The University will host “Moment or Movement: A National Dialogue on Identity, Empowerment, and Justice for All” on Oct. 3-4. The two-day symposium will recount the summer of 2016, focusing on the tragic events that took place in Baton Rouge and across the nation.
The symposium will feature two keynote speeches: “A Moment,” a speech by CNN host and Baton Rouge native Don Lemon, and “A Movement,” an address from Civil Rights legend and former Xavier University President Norman Francis.
“[Moment or Movement] will provide an examination of … the ability to engage in our American democratic process has on society,” said University President F. King Alexander in a statement. “Meant to leverage our faculty expertise with community input and participation, it will also underscore our role as a university in these challenging times.”
One of the events that will be held prior to the symposium is a mock presidential election on Moodle. Voting opened on Sept. 26 and will run until Oct. 2. The event aims to highlight the importance of voting, and the results of the mock election will be announced after Francis’ speech, Alexander said in a news release.
Symposium events will take place in various locations across campus. Events vary in theme and format, from a screening of “Remember the Titans” to panels on business, government and gender.
Some of the standout events of the symposium are musical and spoken word performances, a panel with Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) and a presentation by author Paul Taylor.
“This symposium will serve as a frank discussion on the tensions and tragedies that took place in our city and across the nation during the summer of 2016,” Alexander said in a statement.