Caudill College's Justice Festival slated for Oct. 1

Morehead State's Caudill College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences will hold its first-ever Justice Festival on Friday, Oct. 1.   

The event is free and open to faculty, staff and students and will feature live music, lectures, workshops, an art installation and panel discussions of a variety of social issues including race issues, gender inequality, immigration, affordable housing and more. All of the festival's events will be held in the Adron Doran University Center (ADUC). 

"Students can expect to participate in important conversations about issues of justice in our society and to learn how experts in various fields propose addressing them," said Dr. Scott Davison, professor of philosophy and interim dean of the Caudill College. "The organizers felt that it was important to organize the festival because issues of justice have surged to the front of our national conversation in recent years: these include issues of racial justice, the disproportionate impact of the COVID crisis, voter access, immigration, and the impact of climate change."  

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, all attendees must register for sessions and wear a mask or facial covering.   

Event Schedule:   

• 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.: Opening Session   
  • Opening Remarks, Dr. Scott A. Davison, interim dean   
  • Musical performances featuring Greg Wing and the Trumpet Studio, Will Murphy (piano), Dr. Stacy Baker and Derek Easterling (tuba and euphonium), Dr. Greg Detweiler and the Concert Choir, Dr. Russ Zokaites (trombone), and the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music.  
• 10:45 - 11:45 a.m.: First Breakout Session  
  • Session A: "Warrant Nullification: The Power of Judges to Tell Police No," L. Joe Dunman (Law)   
  • Session B: "Using Monopoly to Explore Injustice," Monica Himes and Rebecca Davison (Social Work)    
  • Session C: "Tenant Organizing in Rowan County & across Kentucky: Learning Lessons, Making the Path Forward," Angela Rowe and Annette Hines (Fair Housing).  
• 12 – 1:30 p.m. Lunch break
• 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.: Second Breakout Session  
  • Session D: "Reconceptualizing the Diversity Collection at Camden-Carroll Library," Dr. Julia Finch and Stacy Scott (Diversity)   
  • Session E: "Rural Gender-Based Violence," Dr. Elizabeth Neilson (Psychology)   
  • Session F: "Strengthen Our State and Local Government Budget Knowledge with Purls of Wisdom," Angela Rowe and Annette Hines (Budgets)  
• 2:45 - 3:45 p.m.: Third Breakout Session  
  • Session G: "Justice at the Border: The Asylum Dilemma," David Grise (Law); "Cuban-American Piñatas," Elizabeth Mesa-Gaido (Art)   
  • Session H: "'The Chinese Must Go!': Chinese Immigration and National Identity at the Turn of the Twentieth Century," Dr. Benjamin Fitzpatrick (History)  
  • Session I: "Emerging Practices on Trauma-Informed Care Approaches for Multidisciplinary Professionals Working with Marginalized Individuals," Laken Albrink, Goldie Williams, Rebecca Davison (Law, Counseling, Social Work)    
• 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Keynote address: "AntiRacismKY and Institutional Change," O. J. Oleka, Ph.D. and Terrance A. Sullivan, J.D. (Co-Founders, AntiRacismKY)  
• 5:30 - 7 p.m. Dinner Break  
• 7 - 9 p.m. Steven Middleton and the New Beckham County Ramblers perform in the commons area of the Entertainment District at the corner of Main Street and Battson-Oates Drive.  

To register for sessions of the festival, visit https://bit.ly/MSUJusticeFest. For a complete program of the day’s activities, including abstracts for each breakout session, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/justicefestival.  

For more information about programs in the Caudill College, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/caudillcollege, email ccahss@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2650.