“Walks of Life: Dialogue, Perspectives and Action” is the theme of the annual Shepard
Symposium on Social Justice Monday-Friday, Oct. 13-17, at the University of Wyoming.
The program marks the 27th anniversary memorial of UW student Matthew Shepard, who
was murdered in 1998.
The Shepard Symposium has grown from a local grassroots event to an internationally
recognized conference. Originally named “The Symposium for the Eradication of Social
Inequality” by former UW College of Education faculty members Omowale Akintunde and
Margaret Cooney 27 years ago, the annual event was renamed to honor the work of the
Shepard family and the memory of their son.
Various workshops, discussions, presentations, a film screening, informational tables
and a music performance are planned throughout the symposium and are free and open
to the public. A full day of presentations and workshops is scheduled Thursday, Oct.
16, in the Wyoming Union. A free lunch will be provided from 11:20 a.m.-1 p.m., with
a keynote speaker address in the Wyoming Union center ballroom.
Michelle Schamp is chair of this fall’s Shepard Symposium, and co-chairs are Hannah
Downey and Allison Gernant.
“This year’s Shepard Symposium urges students, staff, faculty and community members
to come together to celebrate all walks of life,” Downey says. “In the current climate,
it is more important than ever that we come together and celebrate what is different
and similar about all of us and the unique perspectives we all bring to the table.
We will focus on having constructive dialogue, varying our perspectives and seeing
how to take action to make the world a better place.”
For more information and to view the entire schedule, visit the symposium website at www.shepardsymposium.weebly.com or follow on Instagram or Facebook.
