Culture Connection: African American Culture Event

Event Information
Date
-
Event Type
LibraryLinkNJ Event
Event Category
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI)
Location

Monroe Township Library (Middlesex County)

Directions
4 Municipal Plaza, Monroe Twp., NJ 08831
Target Audience

Open to all NJ library staff—both African American library staff and their colleagues

Cost
Free of Charge, registration is required
Descriptions

Culture Connection: African American Culture Event

Come and network with your African American colleagues while enjoying food, lively conversation, and learning opportunities! This event is part of Culture Connection, a statewide EDI-NJ project!

Culture Connection aims to connect library staff from diverse backgrounds through cultural experiences, education, and events. Our goal is to bring different cultures together, fostering understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity in New Jersey's library workplaces.

Here’s the schedule for the day! 

10:30am-10:45am
Sign-in

10:45am-11:00am
Welcome & Introduction

11:00am-12:00pm
Virtual Presentation 1 (via Zoom)*
Building Bridges: Learning from the Rich Culture of the African Diaspora
presented by Denitra Letrice of de Letrice, LLC
The aim of this session is to strengthen relationships between colleagues, cultivate cultural competence, and empower employees to become active allies for their African-descended colleagues, ensuring a workplace where everyone is valued and supported.

12:00pm-1:00pm
Soul Food Sampling and Fun

1:00pm-2:00pm 
Virtual Presentation 2 (via Zoom)*
Just Cause:  Practicing Inclusive Leadership for Social Impact
presented by Earl Givens, Jr. Associate Provost, Catawba College

2:00pm-3:00pm
Spotlight on:
Author Talk
by Dr. Geraldine Calhoun, International Impact Book Award Winner,
author of "The Fourth Grade Freedom Fighters
Finding Identity as a Child of the Great Migration
by Stephanie Sendaula, Programming and Outreach Specialist, LibraryLinkNJ
WHAT ARE YOU?
by Deborah Blackwell, Training Officer, The Ocean County Library
Fostering Diversity Success
by Claude Taylor, Project Director, Middlesex College

3:00pm-3:30pm
Conversation Recap

(* Want to be part of this cultural connection but can’t attend in person? You can still join us virtually for these two main presentations via Zoom! Use the links in the registration section below.) 

This is event is brought to you by MentorNJ's African American Meet-up Group & EDI-NJ
and is co-sponsored by NJLA (D&O Section, LWOC Section, & Reference and Adult Services Section)
& LibraryLinkNJ.

Registration Information

Registration for In-Person Event:

  • Registration is limited to 70 people.
  • Registration is closed. Please contact us if you need any assistance. 
  • You do NOT need to register for the virtual presentations if you register for the in-person event.

Registration for Virtual Presentations:

Contact Us

If you have any questions or need assistance regarding this program,  please contact our staff:

Mi-Sun Lyu
Mi-Sun Lyu
Director of Special Projects, PMP
732-752-7720 ext. 107