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Yesterday was Claiming Williams. We (faculty, staff, students and community members) take a pause from our usual routines of work, class, practice, etc. and come together through a series of events to reflect on issues of inequality. The mission:

Claiming Williams invites the community to acknowledge and understand the uncomfortable reality that not all students, staff, and faculty can equally “claim” Williams. By challenging the effects of the College’s history of inequality that are based on privileges of class, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and religion, we will provoke individual, institutional, and cultural change.

I was honored to serve as a panelist in this program, regarding this project. Can you find me, Doda, James and Kimmy among the sea of faces?

Melissa Harris-Perry was the keynote speaker who kicked off the day’s conversations. And, hot damn, if you’ve never heard her speak, I strongly urge you to do so. It was an incredibly moving and motivating jump start to the day of dialogue and work before us. The essence of her talk centered around this question, “So what? What difference does it make?” She urged us all to pause and ask this question whenever we’ve achieved some goal, reached some milestone, or broken through some barrier or glass ceiling.

So what? What difference does it make?

Posing this question helps you stay energized. Stay forward thinking. Stay open to change and progress.

And as she looked out into that room of predominately 17-22 year old men and women, she reminded us that “it is consistently young people who ask the questions that change the world.”

So get asking, eh?