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Social Justice Conference

Social Justice Conference

Indiana University’s 2023 Annual Social Justice Conference

“The Audacity to Believe in Dignity, Equity, and Freedom”

On Monday, January 16, 2023, Indiana University will celebrate the 37th anniversary of Martin Luther King Day as a national holiday in the United States. An essential component of the day includes the third annual social justice conference titled "The Audacity to Believe in Dignity, Equity, and Freedom.”

The conference theme comes from Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1964 Nobel Prize for Peace acceptance speech. In his remarks, Dr. King says, “I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education, and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down men other-centered can build up.” As we honor and celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr, these words written by him decades ago continue to bring faith and hope that racial and social justice can and will be achieved.

View the schedule

Keynote Speaker

Thema Bryant, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and president of the American Psychological Association. Her presidential initiatives focus on addressing trauma, grief, and oppression. She is also a professor of psychology at Pepperdine University and director of the Culture and Trauma Research Lab. Professor Thema earned her doctorate from Duke University and completed her postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School. With more than twenty years of experience in trauma recovery, she has appeared as a mental health expert on television, radio, and print media. Professor Thema raises awareness about mental health issues on The Homecoming Podcast and her social media platforms. Her two most recent books are Homecoming: Overcome Fear and Trauma to Reclaim Your Whole Authentic Self and The Antiracism Handbook. She is a past president of the Society for the Psychology of Women and a past psychology representative to the United Nations.