Seven Strong Speaker Series Concludes With 'Black Men Teach'

The past year of moments, large and small, tragic and disheartening. It was a year where a pandemic threw a glaring spotlight on racial inequities raising important questions about what is justice, what is law, what is order, and why do we continue to live with institutionalized racism?

These questions form the basis of the discussions that took place in the groundbreaking City Colleges of Chicago Foundation's Seven Strong Speaker Series Why City Colleges Matter: Empowering Black Lives, a collection of impactful webinars.

The final virtual and critical discussion will take place from noon-1 p.m. on March 9 and is titled, Black Man Teach, moderated by Xavier Ramey, the CEO of Justice Informed. Joining the discussion is F. Christopher Goins, Chief Diversity Officer of Thrive Chicago; Shawn L. Jackson, President of CCC's Truman College; and Michael Strautmanis, Chief Engagement Officer of the Obama Foundation. To register today, click here. Registration is limited.

Over the past few weeks, the City Colleges of Chicago Foundation hosted a series of incredible webinars featuring renowned experts in their fields of finance, civil rights, education, philanthropy, government, and technology. Here is what some of them have said.

"City Colleges are a critically important part of our ecosystem in bringing Chicago where it needs to be." ~ John W. Rogers, Jr., Chairman and CEO, Ariel Investments. Series on Championing Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion.

"Community colleges are even better suited to prepare students for the most in-demand industries right now than any other schools are." ~ David Clunie, CEO, Black Economic Alliance. Series on Championing Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion.

"We need every sector saying 'our goal is every young person in Chicago is going to get a postsecondary credential,' not just a high school diploma." ~ John B. King, Jr., CEO, The Education Trust. Series on Reimagining Black Student Achievement and Economic Success.

"It's sitting right in front of you - the data is totally clear that the community college system is the unsung hero of the economy and corporate training." ~ Austan Goolsbee, The University of Chicago Booth School. Series on Reimagining Black Student Achievement and Economic Success.

CCC's foundation is working to raise funds to support City Colleges as they prioritize equity and focus on improving outcomes for Black students through the Black Excellence and Equity Fund.

They invite you to view each of the panels of their Seven Strong Speaker Series - Why City Colleges Matters: Empowering Black Lives, and to donate - empowering their students, click here.

Listen to past discussions in the exciting series addressing Black equity and opportunity here!