Emporia State University will present its annual Bonner and Bonner Diversity Lecture Series with a special speaker and a powerful topic.
This year’s speaker is Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha Dr. Ferial Pearson, who has received national and local awards for her work in education and social justice, has authored two books, and has been featured as a speaker on the TEDx Omaha stage.
Emporia State’s Senior Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Nyk Robinson says Dr. Pearson is the founder of the Secret Kindness Agents Project which focuses on spreading acts of kindness. Emporia State’s TRIO Program suggested her as a speaker because of her impactful messages.
The topic Dr. Pearson will present this year is “The Power of Story and the Danger of Absence.” Robinson says these lectures promote leadership to students and to the community.
The Bonner and Bonner Diversity Lecture Series will start at 7 p.m. on March 2 at Emporia State’s Albert Taylor Hall. This year the entrance is free for students and members of the community.
The Bonner and Bonner Lecture Series was established in 1992 and was named in honor of Drs. Thomas and Mary Bonner, Emporia State’s first and second African American faculty members. Emporia State’s Honor College started to organize the lecture since 2015 and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion joined in 2022.
For more information about the lecture visit https://sites.google.com/g.emporia.edu/bonner-and-bonner/home
