9th Annual Symposium

November 7-9, 2012

• Overview
• Schedule
• Speakers
• Art Show
• Archive
• Details

2012 Symposium Overview

Enjoy photos of the Symposium here.

This year’s symposium examined issues of race and ethnicity in connection with media and communication.  In a three-day series of panel discussions and lectures, we explored the role of media technology in shaping individual self-definition and cross-cultural interaction.  Among the questions we addressed were:  How does the Internet bring communities together and further divide them?  In what ways might social media serve as an agent for change and reconstruction of our identities?  How have marginalized communities found a voice in the digital world? 

The concluding event was a performance of the Race Monologues, written and performed by a group of Lewis & Clark students. Always a highlight of the symposium, the Race Monologues is an emotionally charged and thoughtful expression of students’ experiences with racism, ethnicity, and personal identity.

The symposium also included a student-curated art exhibition featuring work by artists from our campus and the Portland community.

All sessions were free and open to the public. 

About the Symposium

The annual Ray Warren Multicultural Symposium is a three-day series of events examining issues of race and ethnicity. Each year a team of students, with faculty and staff involvement, organizes an array of workshops, lectures, readings, panels, and performances, as well as an art show, to bring people together for conversations about issues such as immigration, public health, civil liberties, and education. All students are invited to participate in the planning process, and the interdisciplinary nature of the symposium appeals to students from across the College.

One of the highlights each year is Race Monologues, a student performance piece. In front of a packed house, L&C students use poetry, prose, and sometimes song to express their journeys to understand race, ethnicity, and personal identity.

Students worked with the Office of Ethnic Student Services (now Multicultural Affairs) to initiate the symposium in 2004 as a way to honor Ray Warren, an L&C alumnus who served as Director of Ethnic Student Services from 1992 until his death in 2004. A tireless advocate and careful listener, Ray left a lasting impact on students and colleagues alike. Read more about Ray Warren here.