Center for Public Theology and Public Policy and is the author, most recently, of White Poverty with Bishop William J. Barber, II. Beloved Community Gatherings are a partnership between the Office of Institutional Transformation and Notre Dame Human Resources. Download flyer.  Originally published at diversity.nd.edu.

The Office of Institutional Transformation, in partnership with the Initiative on Race and Resilience, invites students, faculty, and staff to gather weekly for support and fellowship. Wellsprings: A Time for Connection and Care provides a safe space for members of the campus community to discuss fears and concerns related to social divisiveness. Some sessions may feature presentations or information from campus resources. To suggest a topic, please contact Eve Kelly at ekelly11@nd.edu. Originally published at diversity.nd.edu.

Celebrate Lá Fhéile Bríde/St. Brigid's Day 2025 with a reading by visiting poet Victoria Kennefick! Book sales and a reception will follow the reading. Victoria Kennefick's debut collection, Eat or We Both Starve (Carcanet Press, 2021), won the Seamus Heaney First Collection Poetry Prize and the Dalkey Book Festival Emerging Writer of the Year Award. It was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize, the Costa Poetry Book Award, Derek Walcott Prize for Poetry and the Butler Literary Prize. Her second collection, Egg/Shell (Carcanet Press, 2024), was a Poetry Book Society Choice for Spring 2024 and BBC Poetry Extra Book of the Month for March. Egg/Shell was also a Book of the Year 2024 in The Telegraph, The Sunday Independent and The Poetry Society. This event is co-sponsored by the Creative Writing Program and the Gender Studies Program. Originally published at irishstudies.nd.edu.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1963) Racial justice and anti-Blackness are pressing global challenges that demand our attention. Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking panel discussion with distinguished experts who will delve into these critical issues. They will explore the far-reaching impacts of systemic, institutional, and organizational racism, and uncover the urgent need for change on a worldwide scale. Panelists: Joseph Butler, Assistant Dean for Access, Diversity and Inclusion, Princeton UniversityCarla Goar, Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology, Kent State UniversityAmber Hewitt, Racial Equity Practitioner and Counseling Psychologist  Moderated by Gwendolyn Purifoye, Assistant Professor of Racial Justice and Conflict Transformation, University of Notre Dame  Greg Wilson, Assistant Professor of Management and Public Affairs, Ohio State University  Photo credit: "Prayer Changes Things," (c) 2017, courtesy of Eurnice Harris from Good Victory Art Studio. Originally published at kroc.nd.edu.