About 300 people attended the first in a series of virtual town halls as the Kent State University community addresses systemic racism by learning, listening and taking action as a collective.
The 90-minute Zoom session, which was geared toward faculty and staff, was held on June 9. The meeting was co-chaired by Amoaba Gooden, Ph.D., Kent State University’s interim vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, and chair and associate professor in the Department of Pan-African Studies, and Lamar R. Hylton, Ph.D., vice president for student affairs.
Near the beginning of the town hall discussion, Kent State President Todd Diacon announced plans for a anti-racism task force as he talked about the impact of George Floyd’s murder and the need for change.
Watch the town hall:
A separate town hall, sponsored by Black United Students and Undergraduate Student Government, will be scheduled for students at a later date. Another town hall that focuses on How to Be an Ally will be held on Zoom on June 18 at 5 p.m.