The public is encouraged to join the campus community for guest speakers and educational awareness programs.

Presented by two students within the College’s Honors Program, all events and activities occur in the College’s Audio/Visual Classroom Center on the Toledo-area Campus. Owens is located on Oregon Road in Perrysburg Township.
   
Activities commence at 11 a.m. with the Executive Director of Adelante’s Sonia Troche providing attendees with a presentation on the economic impact of Latinos within the Northern Ohio and beyond.

A rebroadcast of PBS’s FRONTLINE report titled “The Two Nations of Black America” will air following Ms.Troche’s lecture at 11:30 a.m. “The Two Nations of Black America” broadcast will provide insight into Henry Louise Gates Jr.’s exploration of the gaping chasm between the upper and lower classes of Black America and the results of such a separation in today’s society.

The second guest lecture of the day takes place at 12:30 p.m. and features Graduate Assistant and Coordinator of Bowling Green State University’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center Annie Russell. Her presentation looks into demystifying stereotypical views related to homophobia.

Beginning at 1 p.m., Diversity Inclusion Day attendees will have the opportunity to view the film “For the Bible Tells Me So.” The award-winning documentary tells the story of how five families of faith handle the realization of having a gay child. 

Owens’ Diversity Inclusion Day events continues at 2:45 p.m. with Rev. Beth Marshall, Parish Minister at First Unitarian Church of Toledo, leading a discussion on religious discrimination prevalent in today’s society as part of a lecture titled “We All Have Roots.”

A viewing of the film “Religulous” will follow Rev. Marshall’s lecture at 3:15 p.m. The film examines the impact of religion in the daily lives of several individuals.

The final guest lecture of the day will begin at 5 p.m. and feature Bowling Green State University SMART (Students of Color, Mentoring, Aiding, Retaining and Teaching) Coordinator Ana Brown. Her interactive presentation is titled “The N-Word” and will provide attendees with insight into the meaning and evolution of certain words and the positive or negative impact of word use in society.

In addition to the series of lectures and films, Diversity Inclusion Day attendees will have the opportunity to receive a variety of information related to diversity awareness. Community organizations on hand with informational tables will include Owens Community College, the University of Toledo, the U.S. Census Bureau, and Adelante, among others. The informational fair will occur from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. in the hallway adjacent to the College’s Audio/Visual Classroom Center.

For additional information about Diversity Inclusion Day, call (567) 661-7523 or 1-800-GO-OWENS, Ext. 7523.