Videos avail – Conference on Race, Social Justice and Civic Leadership

Posted by West Chester University on November 10, 2020

From September 30th through October 2nd, West Chester University hosted the 2^nd Annual Ruby Jones Conference on Race, Social Justice and Civic Leadership. The goal of this conference was to create an educational environment where students can engage in learning that will raise awareness and promote action-oriented dialogue about racial, cultural and social issues that impact how students experience life on campus, in communities and in society. Conference sponsors included State Farm Insurance, the Dowdy Multicultural Center, the Center for Women and Gender Equity, the Office of Leadership and Involvement and the Center for Civic Engagement and Social Impact.

The keynote speaker for the 2020 Ruby Jones conference was activist, author and professor, Angela Davis. Angela has been deeply involved in some of the major social movements over the last 50 years. Angela has campaigned for social justice – particularly with what she calls the “prison industrial complex” that has grown since the 80s with the emergence of the private-prison industry. She is one of the founders of Critical Resistance, a national grassroots organization fighting for changes in the prison system. As an author, her books include Are Prisons Obsolete and Abolition Democracy: Beyond Prisons, Torture, and Empire.

To watch all of the conference session videos, visit the Ruby Jones Conference YouTube playlist.