The Native American Male Experience in Higher Education to be Discussed

Event: The Sweatt Symposium – “Awareness to Action: The Native American Male Experience”

When: Wednesday, April 11, 5 p.m. (reception), 6 p.m. (panel discussion)

Where: Benson Library Conference Room, Sid Richardson Hall Unit 1, 2315 Red River St.

Background: Early in 2010 the College Board Advocacy and Policy Center issued “The Educational Crisis Facing Young Men of Color,” a report connecting the disparate educational outcomes of young men with frightening statistics about unemployment, poverty and incarceration. In short, it revealed the absolute lack of success that men of color are experiencing as they traverse the education pipeline in the United States. Native American men face a number of challenges, including overrepresentation in special education and low rates of proficiency in mathematics and reading.

The April 11 session is the fourth in the series of presentations and will feature a panel discussion. Presenters are listed below.

• Shannon Speed (moderator), associate professor, Department of Anthropology, College of Liberal Arts; assistant vice president, Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, The University of Texas at Austin
• Lee Bitsoi, program director, Minority Action Plan, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; education strategy consultant, Institute of Higher Education Policy in Washington, D.C.
• Amy Fann, assistant professor, College of Education, University of North Texas
• Michael Fire, professor, Texas Woman’s University and elder in the Cheyenne Arapho tribe of Oklahoma

This event is free and open to the public.