Wayne State’s Office of Multicultural Student Engagement (OMSE) has announced the July schedule for its "What's Going On?" summer series. The series, named in a nod to Marvin Gaye’s Motown classic, is designed to facilitate ongoing conversations about racism, inclusion, equity and social justice.  

The series is intended to provide safe spaces for the Warrior community to discuss, learn and listen to issues related to racism, equity, social justice and inclusion. Sessions feature people from across campus talking about issues that are important to them and the work they do on campus.

A full schedule is available online. Sessions include:

• The “-isms”
  • Wednesday, July 1, from 2 to 3 p.m.
  • A conversation on the main “-isms” of society and their impact, led by Cherise M. Frost, Student Disability Services.

• Social Justice & Sikhi
  • Tuesday, July 7, from noon to 1 p.m.
  • Hear from Sikh members of the Wayne State community about their experiences being a visible minority on campus, facilitated by Harman Singh, department of psychology.

• Mental Health Matters: The Impact of Racial Justice on the Mind
  • Wednesday, July 8, from 1 to 2 p.m.
  • A discussion on how racial discrimination impacts the mental health and well-being of college students, led by Zeina Ghoul, Academic Success Center.   

• Building Self-Advocacy
  • Thursday, July 9, from noon to 1 p.m.
  • Led by Shawntae Mintline, College of Education.

• Words Matter
  • Tuesday, July 14, from noon to 1 p.m.
  • A dialogue unpacking and contextualizing the defining words of today’s movement, led by James Holly, College of Education.

• Difficult Conversations with Family & Friends
  • Wednesday, July 15, from noon to 1 p.m.
  • An interactive session on navigating critical conversations with friends and family, led by Stephanie Hawkes, OMSE.

• Transformative Leadership
  • Thursday, July 16, from 1 to 2 p.m.
  • A discussion about what defines transformative leadership and how it applies to you, led by Carolyn Shields, College of Education. 

• Actions to Take for the International Student
  • Monday, July 20, from noon to 1 p.m.
  • An interactive presentation and dialogue about how to support your role in the social justice movement, led by Fareed Shalhout and Gabby Strzalkowski, Educational Outreach and International Programs.

• Mental Health in the Black Community
  • Tuesday, July 21, from 2 to 3 p.m.
  • A discussion about mental health in racial context, led by Jennifer Bohanon, Counseling and Psychological Services.

• Where are we now with Police and Community Trust?
  • Wednesday, July 22, from noon to 1 p.m.
  • A real conversation about police and community, led by Victor Green, Office of Government and Community Relations.

• From the Barrio to the Academy
  • Thursday, July 30, from 2 to 3 p.m.
  • A discussion about using personal narratives and history to impact change, led by Leonard Savala, OMSE, Vanessa Reynolds, Office of Undergraduate Admissions, and Melissa Miranda Morse, Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies.

For more information, to volunteer to lead a session or to suggest a topic, please email OMSE at omse@wayne.edu. Alumni are invited to register via email.