CSU presents live, in-person forum The State of the Black Male… Where Do We Go from Here? as the next installment of Courageous Conversations 

Cleveland State University’s acclaimed virtual dialog series Courageous Conversations has tackled all manner of topics and news of the day related to inclusiveness and diversity—doing so through honest discussions between CSU leaders and both public- and non-profit leaders in a safe, supportive space.

In 2023, that safe, supportive space will include an in-person forum.

On Thursday, March 2 from 6 - 7:30 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom, Courageous Conversations presents the live, in-person forum The State of the Black Male… Where Do We Go from Here? This discussion will engage CSU partners and community members with a focus on ways to strengthen, heal and unite the African American community following the tragic death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, TN.

The panel includes Crystal Bryant, Former Executive Director, NAACP Cleveland Branch; Eric King, President and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, Mental and Emotional Wellness Center of Ohio, and Ronnie Dunn, Ph.D., Inaugural Executive Director, The Diversity Institute at CSU and Ericka Payne, Detective, Bedford Heights Police Department. Phillip “Flapp” Cockrell, Ph.D., Vice President of Campus Engagement, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at CSU will moderate.

With the end goal of creating lasting change in the community, past virtual Courageous Conversations sessions have identified solutions to address systemic racial and gender injustice, while fostering more inclusive, diverse environments that are guided by shared wisdom and empowerment.

In-depth knowledge sharing and best practices is the beginning of the answer to the question, “How can we affect lasting change?”

It takes sustained effort from all corners of society to acknowledge historical and ongoing systemic harm; to ensure accountability and transparency as these harms are uncovered; to create policies and programs to address these issues, and to support the community through education, mental health services, and economic opportunities.

It’s a tall order for 90 minutes, but sometimes a breakthrough is one Courageous Conversation away. Students, faculty, staff and community members are all invited to join the conversation this Thursday, March 2 in the Student Center Ballroom (2121 Euclid Ave., third floor, Cleveland, OH 44115). Registration and parking details can be found CSUOhio.edu/courageous-conversations-registration.

Past virtual Courageous Conversations can be found at CSUOhio.edu/courageous-conversations.