Saint Joseph’s University’s annual Day of Dialogue will return for its fourth year on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. The daylong event aims to build upon conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) taking place in the SJU community all yearlong through sessions that call attendees into action as Hawks with and for others.
With classes canceled, meetings discouraged and sessions happening both in person on Hawk Hill and online, Day of Dialogue is an opportunity for the entire campus community, including alumni, to come together and learn how to own their role in making the world around them more inclusive.
“Day of Dialogue celebrates our uniqueness all while lifting the voices of our community. It’s a day when we come to learn and grow from each other’s experiences and challenge ourselves to work toward a better tomorrow,” says alumna and previous Day of Dialogue attendee Ali Corso ’09, ’22 (MBA), president of the National Alumni Board.
This year’s schedule includes unique events like “A Simulation of the Stresses of Poverty,” which provides participants with the opportunity to engage in a monthlong simulation of how individuals living in poverty must navigate their daily lives, and “Helping Those Who Hate You,” which challenges attendees to explore what ethical obligations, if any, minority communities have against those who oppress them.
Nearly two dozen afternoon sessions, including “Helping Those Who Hate You,” will follow a screening of “The Inventor,” a short film based on the true story of Black entrepreneur Garrett Morgan, whose invention was used to rescue miners trapped in an underground inferno but whose name was left out of the story entirely.
“Though just 15 minutes long, ‘The Inventor’ includes themes related to a myriad of topics, including allyship, technology, ethics, entrepreneurship and leadership. Due to its high quality, depth and brevity, we knew that we’d be able to host a series of sessions all focused on the same film, facilitated by members from across our SJU community,” says Janée Burkhalter, PhD, professor of marketing, associate provost of diversity, equity and inclusion, and committee co-chair.
“As we continue to grow the Day of Dialogue and seek out creative and meaningful opportunities for engagement, we are excited about the opportunity to introduce this new element and are grateful to all of the sessions’ sponsors: the Department of Music, Theater and Film, SJU Libraries, the Arrupe Center, Beautiful Social Research Collaborative and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” she says.