We are excited to share the WashUMed ODEI annual MLK Week Commemoration 2023 dates!
Tuesday, January 17 – Friday, January 20, 2023
Event recordings now available
This post has been updated to include recordings of virtual events.
Last updated Feb. 6, 2023
Tuesday, January 17th at 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Perspectives: Recognizing & Speaking Up Against Disinformation about Equity and Justice Work – Virtual Event
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.” – MLK, Jr.
Perspectives seeks to provide space for participants to share experiences and build muscles for listening, understanding, empathy and dialogue across viewpoints. Our first MLK Week session will share information and facilitate dialogue around the growing movement to discredit equity, justice and antiracism work in medical education, biomedical research and health care generally.
Tuesday, January 17th at 5:30pm – 6:30pm
Yoga for Self-Compassion – Virtual Event
“We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience.“
For this evening session of yoga for healing we are excited to once again be led by an instructor from The Collective STL, a vibrant group of Black yoga and wellness instructors, fully committed to improving the health and wellbeing of Black communities in St. Louis.
Wednesday, January 18th at 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Keynote Panel: The Truth about Critical Race Theory (CRT)-Virtual Event
“We must learn that passively to accept an unjust system is to cooperate with that system, and thereby to become a participant in its evil.”
Often misrepresented, critical race theory has been used to foster division in the public arena, particularly around its use in schools and more recently, medical education. Panelists Angel Jones, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor, SIUE; Heather Fleming, Founder & Owner, In Purpose Educational Services; and Yetunde Janski-Ogunfidodo (Tunde), Humans of St. Louis, will discuss how the discourse around CRT is impacting education as well as amplify how narrative and storytelling are key tools within CRT for advancing equity and justice work. More details »
Thursday, January 19th at 7:30am – 8:30am
Yoga for Self-Compassion – Virtual Event
“We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience.“
For this morning session of yoga for healing we are excited to once again be led by an instructor from The Collective STL, a vibrant group of Black yoga and wellness instructors, fully committed to improving the health and wellbeing of Black communities in St. Louis.
Thursday, January 19th at 12:00pm -1:00 pm
Amplifying Community Voices for Black Joy and Healing
“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”
The Collect STL self-describes as a “love story in the making!” Their goal? “To create a space where Black people in St. Louis have adequate access to health and wellness spaces, spaces that center their (our) identities and experiences, spaces that are warm and welcoming, and spaces that build community. We believe that the responsibility of the health and wellness of Black people in St. Louis is the responsibility of the collective; we are all The Collective.” We will host Dr. Terry Harris from The Collective STL who will tell the story of this incredible organization’s mission, creation, and why it’s so important. More details »
Friday, January 20th at 10:15am – 11:30am
WUSM Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Update – Virtual Event
“We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there ‘is’ such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”
MLK Week 2023 will conclude with Dr. Sherree Wilson, Associate Vice Chancellor and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Washington University School of Medicine, and others from the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion sharing the current state of diversity, equity and inclusion work on the Medical Campus. We are all excited to share updates about recent successes and provide an overview of what is ahead. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and how you can get involved or support our work on campus.
As always we encourage you to mark your calendars, look out for updates and share these opportunities with your colleagues and partners. You can look for registration information on events page.
