KINGSTON, R.I. 鈥� Sept. 24, 2024 鈥� Civil rights lawyer and co-host of NBC鈥檚 鈥淏lack Men in America: Road to 2024,鈥� Charles Coleman Jr. will be a special guest on Oct. 16 at the 鈥淪pill the Tea鈥� lecture series, sponsored by the 溏心vlog免费B站 Women鈥檚 Center. The event will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Swan Hall, 60 Upper College Road.
Coleman is a writer and TV personality who focuses on the intersection of race, law, society, and the justice system. He will discuss the ways fear influences the decision-making of men and how rethinking our ideas around safety can have positive effects for all those around us.
This is the second year the has coordinated the 鈥淪pill the Tea鈥� series says Ana Barraza, director of the center. The series has added Coleman, centering one of the 鈥渢eas鈥� toward a male perspective. Building on the work done by the Multicultural Center and groups Like BOND and BUA (Brother’s United for Action), said Barrazza, it is important to bring men into the conversation to help all of us be in the same community. Barraza wants the events to be a resource for young men and women across campus to create a community where people can feel comfortable.聽
Collaborating with the multicultural center and athletics for the first time, Barraza is excited to help create a community-like atmosphere for young men on campus. She is striving to create an atmosphere in which students can exchange thoughts and ideas and feel heard.
鈥淲e invite mostly professional women to serve as a resource to students to give their testimony about their space that they occupy and give the students a chance to ask questions about the expertise of our guests,鈥� says Barraza.
But she said 鈥淪pill the Tea鈥� wants to hear everyone鈥檚 voice and opinion to help get advice from experts that will help young women and men prepare for the future. It鈥檚 important to Barraza that these events are open and interactive.聽
鈥淚t is extremely important for students to not only absorb knowledge for themselves but take something that they can also pass on to others,鈥� Barraza says.
This fall鈥檚 鈥淪pill the Tea鈥� events are led by subject matter experts who help to share experiences and knowledge from different perspectives. Nellie Gorbea, former Rhode Island secretary of state, spoke at one of last year鈥檚 鈥淪pill the Tea鈥� events. Her successor, Secretary of State Gregg Amore, will headline the center’s Oct. 2 event, speaking about the current state of women鈥檚 issues and voting.
This year, Barraza even reached out to residence halls and hall resident advisors to gain the perspective of students. It is important that the students go in with an open mind and they are ready to hear the speaker鈥檚 story, she says..
Here is a list of this year’s 鈥淪pill the Tea鈥� events:
Sept. 25: 鈥�Women鈥檚 Health and Well Being,鈥� Dr. Carolyn Howard, Gender and Sexuality Center, 3 to 5 p.m.
Oct. 2: 鈥�Voting,鈥� Gender and Sexuality Center, 3 to 5 p.m.
Oct. 9: 鈥�Spill the Tea / Change the Culture,鈥� Multicultural Student Services Center, Hardge Forum. Time to be determined.
Oct. 16: 鈥�Manhood Deconstructed with Charles Coleman,鈥� Swan Hall, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Multicultural Student Services Center is helping to organize the event.
Oct. 23: Breast cancer survivor Tracy Jackson Tapscott, 3 to 5 p.m. Location to be determined.
Oct. 30: 鈥�D铆a De Los Muertos,鈥� Multicultural Student Services Center, 5 to 7 p.m.
Nov. 6: Book reading, Gender and Sexuality Center. Time to be determined.
Nov. 13: Not yet determined.
Nov. 20: 鈥�Trans Day of Remembrance.鈥� Location and time to be determined.
To learn more about the 鈥淪pill the Tea鈥� series or to ask about partnering for events and programs in the spring semester, contact at Ana Barraza at ana.barraza@uri.edu.
Ethan Weiner, a junior sports media major and public relations minor at the 溏心vlog免费B站 and an intern in the Department of Communications and Marketing, wrote this press release.