Women of Color Summit

The Women of Color Summit celebrates, connects and educates women of color who have chosen to embark on the journey of becoming a Dickinsonian. The summit serves as a platform to empower women of color to live intentionally, cultivate successful careers through community networking and thrive in any space they occupy.

This year’s summit will take place in person. We plan for attendees to further develop strategies to:

• be successful in their careers, internships and professional development opportunities;
• navigate white spaces;
• explore the importance of creativity and artistic craft as an identity outlet;
• identify and reframe feelings around microaggressions;
• understand the relevance of intersectionality;
• grow spiritually;
• create and maintain strong ally relationships with men of color; and
• lead conversations about effective allyship.

Registration Fee: Free

Dates: March 1-3, 2024

Who: Days one and two of the summit (Friday and Saturday) are open to anyone in the Dickinson community who identifies as a woman of color. Day three is open to all Dickinsonian women of color, as well as communities who are seeking to understand allyship.

Schedule

Friday, March 1

Location: Stern Great Room

Welcome Reception & Community-Building Event (5:45-6:30 p.m.)

During this session, you’ll meet and hear from the executive board and committee members of this year’s Women of Color Summit Planning Committee, as they welcome you, introduce themselves, and lead a guided session to help you get to know your fellow attendees.

Meet & Greet (6:45-7:45 p.m.)
Featuring WOC Summit Committee

Meet & Greet with the Executive Committee that will introduce themselves and welcome everyone. This will be an opportunity to mingle and network, as well as get to know fellow women of color on campus.

Debrief & Closing (7:45-8:00 p.m.)

Saturday, March 2

Location: Stern Great Room

Registration & Introductory Remarks: (10:00-10:10 a.m.)

Breakfast with Women Professors of Color (10:10-11:15a.m.)
Featuring Professor Nadia Alahmed and Professor Amalia Pesantes Villa

Workshop (11:15 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.)
Featuring Joyce M. Davis

Davis will speak about her journalism career that has spanned five decades and has taken her around the world as a foreign correspondent working for some of the most respected news organizations in the world. She will also speak about the ongoing challenges for African Americans in pursuing a career in journalism and the persistent lack of diversity in American newsrooms.

Intersectional Perspectives: Advancing Allyship and Inclusion in STEM and Innovation (12:15-1:10 p.m.)
Featuring Muhammad Burhan '22

Join us for an immersive workshop where storytelling meets education to explore "Intersectional Perspectives: Advancing Allyship and Inclusion in STEM and Innovation." Through narratives that highlight the diverse experiences at the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and more, participants will gain insights into the challenges faced by marginalized groups including the trans politics. We'll delve into practical strategies for fostering allyship and creating inclusive STEM environments. Come away with a deeper understanding of intersectionality and actionable steps to promote diversity and equity in innovation.

Break & Lunch Service (1:15-2:15 p.m.)

Workshop (2:15-3:15 p.m.)
Featuring Professor Supriya Dixit

Based on her experience in Psychology as a South Asian woman, Professor Dixit will discuss how South Asian women navigate their cultural identity, especially in diasporic communities. Professor Dixit will speak about the challenges South Asian women face when balancing traditional values with the cultural norms of their current country of residence and how this impacts their mental health.

Coffee Break (3:15-3:30 p.m.)

Workshop (3:30-4:30 p.m.)
Featuring Beimnet Getahun

Based on their experience in non-profits and college mentorship, Beimnet will speak about their experience working in non-profit work as a woman of color and how they navigate a career rooted in community service.

Debrief & Closing: (4:30-5:00 p.m.)

Sunday, March 3

Location: Stern Great Room

Light Breakfast Service (9:00 - 9:30 a.m.)

Allyship Workshop (9:30a.m - 10:30 a.m.)
Facilitated by MANdatory

Open to all individuals who identify as women or men of color. Allyship entails an active practice of unlearning and re-evaluation of the self and external environment where a person in a position of privilege and power maintains solidarity with a marginalized group. Allyship can be practiced in myriad ways, however, should be consistent and daily. This workshop focuses specifically on what allyship between men and women of color looks like, and ways to collaboratively work on allyship at Dickinson.

Workshop (10:45 -12:00 p.m.)
Featuring Yazmin Monet Watkins '09

Open to all individuals who are allies to women of color. Yazmin Monet Watkins is a poet, comedian, writer, actress, producer, educator and organizer. She tours her intimate and political poetry from Obama's White House to Johannesburg, exploring the intersection of race, gender, sexuality, self-love and all things Black Girl Magic. Theatrically she is represented by United Talent Agency and has worked on numerous feature films, commercials, sketches, shorts and new media projects including collaborations with her all Black female comedy team Obama's Other Daughters. Yazmin will speak on her experience as a woman of color in creative fields, touching on topics of allyship and activism.

Debrief & Summit Closing (12:00- 12:30 p.m.)