ACE2019 to Showcase Leading Voices on Race and Equity in Higher Education
January 09, 2019

​​Two nationally prominent experts on race and racism, Beverly Daniel Tatum and Robin DiAngelo, will discuss the role of race in America and on college campuses during ACE2019’s Monday Morning Plenary.

Tatum, president emerita of Spelman College (GA), is the author of the critically acclaimed book, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race. DiAngelo wrote The New York Times bestselling book, White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism

The session, which will be moderated by ACE Vice President of Research Lorelle Espinosa and is generously supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will explore how college leaders can engage their communities on race and what it will take to close equity gaps now and in the future. 

It is just one of the thought-provoking sessions planned for ACE2019, ACE’s 101st Annual Meeting, March 9-12 in Philadelphia. Nearly 2,000 college and university leaders from deans to presidents will gather at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown to gain knowledge about practical solutions for many of the challenges higher education faces today, network with leaders from across all institutional types, and be inspired by the achievements of colleagues and the insights of a diverse slate of speakers. 

Other sessions include author Tara Westover discussing her best-selling memoir Educated and the transformative power of education during the ACE2019 Monday Luncheon Plenary, and ACE Senior Vice President Terry W. Hartle’s federal relations update on what higher education leaders can expect from policymakers on topics such as Title IX campus sexual assault, immigration, federal regulations, and budget and appropriations.

ACE2019 will begin Saturday, March 9, at 5 p.m., with the International Welcome and Networking Reception. Other events that evening include the ACE Women’s Leadership Dinner (tickets required), featuring Teresa Younger, president and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women, and a reception for presidents and chancellors.

Sunday morning will feature two sessions just for presidents and chancellors, as well as concurrent sessions open to all attendees. A new Sunday Luncheon Plenary will take place that day ahead of the 5 p.m. Robert H. Atwell Plenary address, named by the ACE Board of Directors for the former ACE president who served from 1984 to 1996.

Click here to visit the ACE2019 website for more information and to register. 

Join the conversation on Twitter at #ACE2019Philly.