4:00–5:30 p.m.
Roots and Rhythms: A Conversation on Afrodescendencia, Indigenous Heritage, and Community Empowerment in Mexico and Puerto Rico
April 29 / 4PM-5:30PM / Lawrence 115
Join us for a research colloquium as we delve into the intersections of Afrodescendencia, Indigenous heritage, and community empowerment in Mexico and Puerto Rico.
Alai Reyes-Santos (Professor of Practice, UO School of Law) and Abigayle Mitchell (Grad Student, UO School of Law) will present their research on La Piedra del Sapo, a significant Indigenous site in Puerto Rico. They'll explore how this site can facilitate meaningful engagement with the past and shape sustainable futures for the people of Cidra and the Puerto Rican diaspora.
Abraham Landa (Grad Student, Ethnomusicology) will share his research project, "Black Mexico: Music, Dance, and the Construction of Afrodescendencia in Costa Chica." This project examines the performance of African music and dance in Costa Chica, Mexico, and how Afro-Mexican communities use cultural expressions to claim historical presence and cultural recognition.
This event provides a platform for CLLAS-funded researchers to share their findings and engage in a broader conversation about the significance of these topics. We hope to see you there!
4:00 p.m.
Presented by the Oregon Humanities Center
In an era of increased isolation where civic deserts, disinformation, and technological dependence separate us from one another, how can we reimagine our capacity for deeper connection and sustainable collaboration in our current reality? Deepa Iyer, a social justice advocate, will lead an exploration of the pathways that strengthen ecosystems for social change in her talk titled “Re-imagine: Our Social Change Ecosystems” on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 4 p.m. in the Knight Library Browsing Room.
Deepa Iyer is a South Asian American writer, strategist, and lawyer. Her work is rooted in Asian American, South Asian, Muslim, and Arab communities where she spent fifteen years in policy advocacy and coalition building in the wake of the September 11th attacks and ensuing backlash. Currently, Deepa leads projects on solidarity and social movements at the Building Movement Project, a national nonprofit organization that catalyzes social change through research, strategic partnerships, and resources for movements and nonprofits. She conducts workshops and trainings, uplifts narratives through the “Solidarity Is This” podcast, and facilitates solidarity strategy for cohorts and networks.
Deepa’s first book, We Too Sing America: South Asian, Arab, Muslim, and Sikh Immigrants Shape Our Multiracial Future (2015), chronicles community-based histories in the wake of 9/11 and received a 2016 American Book Award. Her debut children’s picture book, We Are The Builders!, was released in 2024.
Deepa’s book Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection (2022) is a practical guide for those on journeys towards justice, equity, and solidarity. It introduces an ecosystems framework that includes ten roles that many people play in service of social change values. Over the past three years, individuals and organizations around the world have used the social change ecosystem framework to respond to the pandemic, express solidarity during the uprisings against anti-Black racism, and support multiracial coalitions struggling for reproductive rights, immigrant and refugee protections, and climate justice. Free copies of Social Change Now will be available at Iyer’s talk.
Iyer is the UO’s 2024–25 Lorwin Lecturer in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Her talk, part of the OHC’s “Re-imagine” series, is free and open to the public and will be livestreamed and recorded. Please register at ohc.uoregon.edu
Join the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies department for our 2025 Commencement ceremony on Sunday, June 15th at 10:00 am in the Miller Theatre Complex.
10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Join the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies department for our 2025 Commencement ceremony on Sunday, June 15th at 10:00 am in the Miller Theatre Complex.
1:00–3:00 p.m.
Join the Native American and Indigenous Studies, Black Studies, Indigenous, Race and Ethnic Studies, and the Latinx Studies departments for our 2025 Commencement ceremony on Sunday, June 15th at 1:00 pm in the Miller Theatre Complex.