Back-to-back free events on Wednesday, April 26 at UC Santa Barbara’s Multicultural Center will focus on anti-hate activism, including a keynote lecture by Manjusha Kulkarni, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, a nonprofit that tracks and responds to bias, harassment and violence against Asian Americans nationwide.
The first event, Asian American Activism: Drawing on History, Inspiring the Future, 3-4:30 p.m., gathers national and local AAPI (Asian American/Pacific Islander) activists for a panel discussion.
Scheduled panelists include: Kulkarni, who also serves as the executive director of AAPI Equity Alliance; UCSB Asian American studies professor Diane Fujino; Melissa Borja, University of Michigan assistant professor of American culture and lead investigator at Virulent Hate Project; Artnelson Concordia, an ethnic studies instructional support specialist with the Santa Barbara Unified School District; and Naomi Joseph, a UCSB sociology Ph.D. candidate who will moderate the discussion.
During the second event, Challenging Hate: How to Stop Anti-AAPI Violence and Bias, from 5-6:30 p.m., Kulkarni will discuss how anti-Asian hate is being addressed through civil rights enforcement, education equity, community-based safety and other efforts focused against systemic racism.
