There will be two rounds of concurrent sessions as a part of MLK 2024; one in the morning, and one in the afternoon. Each round of concurrent sessions has various 45-minute sessions hosted by faculty, staff, and students to help our campus community engage in the theme of the day and legacy of MLK's racial and economic justice work. 

Please see below for a full of concurrent sessions and their locations for Monday. Click into each "Round" to see the full list.

"The Collective Responsibility of Inclusion" — Olson 139 + Virtual 

Dr. Derek Greenfield will lead a session that revisits his time on campus this fall and then explores the collective responsibility of inclusion. Participants can attend in person or virtually. Dr. Greenfield will be hosting via Zoom (from Iceland!).

Hosted by Ben Schneweis, featuring Dr. Derek Greenfield

"Accompanying Palestinians: Stories and Perspectives Rooted in Global Relationship" — Virtual 

Join the Rev. Jenny Sung (launch coordinator, the ELCA's SUMUD: For Justice in Palestine and Israel) and the Rev. Colin Grangaard (former country coordinator in Jerusalem and the West Bank for the ELCA's Young Adults in Global Mission program) for a conversation about their experiences and perspectives. This fully online session will include a time for questions and resources for further learning, advocacy, and/or support will be shared.

Hosted by the Rev. Jenny Sung, the Rev. Colin Grangaard, Deacon Jon Leiseth (Campus Ministry), and Kristina Johnson Dernier (NWMN Synod of the ELCA)

"Transformative Dialogue: Empowerment Through Communication" — ISC 201

As a people, we have begun to think of change as needing to be something big and radical, but sometimes it is the small changes we make within ourselves that is radical. Expressing ourselves to others and responding to those around us is the basis of human interaction, empowerment, and change. Over the summer of 2023, we studied transformative dialogue, a method of facilitation that is centered on self-determination and co-creation; in other words, utilizing dialogue as a tool to improve the quality of human interaction and engaging to understand. This session is designed to be a crash course in transformative dialogue through watching this method be modeled, practicing in small groups, and reflecting on what differences are noticed between this method and other ways of engaging with each other.

Hosted by Anna Kronbeck and Kailey Thomas

"Concordia's Critical Issues Course" — ISC 301

Students, staff, and faculty are invited to attend this session. After a short overview of the timeline of the development of the Sustainability and Justice Critical Issues courses that are planned to be implemented in Fall 2025 (as a part of the Core Curriculum), participants will have a chance to break into small groups to discuss the goals and outcomes of these courses. This is a great opportunity for faculty to workshop ideas with students and for students to share their ideas about how these courses could relate to their areas of interest or majors.

Hosted by the Core Curriculum Committee

"Stories of Ethnic Cleansing" — Jones B, Knutson Campus Center

This session with spotlight stories of ethnic cleansing from all around the world. From the Holocaust to South Africa, we will highlight stories of ethnic cleansing. We also hope to highlight these stories from our own land and the stories of our native population.

Hosted by Sabriya Siddiqui

"Will My New Job Be Awesome or Awful?" — Jones A, Knutson Campus Center

It’s crucial to not just land a job but to find the right fit for your values. We’ll delve into the art of assessing an employer’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) during the job search process. We’ll explore the questions to ask during interviews and unveil the subtle signs that reveal a company’s approach to DEIB. Get ready to transform your job search from uncertainty to empowerment — because your future deserves more than just a job; it deserves a workplace where you can thrive.

Hosted by Jill Wenger, Career Center

"Growing Together Community Gardens: Connecting People to Foods and Friends" — ISC 260

Come hear from Concordia faculty about their experiences volunteering with Growing Together Community Gardens, a Fargo organization started in 2005 to help refugees grow food for their families which has won worldwide recognition for how it builds community by bringing diverse people together in its gardens and how it supports community through donation of food to local food pantries and homeless shelters. Learn how you can become involved in 2024!

Hosted by Growing Together Community Gardens; Anne Walker, Sue Ellingson, Julia Walk, Carol Krabbenhoft

"Media Representation" — ISC 101

Our topic is aimed at describing the central principles of media representation, and the shortcomings that currently exist in mainstream media today. Media representation is supposed to be transparent to portray the diversity of different populations, avoid bias that fuels stereotypes, and maintain authenticity and integrity. We believe that it is important to challenge and raise awareness when mainstream media does not hold the right standards in reporting, and also remind the public that we all have a personal responsibility to seek out unbiased news sources to stay informed and make informed decisions.

Hosted by Fatima Mohammed and Sharon Mac-George Nwabia

"The Hate You Give and Other Banned Books: The Impact of Censorship for People of Color" — Old Main 331

The group discussion centering around the novel "The Hate You Give" by Angie Thomas will focus on the current issue of book banning and what that means for people of color. In the group discussion, we will discuss questions such as why the book "The Hate You Give" and others like it have been banned and challenged, why book banning has spiked in recent years, and what we can do to limit it. If communities can come together and take action to promote intellectual freedom and representation for everyone, education will become more diverse and assist in an evolving empathetic and culturally aware society. *You do not need to have read the book to attend.

Hosted by Jessica Shaw

CANCELLED -"Let's Combat White Supremacy Culture on Campus" — ISC 132

During this session, learn what white supremacy culture is, be able to discuss in groups what it looks like on campus, and what actions we can take to better our community. Attendees are encouraged to read about the pillars of White Supremacy Culture prior to the session, but it isn't required.

Hosted by Grace Vetrone, Residence Life

"OutFront MN: LGBTQ+ Equity and Affirmation Coming to a Community Near You!" — ISC 101

Join Alex Milton '19 as they discuss the work of OutFront Minnesota, a statewide organization that works toward "...making Minnesota a state that is equitable and affirming for all LGBTQ people." After sharing a brief history followed by a current update, Alex will facilitate all present in identifying sought change and developing next steps to enact those changes.

Hosted by Alex Milton (OutFront Minnesota), Emma Benson (SAGA), and Dr. Sarah Seger (PRIDEnetwork)

"Community Action Through First-Year Seminar (FYS)" — ISC 301

Attend this session to learn about how one FYS course addressed the concept of community action through the final projects. These final projects could not be written papers, which led the students to develop creative and alternative ways to share their learning.

Hosted by Mikal Kenfield and Darren Valenta

"White and Wondering: Reflecting on White Identity and Our Role in Racial Justice" — Jones B, Knutson Campus Center

Concordia College is a predominantly and persistently white institution, with a majority of white students, faculty, and staff who ought to engage in discussions about racial justice. This session is a space designed and intended for white members of the Concordia community to engage in conversation with one another on the topic of racial justice. Large group discussion will center around the three critical questions posed in the Be Love campaign from the King Center, including conversations around anti-racism and tenets of non-violent communication.

Hosted by Sean Payette, Residence Life

"Building Racial Equity Through a Trauma-Informed Approach" — Old Main 332

Join us for an interactive discussion on how the principles of trauma-informed care can enhance our progress toward racial equity. We will provide an overview of what it means to implement a trauma-informed approach, why it's relevant in higher education, and how it's connected to racial equity.

Hosted by Heather Simonich and Parker Erickson, Center for Holistic Health

"Supporting Equity and Inclusion in Academics" — ISC 132

At this session, Provost Larson will be joined by faculty and other administrators in academic affairs to discuss efforts to support diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in students' academic experiences. This session will include description of academic affairs goals around shared equity leadership and equitable student success followed by a discussion with the audience on how we can continue to support diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

Hosted by Provost Susan Larson, Dean Sonja Wentling, Mikel Olson (Psychology), Mark Jensen (Chemistry), Erika Izaguirre (Music)

"Will My New Job Be Awesome or Awful?" — Jones A, Knutson Campus Center

It’s crucial to not just land a job but to find the right fit for your values. We’ll delve into the art of assessing an employer’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) during the job search process. We’ll explore the questions to ask during interviews and unveil the subtle signs that reveal a company’s approach to DEIB. Get ready to transform your job search from uncertainty to empowerment — because your future deserves more than just a job; it deserves a workplace where you can thrive.

Hosted by Jill Wenger, Career Center

"Diversity in Music" — Christiansen Recital Hall

Concordia’s music department is committed to influencing the affairs of the world, representing what is happening around us through music, and offering solace, inspiration, and artistic reflection for our students and members of our community. We aim to include everyone, uplift underrepresented voices, explore unfamiliar musics with humility and curiosity, and broaden the range of musical expressions available to students, all while sustaining a commitment to upholding the most enduring aspects of past and present musical traditions around the world. This session will be a panel discussion with several music faculty and students on the topic of diversity in music and what it means today. We will explore multiple aspects of this issue, such as what constitutes authentic engagement with music of a culture other than one's own, appropriate ways to champion both underrepresented voices and established ones, and opportunities for greater inclusion in musical activities on campus and in our community.

Hosted by the Music Department

"The Collective Responsibility of Inclusion" — Olson 139 + Virtual 

Dr. Derek Greenfield will lead a session that revisits his time on campus this fall and then explores the collective responsibility of inclusion. Participants can attend in person or virtually. Dr. Greenfield will be hosting via Zoom (from Iceland!).

Hosted by Ben Schneweis, featuring Dr. Derek Greenfield

"Transformative Dialogue: Empowerment Through Communication" — ISC 201

As a people, we have begun to think of change as needing to be something big and radical, but sometimes it is the small changes we make within ourselves that is radical. Expressing ourselves to others and responding to those around us is the basis of human interaction, empowerment, and change. Over the summer of 2023, we studied transformative dialogue, a method of facilitation that is centered on self-determination and co-creation; in other words, utilizing dialogue as a tool to improve the quality of human interaction and engaging to understand. This session is designed to be a crash course in transformative dialogue through watching this method be modeled, practicing in small groups, and reflecting on what differences are noticed between this method and other ways of engaging with each other.

Hosted by Anna Kronbeck and Kailey Thomas

CANCELLED - "Making Change Through Advocacy" — ISC 260

Tammy Walhof (director, Lutheran Advocacy—Minnesota) will briefly describe international, national, and state ELCA advocacy impacting everything from Middle East and Palestinian concerns to national farm bill issues and from housing and homelessness to clean energy and climate change. Learn how different types of advocacy action make a difference and why student voices in these efforts are so important and impactful. Session participants will have an opportunity to raise concerns about issues and share ideas for how to turn Concordia into a powerhouse for change through advocacy by tapping into ready-made networks.

Hosted by Tammy Walhof (Lutheran Advocacy—MN) and Concordia College Campus Ministry