Burian Lecture kicks off community conversation
Edna Kane-Williams, senior vice president of multicultural outreach at AARP, kicked off a series of community conversations with this year's Burian University-Community Lecture. Her talk, titled, "Building Bridges for Older Adults in Multicultural Communities," also set the tone for the biennial Diversity and Inclusion Conference, which started the next day.
Every other year, the Burian Lecture coincides with the Diversity and Inclusion Conference. Ms. Kane-Williams delivered the Burian Lecture and the keynote session at this year's conference.
More than 200 people registered for the free event. CHHS faculty and students were well represented, as was the greater Kalamazoo community. AARP Michigan chartered a bus to bring nearly 40 people from Metro Detroit to be a part of the conversation.
Ongoing conversation
Teresa Bingman, director of the WMU University-Community Empowerment Center, welcomed the crowd and spoke briefly about the ongoing conversations facilitated the U-CEC and AARP Michigan.
The two organizations are planning a series of discussions (Older Adults, How You Livin'?) in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids around topics that impact older adults. These topics include positive aging, financial security, suitable housing and caretaking.
Room 4010 was nearly at capacity for the 2017 Burian Lecture.