social justice day

Submitted photo and press release:

Extending the reach of the One GCC efforts at Genesee Community College, Diversity and Inclusion coordinator Sara Vacin and the Inclusive Excellence Committee will host Social Justice Day on Tuesday, Nov. 12, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Batavia Campus Forum.

This event is made possible through a SUNY Diversity and Inclusion Performance Improvement Fund and is FREE and open to the entire community.

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award Laureate Librada Paz (inset photo left) will open Social Justice Day at 12:30 p.m. sharing how she came to this country as a young migrant farmer with dreams of studying engineering.

As her journey ensued, she became a nationally recognized activist, which she will describe in her keynote presentation, "The Voice of Farmworkers' Rights."

In addition, on Tuesday, Art Force 5, a group of self-proclaimed "art-equipped heroes" founded at Alfred University will lead attendees to do as they have done and embrace creativity over conflict through the creation of a large mosaic piece.

The mosaic will become a visual tribute to GCC's Open Door Internship Program. 

From 2 - 2:55 p.m. Social Justice Day participants can attend one of the following sessions:

• "Creativity Over Conflict" with Dan Napolitano of Alfred University in the Forum;
• "Know Your Rights" with GCC Criminal Justice professor Karen Wicka in T122;
• "Being an Ally to People of Color" with Political Club student president Dennis Austin in T121;
• "Social Justice Issues Facing Veterans Today" with Dave Oliver of the Veterans Outreach Center in G200. 

From 3 - 3:55 p.m. participants can choose from the following sessions:

• "Social Justice Work and Migrant Workers: Past, Present and Future" presented by members of the Geneseo Migrant Center in G200;
• "Bail Reform and Its Impact" with Catherine Uhly from Genesee Justice in T122;
• "Sexual Assault Victim's Rights" by RESTORE's Sarah Link and Hannah Kujawski in T121.

Finally, at 4 p.m. all participants are encouraged to come together for refreshments and a closing discussion reflecting on the opportunities to put the information they've been given into action in their own lives.

Submitted photo and press release:

On Tuesday, April 30, at 12:30 p.m. Genesee Community College invites the campus and overall community to Social Justice Day featuring Jon Paul Higgins, Ph.D., as the keynote speaker appearing in the Stuart Steiner Theatre. The event is free and open to the public.

His talk will be followed by a series of breakout sessions featuring professionals and scholars from Criminal Justice, Environmental Justice, Women's Rights and Immigration. The overall program will conclude with a coffee and refreshments during a 30-minute reflection period in the Conable Technology Building in room T122.

Higgins is a speaker, writer, and social justice educator who focuses on issues related to gender, race and media.

He was named one of Business Equality Magazine's "Top 40 LGBTQ Under 40" in 2019, and has been featured on sites like NBC News, Buzzfeed, Vox, and Attn: and gave the first TEDx Talk on unlearned fear and reclaiming personal power in 2017.

This led to writing for Splinter, and other platforms such as Out Magazine, Them, SyfyWire, The Root, The Daily Dot, Shadow & Act, Slate, Essence, MTV News and more.