Ray Warren Symposium on Race and Ethnic Studies
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2014 keynote event: Blackness and Beauty -
Elizabeth Warren, L&C Ombuds Valerie White, and Sheryl Warren at the 2014 symposium banquet -
Keynote speaker Baratunde Thurston addresses a packed Council Chamber audience (2012) -
Co-chair reunion at 2021 symposium receptionCredit: Nina Johnson -
Student fashion show at the 2022 symposiumCredit:Nora Barnard
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Panel discussion -
Zine workshop (2019) -
Race Monologues -
2022 keynote speaker Rebecca Hall signs books for co-chairsCredit:Alina Cruz
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Performance at 2022 symposiumCredit:Alina Cruz
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Dance workshop at 2021 symposium (Joy and Justice) -
2011 Keynote Event: Multiculturalism in US Education -
Community fair at the 2021 symposium -
Pacific University Professor Jules Boykoff interviews Portland Black Panther Party founder Kent Ford (2019) -
Panel (2021) -
2009 keynote speakers with co-chairs and faculty director -
Race Monologues
About The Symposium
Immigration and nationalism. Transnational families. Racial inequality. Exile and genocide.
Complex topics like these are the focus of conversation at the annual Ray Warren Symposium on Race and Ethnic Studies (previously Ray Warren Multicultural Symposium). For three days each November, scholars, students, public figures, writers, artists, and community members come together for a series of workshops, lectures, performances, panel discussions, readings, and a student-curated art exhibit. All sessions are free and open to the general public.
First created by students in 2004, the symposium continues to be organized each year by a team of dedicated undergraduates who select the theme, choose keynote speakers, create panel discussions, and develop the full program. As an interdisciplinary event, the symposium appeals to students across the College, and many have presented their research in fields such as Sociology, Environmental Studies, Psychology, History, and Ethnomusicology.
One of the highlights each year is Race Monologues, a student presentation of personal narratives. In front of a packed house, L&C students use prose, poetry, and sometimes song to express their journeys to understand race, ethnicity, and personal identity.
The symposium began in 2004 as a way to honor Ray Warren, an L&C alumnus who served as Director of Ethnic Student Services from 1992 until his death in 2004. A tireless advocate and careful listener, Ray left a lasting impact on students and colleagues alike. Read more about Ray Warren here.