John Quiñones of ABC’s “Primetime” and Sonia Manzano of “Sesame Street” to serve as speakers
Hundreds of guests from a broad range of institutions and organizations across Ohio will converge on the Kent State University campus in Kent, Ohio, for the 20th annual State of the State: Equity, Opportunity and Diversity in Ohio conference on Thursday, March 17.
The daylong event, themed “Understanding Our Past, Embracing Our Future: The Intersections of Identity and Change,” will be held in the Kent Student Center Ballroom. The event will bring together professionals from the public, private, nonprofit, educational and corporate sectors pursuing more inclusiveness and representation within their respective organizations and communities.
The State of the State is being coordinated by Kent State’s Division of Human Resources and Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, in cooperation with Bowling Green State University.
John Quiñones, an Emmy award-winning co-anchor of the ABC news magazine “Primetime” and sole anchor of “What Would You Do?” will serve as the luncheon keynote speaker.
Sonia Manzano will deliver the closing plenary speech. Manzano was twice nominated for an Emmy for her role as Maria in the children’s show “Sesame Street.” She is the recipient of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Award and the Hispanic Heritage Award for Education.
With nearly a dozen breakout sessions, a few of the conference topics include:
- Health and housing
- Compliance updates
- Racial profiling
- Title IX investigation
- The Electoral College related to minority voting in presidential elections
The winner of the Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth Humanitarian Award will be announced to recognize an individual or organization for actions that advance his legacy. Shuttlesworth (1922-2011), a distinguished Ohioan, played a significant role in the struggle for civil and human rights.
Registration is $125 for individuals, $75 for retirees and $30 for full-time students. Group rates are also available. For more information about the State of the State Conference and to register, visit www.kent.edu/hr/sos-conference-2016.
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Media Contacts:
Joe Richardson, jricha13@kent.edu, 330-672-7532
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595