Pace U to Convene Inaugural Social Justice Week Across Campuses

To educate and empower the Pace Community on topics connected to social and racial justice, inclusion and equality while honoring the memory of former student Danroy “DJ” Henry Jr., who was killed by a police officer 10 years ago, Pace University will host the inaugural Social Justice Week, the University today announced.

The week-long series runs from Oct. 26 to Oct. 30 and includes social justice-centered programming consisting of nearly 50 events created by students, faculty, staff and alumni. Pace University is committed to being an anti-racist institution and Social Justice Week has one goal: to foster advocacy within us all and this starts with education, empowerment and passion. Events are free and some are open to the public.

“This October marks 10 years since the tragic death of DJ Henry, a promising young Pace student and football player,” said Marvin Krislov, Pace’s president. “As we reflect on his life, I am pleased that our campus community is choosing to celebrate DJ’s commitment to justice with this Social Justice Week series of programming. I hope this annual event will serve as a recommitment to work toward our goals of equality and other positive change.”

The week will kick off with an overview of how Pace students are leading the charge on advocacy and making a difference on campus and in their communities. Other highlights include an oral history from the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement; a discussion with the president of the National Urban League; presentations about topics such as diversity in the workforce, the gender gap in the technology field, and a conversation with a death row exoneree, among many others topics.

Many of the events are centered on the tragic death of DJ Henry, a Pace University football player who was shot and killed by a police officer in 2010. On Oct. 26, there will be a screening and discussion of the 48 Hours segment, “The Story of DJ Henry.” Following a campus rally on Oct. 29—DJ Henry’s birthday (he would have been 31) —Pace University will retire his No. 12 jersey. To hear more about his story, you can watch the video by the DJ Henry Dream Fund, the foundation established by DJ Henry’s parents.

“We created Social Justice Week to highlight the importance of social justice and to acknowledge the circumstances of DJ Henry’s murder,” said Pace student Ashley DeSalvo, a student organizer and ambassador of Unity and Social Justice with Pace’s Student Government Association. “Issues of social justice affect all of us. There is not enough time in one week to cover all of the moving pieces that influence our lives, but we hope that the events and activities of this week spark interest and passion that will encourage students to continue this work.”

Suede Graham, coordinator for Student Development and Campus Activities at Pace University noted that planning such a series of events was empowering as students, faculty and staff came together for something that was much bigger than themselves. “The students here are so passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and they are doing an excellent job of holding the university accountable in their passion,” said Graham. “I found myself nearly getting emotional reading through the submissions because I realize the levels of empathy individuals within our community hold.”

The full schedule of events is below or can be viewed here.

Monday, October 26

Advocacy in Action: Pace Students Make a Difference

10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

Water Justice Tour #1

10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

A Conversation with a Death Row Exoneree: Witness to Innocence

12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.

Women Tech Talk: The Gender Gap and Addressing Diversity in the Workplace and Beyond

12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.

The Struggle Against Nuclear Racism

12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.

Water Justice Tour #2 (rain date 10/28)

1:45 p.m.–3:15 p.m.

Words Matter: Practicing Anti-Racism through Conversations with White People

2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.

True Justice: Bryan Stevenson's Fight for Equality Screening

3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

The Pace University COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter Oral History Project

4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

The Story of DJ Henry: 48 Hours Screening and Discussion

5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.

A Conversation with Black Westchester

6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, October 27

Social Justice Actions Are for Everyone

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Out to Lunch: Chosen Families and the Impact of Finding Your People

12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.

Whose Plate? Food Justice in the US

1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.

Valuing Lived Experience in Academic Spaces

3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m.

Racism in Asian/Pacific America and How to be in Solidarity with BLM

3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m.

Self-Care Don't Cost a Thing: Separating and Saving Self-Care from Capitalism

3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.

Let's Talk! LGBTQA+ Mental Health with Pride at Pace and Psychology

3:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

A Reading and Discussion of Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam

5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.

Feminist Girls in the Age of Resistance: Girl Activism in Contemporary Media Culture

6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV): How Does It Affect You On Campus?

6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.

Active Minds and Kai Roberts

6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.

Poems in Power

7:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, October 28

Moving Toward Cultural Humility

10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

A Conversation with a Formerly Incarcerated Man

12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.

Re-Educating America: Let's Discuss Social Justice and Education Reform

12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.

Justice Into Art

1:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.

Our Future, Our Vote: A Conversation with Student Leaders About Voting and Social Justice

2:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.

Kris Graves: A Bleak Reality

3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.

Let's be Frank: Discussing the Challenges and Opportunities of the American Melting Pot

3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m.

Self-Care for the Activist

4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

Human Trafficking as an Ethical Social Justice Issue and Its Global Impact

4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

Race, Immigration, and the Criminal Justice System

5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.

Black Mental Health Matters

7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.

Pride at Pace's Weekly Meeting: LGBTQA-phobia

9:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.

Thursday, October 29

Creating Inclusive and Emergent Conversations: What's Fun Gotta Do With It?

11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m.

Threat, Belonging, Values, and the Leaky Pipeline of STEM

12:00 p.m.–12:30 p.m.

Active Allyship Workshop

3:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

Election 2020 Through the Disciplines: Equity, Health, and the Election

3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.

Collective Care in Social Justice Work

7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

Don't Touch My Hair

9:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.

Friday, October 30

Anti-Racist Writing Pedagogy and Assessment: Decolonizing Our Curriculum and Dismantling the Grammar Police

12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.

A Moment with the Founders of Black Lives Matter

12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.

Schools and the American Dream: Whose Dream Is It Anyway?

12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.

Bursting Stereotypes: Understanding Misconceptions

12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.

Student Government Association Diversity Training

2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Screening and Discussion

4:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.

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About Pace University

Pace University has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success as a result of its unique program that combines rigorous academics and real-world experiences. Pace is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides. From its beginnings as an accounting school in 1906, Pace has grown to three campuses, enrolling 13,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in more than 150 majors and programs, across a range of disciplines: arts, sciences, business, health care, technology, law, education, and more. The university also has one of the most competitive performing arts programs in the country. Pace has a signature, newly renovated campus in New York City, located in the heart of vibrant Lower Manhattan, next to Wall Street and City Hall, and two campuses in Westchester County, New York: a 200-acre picturesque Pleasantville Campus and a Law School in White Plains. www.pace.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @PaceUnews or on our website: http://www.pace.edu/news