The Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) is pleased to announce #TalkMatters, an initiative to bring the UAB community together to address issues of inclusion, diversity, equality, and awareness through an education lens. #TalkMatters aims to facilitate open, and honest discussion about social justice and fairness and introduce knowledge and skills that strengthen the capacity of our campus community to drive structural inclusion for all groups.

Each month, ODEI will facilitate discussions around challenging topics like bias, microaggressions, predispositions and blind spots. Our hope is that participants gain a deeper understanding of differences and greater respect for diversity as a strength and value added as we strive to build a more inclusive and welcoming community.

To launch the initiative, ODEI has developed a #TalkMatters web site. If you are interested in registering to join a discussion group, you may do so at #TalkMatters Registration. #TalkMatters will kick off with background reading from Danielle Allen’s Talking to Strangers.