Join us September 16–17 for the 2026 JEDI Conference, hosted by the Office of Equity and Inclusion. This two-day conference brings together students, faculty, staff, and community partners for thought-provoking conversations, practical learning, and opportunities to meaningfully connect.

Please join us to learn, share ideas, and explore how we can continue building a more equitable, inclusive, and connected UMass community that fosters belonging. All are welcome!

Pre-Conference Workshop · Virtual via Zoom

9:00 a.m. | Nothing About Us Without Us: Disability Allyship in Higher Education

• Marcie Savoie — IDEAS Senior Instructional Designer

• Samm Nelson — Digital Accessibility Coordinator, Mount Holyoke College

• Hannah Gold — UIL Administrator, Disability Services

Join us online for this pre-conference workshop exploring disability allyship in higher education.

Main Conference Program

Student Union Ballroom | 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

11:00 a.m. | Doors & Registration

11:30 a.m. | Lunch & Student Performance

12:00 p.m. | Welcome Remarks

Chancellor Javier Reyes

12:15 p.m. | How Linguistics Bridges Humanities and Science: Real World Application and Community Impact

Lisa Green - Distinguished University Professor & Director, Center for the Study of African American Languages

1:00 p.m. | Du Bois, Community, and the Work of Public Scholarship

Whitney Battle-Baptiste — Professor of Anthropology & Director, W.E.B. Du Bois Center

Drawing on her work in archaeology, anthropology, and public history, as well as collaborations with communities in Western Massachusetts, Great Barrington, and beyond, Battle-Baptiste will explore how scholarship can serve as a practice of accountability, memory, and collective empowerment. Through the lens of Du Bois's intellectual legacy, she will discuss the opportunities and responsibilities of engaging multiple publics, confronting historical inequities, and creating spaces where academic knowledge and community expertise meet.

1:45 p.m. | Break & Student Performance

2:00 p.m. | "The Youth Dem Know:" A Kitchen-Table Talk about Community-Engagement and Black Youth Futures with the Directors for the Center of Racial Justice and Youth Engaged Research

Join this CRJ social justice salon highlighting the youth-centered racial and educational justice work at the Center.

• Keisha Green — Associate Professor of Teacher Education & School Improvement; Co-Founder, Center for Racial Justice and Youth Engaged Research

• Jamila Lysicott — Associate Professor of Social Justice Education; Co-Founder, Center for Racial Justice and Youth Engaged Research

• Justin Coles — Associate Professor of Social Justice Education; Director of Arts, Culture, and Political Engagement, Center for Racial Justice and Youth Engaged Research

September 17, 2026 | Workshops (see website for details)

9:45 - 4:00 p.m. | Campus Center Locations

These community-led workshops explore a wide range of topics. We are grateful for all of the undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff from across the university for their engagement and collaboration in bringing this conference to life.