Universities have a long and storied history of collaboration with community organizations and organizers. Yet these collaborations are not without their challenges, as wealthy, predominantly white universities must address issues of power, privilege, and competing priorities for these collaborations to succeed. While decades of research and experience have illustrated some best practices in academic-community collaborations, the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing politicalization of research, growing public support of advocacy movements like Black Lives Matter, and the increasing reliance on social media have forced community organizers to engage in new and creative efforts to support their communities. How can universities best evolve to collaborate with and support community organizations amid these new challenges?

On October 27, join Dr. William Lopez for a discussion with Gladys Godinez, Cecia Alvarado, and Karina Perez, three Latina organizers and creatives with decades of experience advocating with and for Latino communities. Together, they will share their experiences on academic collaborations, describing what they’ve done, when it’s worked well, when it’s gone wrong, and what academics can do to best support the communities with whom they collaborate.

Co-Sponsored by the NCID's Anti-Racism Collaborative, Poverty Solutions, the Department of American Culture, the Latina/o Studies Program, and the Carceral State Project.

Facilitator:
-William D. Lopez, Clinical Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health and Senior Advisor at Policy Solutions at the University of Michigan

Panelists:
-Gladys Godinez, Co-Founder and Co-Director of United by Culture Media
-Cecia Alvarado, Executive Director of Somos Votantes
-Karina Perez, Executive Director of Centro Hispano Comunitario de Nebraska