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Understanding the "I" in DIversity and the "we" in "Empowerment"
The UNL Empowerment Forum is a free event open to all currently registered UNL students, faculty, and staff with interest in discussing the challenges that we face in dealing with diversity issues. This forum provides an opportunity to engage students, faculty, and staff in an honest discussion about diversity and inclusion with the overall goal of strengthening the campus community, while having some fun too.
The UNL Empowerment Forum will be held on Friday, February 1, 2013 from 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the City Campus Union and Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center.
2013 Tentative Schedule of Events
| 11:45 a.m. - 12:20 p.m. | Registration |
| 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Keynote Speaker |
| 1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Breakout Discussions with snacks and refreshments provided |
| 4:00 p.m. | Conclusion |
Clarifying the Purpose
This forum is about:
- understanding our cultural differences
- hearing a variety of perspectives
- sharing your thoughts, ideas, stories, and experiences with other participants
This forum is not about
- bashing or humiliating any one person or group
- stifling openness and honesty
- a lecture about how you "should" think, say, or act
The Empowerment Forum is a University Sponsored event and we urge you to feel free to check with your professors to be excused from class to attend the forum.
The UNL Empowerment Forum is sponsored by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and the Pepsi Endowment Fund.
The University of Nebraska Lincoln is an equal opportunity educator and employer with a comprehensive plan for diversity
2013 Keynote Speaker: Tom "TJ" Leyden
TJ grew up in a close-knit Irish-Catholic family in Fontana, CA. Life began to unravel for him when his parents got divorced, and he began listening to punk rock and venting his rage by slam-dancing and fighting at weekend concerts. His violent behavior attracted the attention of local skinheads, and soon he started his own skinhead group in Redlands, CA, at the age of 15. At 21, TJ joined the Marines and his role as a leading recruiter, organizer and propagandist for the white supremacist movement increased. He spent more than 15 years as a leader in the neo-Nazi movement, even marrying a woman deeply committed to the movement and raising two young sons in a hate-filled environment.
Today, TJ has turned away from the hatred that defined his life for so long. He is the one of the few known former skinheads who has left the movement and retained his own name. He worked for more than five years for the Simon Wiesenthal Center teaching on the culture of hate and the importance in fighting back against it. He was invited by President Clinton to be a featured speaker at the White House Conference on Hate, and he has trained at the Pentagon, the FBI, military bases and for numerous law enforcement agencies. TJ has also testified against individuals on trial for hate crimes. Although he has received death threats and must take extraordinary measures to protect himself from his former friends, TJ is committed to being a fierce advocate for the importance of appreciating the differences in all people.
Please click here to learn more about TJ, including information about StrHATE Talk Consulting, his public appearances and training he has conducted, and the book he co-authored in 2008 about his life.