Cal Poly, City of San Luis Obispo to Present Community Colloquium ‘Celebrating Diversity’ Feb. 6

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Cal Poly and the City of San Luis Obispo on Feb. 6 will present “Celebrating Diversity,” a community colloquium that will address the virtues of living and learning in a diverse society.

The event, free and open to the public, will be held 5-7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center’s Christopher Cohan Center, with a reception to follow.

The colloquium will feature remarks from a variety of national and local speakers; a panel discussion; Black History Month exhibits; music and poetry readings; and a presentation honoring local 98-year-old folk photographer Joseph Schwartz for his lifetime of work documenting the virtues of diversity.

The keynote address will be delivered by Paul Gardullo, curator of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Also set to speak are Cal Poly Provost Kathleen Enz Finken; Betsy Umhofer, from the office of Congresswoman Lois Capps; local radio personality David Congalton; San Luis Obispo Mayor Jan Howell Marx; and James A. Miller, professor of English and American Studies and Director of the Center for the Study of Public History and Culture at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

The panel discussion will feature Congalton, Miller, Gardullo, San Luis Obispo City Councilman John Ashbaugh, and several Cal Poly students, faculty members and administrators.

“Cal Poly is proud to help present this important gathering as an opportunity for all of us to embrace the variety of people, cultures and opinions that comprise our society,” said President Jeffrey D. Armstrong, who also will participate in the event. “We’re especially pleased to play a role in helping students live and work effectively in our multicultural society. Their ability to do so will be a key factor in their future success.”

Those attending the event will be able to meet the speakers at a reception in the Performing Arts Center Lobby after the colloquium.

The event is sponsored by Cal Poly, the City of San Luis Obispo, and the university’s Inclusive Excellence Council and Diversity Coalition.

For more information on the event, contact Harvey Levenson at 805-756-1108 or hlevenso@calpoly.edu or visit http://grci.calpoly.edu/promos/diversity.html.

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