Asian Heritage Lecture 2024

“David did a great job engaging the crowd. You can tell it was authentic and David meant what he said. It was my favorite lecture from the Diversity Lecture Series!”

Stanley Duncan

David Lee, who is the Advancement Director at Lighthouse Immigrant Advocates and a Hope College graduate, presented the college’s 2024 Asian Heritage Lecture on Tuesday, April 9 in the Maas Center Auditorium.

Featuring the theme “Hope in the Middle: Diversity and Inclusion in the Eyes of a 2000s Alumnus,” this year’s lecture reflected on Lee’s identity as a Korean-American immigrant with deep ties to the Reformed Church in America; how those ties informed his faith; and foundational experiences while he was enrolled at Hope from 2004 to 2009.

César Chávez Lecture 2024

Ernesto Villarreal, former Assistant Director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, presented the college’s 2024 César Chávez Lecture on Wednesday, March 27 in the Maas Center Auditorium.

The lecture explored the theme, “Revolutionary Imagination: The Intersection of Faith, Hope, and Love,” which looks at the theory and reality of envisioning meaningful change and actively pursuing its realization. Villarreal also explored historical change movements and strategies, extracting valuable lessons applicable to the context of Hope College.

Black History Month Lecture 2024

Dr. Sonja Trent-Brown, Vice President of Culture and Inclusive Excellence at Hope College, presented the college’s 2024 Black History Month History Lecture on Thursday, Feb. 15 in the Maas Center Auditorium.

The lecture explored the national 2024 Black History Month theme, “African Americans and the Arts,” taking a journey from historic heritage to contemporary contributions of artistic and creative activity. The lecture also considered the DEIAB (diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging) landscape in higher education, the current anti-DEI legislation climate, and celebrations and opportunities at Hope.

Affirming LGBTQ+ Student Lecture 2024

I wondered all along why I came to Hope.  Matt Shepard’s death had an extremely profound impact upon my life.  Not to mention the events of 1998-99.  Those days as rough and difficult as they were for some people really were my pinnacle of all my five years there.  Those days were my reason for coming to Hope.  I had finally found my voice.  Thank you, Jane R. Dickie, for taking on and doing this awesome history.  You were and still are our champion!

Jason Sanicki

Dr. Jane Dickie, a retired member of the Hope College psychology faculty who was the founding director of the college’s women’s and gender studies program, presented the college’s 2024 Affirming LGBTQ+ Students Lecture on Thursday, March 21 in the Maas Center Auditorium.

The lecture was based on Dickie’s current paper, “The Call and Response for Justice: 50 Years of LGBTQ and Allies Struggles — Hope College, 1972-2022.” It was through Dr. Dickie’s work that she developed a calling and passion to seek justice for all people regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, class and ability. She truly feels that God nudges her and calls not so subtly, to speak out on these issues and to act as an ally.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Lecture 2024

Professor Emeritus John Yelding is the best person for helping us recall the legacy of Martin Luther King, and for engaging us in an interactive exercise of what it means to actively invest ourselves into making King’s Legacy a reality in our time.

Alfredo M. Gonzales
Associate Provost Emeritus
and Emeritus Dean for International  and Multicultural Education

The 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Lecture at Hope College included national as well as local perspective in this keynote speech. Hope Professor Emeritus John Yelding, a specialist in diversity in education who continues to be active at the college as a professor and mentor, presented “Reflections on MLK, Civil Rights, and DEI at Hope College” on Monday, Jan. 15 in Dimnent Memorial Chapel. The lecture recording starts at 10:25 in the video.

My Truth: Susan Davies

The Center for Diversity & Inclusion is pleased to release the My Truth Series. This series contains daily blogs and videos that will be released throughout the week of April 29, capturing the lived experiences of diverse students at Hope College.

The comments contained in the videos are those of the respective Hope College students and do not necessarily represent the views of Hope College. If you choose to comment, please follow Hope’s Virtues of Public Discourse. Comments that do not follow the Virtues of Public Discourse will be deleted.

Susan is a Class of 2024 Psychology Major and Chemistry Minor. This exceptional senior was involved in: the Pan African Student Association, the Black Student Union, Kids Hope, and Residential Life. Susan plans to pursue a career in psychology.

My Truth: Rachel Shaw

The Center for Diversity & Inclusion is pleased to release the My Truth Series. This series contains daily blogs and videos that will be released throughout the week of April 29, capturing the lived experiences of diverse students at Hope College.

The comments contained in the videos are those of the respective Hope College students and do not necessarily represent the views of Hope College. If you choose to comment, please follow Hope’s Virtues of Public Discourse. Comments that do not follow the Virtues of Public Discourse will be deleted.

Rachel is a Class of 2024 Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Spanish Double Major. This exceptional senior was involved in: the Asian Student Union, Prism, the Hope College Orchestra, and biogeochemical research. She plans to pursue a PhD in plant biochemistry.

My Truth: Sara Cerda

The Center for Diversity & Inclusion is pleased to release the My Truth Series. This series contains daily blogs and videos that will be released throughout the week of April 29, capturing the lived experiences of diverse students at Hope College.

The comments contained in the videos are those of the respective Hope College students and do not necessarily represent the views of Hope College. If you choose to comment, please follow Hope’s Virtues of Public Discourse. Comments that do not follow the Virtues of Public Discourse will be deleted.

Sara is a Class of 2024 Business Major and Spanish Minor. This exceptional senior was involved in: the Latino Student Organization, Student Congress, Residential Life, and Phelps Scholars. She plans to teach abroad and eventually take over her mother’s business.

My Truth: Jairus Ozara Zebulun Meer

The Center for Diversity & Inclusion is pleased to release the My Truth Series. This series contains daily blogs and videos that will be released throughout the week of April 29, capturing the lived experiences of diverse students at Hope College.

The comments contained in the videos are those of the respective Hope College students and do not necessarily represent the views of Hope College. If you choose to comment, please follow Hope’s Virtues of Public Discourse. Comments that do not follow the Virtues of Public Discourse will be deleted.

Jairus is a Class of 2024 Biological Sciences Major and Peace and Justice Minor. This exceptional senior was involved in: the Asian Student Union, Prism, Student Congress, and the International Relations Club. Jairus plans to pursue a master’s degree in Genetics and Molecular Biology.

My Truth: Riley Checkley

The Center for Diversity & Inclusion is pleased to release the My Truth Series. This series contains daily blogs and videos that will be released throughout the week of April 29, capturing the lived experiences of diverse students at Hope College.

The comments contained in the videos are those of the respective Hope College students and do not necessarily represent the views of Hope College. If you choose to comment, please follow Hope’s Virtues of Public Discourse. Comments that do not follow the Virtues of Public Discourse will be deleted.

Riley is a Class of 2024 Neuroscience and Exercise Science Double Major. This exceptional senior was involved in: Hope Advocates for Invisible Conditions, the Research Help Desk at Van Wylen Library, and Parkinson’s research with Dr. Andrew Gall. She plans to work for a few years before pursuing a PhD in neuroscience.