/ Center for Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity Lecture Series

The Diversity Lectures Series features distinguished leaders and experts in diversity and inclusion, with a focus on research and scholarship. This series offers opportunities for cultural celebrations and recognition of relevant topics connected to diverse populations.  

View past lectures of the Diversity Lecture Series

Hispanic Heritage Lecture

This lecture occurs during the Fall Semester to honor National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15–October 15)

"If you have an opportunity to make things better and you don't, then you are wasting your time on earth"
—Roberto Clemente

  • A woman, speaker Lucia Rios, in a wheelchair, sits beside a table with a water bottle, holding a face mask, in front of a Hope College podium and brick wall during the 2022 Hispanic Heritage Month and Disability Inclusion Lecture.
  • A man, speaker Dr. Pablo Peschiera, gives a talk in front of a brick wall, wearing a dark blue blazer and headset microphone while holding a presentation remote during the 2024 Hispanic Heritage Month Lecture
  • Two people sit on stage in chairs, a student and speaker, Dr. Danny Méndez, holding microphones and talking to each other during the 2025 Hispanic Heritage Month Lecture
Affirming LGBTQ+ Students Lecture

This lecture occurs during the Fall Semester to honor LGBTQ+ History Month (Oct 1-31)

  • A woman with gray hair and glasses, speaker Dr. Jane Dickie, speaks at a podium labeled Hope College. She is wearing a colorful scarf and standing in front of a brick wall with a microphone nearby during the 2024 Affirming LGBTQ+ Students Lecture
  • Six women of current and previous Hope College Staff and Faculty members sit on a panel in front of an audience during Part Two of the 2024 Affirming LGBTQ+ Students Panel. One woman speaks into a microphone. Behind is a brick wall with orange and blue balloon decorations.
  • Two people sit on stools in front of a brick wall, a student and the speaker, Rev. Ricardo Tavárez, holding microphones during the 2023 Affirming LGBTQ+ Students Lecture. One wears casual clothes and jeans, the other wears a suit and tie.
Disability Inclusion Lecture

This lecture occurs during the Fall Semester to honor National Disability Employment Awareness Month (Oct 1-31)

  • A student stands on stage speaking, with a large screen behind them displaying details for the 2025 Disability Inclusion and Affirming LGBTQ+ Student Lecture event featuring the film Crip Camp.
  • A group of people, Hope College students, staff, and speaker Carrie Dattels, pose together in front of orange and blue balloons during the 2024 Disability Inclusion Lecture, with a presentation slide of the event flyer displayed in the background.
  • A woman in glasses and a beige blazer, speaker Carrie Dattels, speaks at a podium labeled “Hope College,” gesturing with both hands. A microphone and computer monitor are nearby; a brick wall is in the background during the 2024 Disability Inclusion Lecture
Indigenous Peoples’ Lecture

This lecture occurs during the Fall Semester to honor Indigenous Peoples’ Month (November 1–30)

"Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children"
—Sitting Bull

  • A woman with curly hair and glasses, speaker Carol Bremer-Bennett, stands at a podium labeled Hope College, holding a miniature replica of an Indigenous house with both hands during the 2025 Indigenous Peoples' Lecture. She wears jewelry and a black outfit. Framed artwork is visible behind her on a wooden wall.
  • A man in a dark grey suit, speaker Levi Rickert, stands at a podium during the 2023 Indigenous Peoples' Lecture. Behind him is a large screen displaying the event flyer.
  • The audience seated in a theater watches a panel discussion for the screening of “Warrior Lawyers: Defenders of Sacred Justice,” during the 2024 Indigenous Peoples' Lecture.
MLK Civil Rights Lecture

The MLK Civil Rights Lecture celebrates the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as the lives of those who contribute to human and civil rights. This lecture is delivered on MLK Day every year. 

Find more information about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
—Martin Luther King, Jr.

  • A woman wearing glasses, speaker Sheyann Webb-Christburg, speaks at a wooden podium with colorful stained glass windows visible in the background during the 2023 Civil Rights Lecture
  • A man wearing glasses and a dark sweater, speaker Rev. Jemar Tisby, gestures with one arm extended while speaking, set against a blurred brown background during the 2026 Civil Rights Lecture
  • A man in a suit, speaker Dr. John Yelding, speaks at a podium with a microphone, in front of colorful stained glass windows, during the 2024 Civil Rights Lecture
Black History Month Lecture

This lecture occurs during the Spring Semester to honor Black History Month (Feb 1-28)

"The mere imparting of information is not education"
—Carter G. Woodson

  • Two people, a Hope College student and speaker Dr. Derrick Bines, sit on stage chairs having a discussion at Hope College during the 2026 Black History Month Lecture. The background features wooden paneling and warm lighting.
  • A man in a suit, speaker Dr. Kevin McGruder, speaks at a podium with a microphone during the 2025 Black History Month Lecture. Behind him is a large screen displaying the event flyer titled “We Sure Do Need It Now: Developing a Plan to Counter the Attacks on Efforts to Achieve a More Equitable Society.”
  • A man in a suit stands onstage looking serious, with a woman in the background. Behind them, a screen displays words for the staged reading of "The Mountaintop" during the 2023 Black History Month Lecture event.
Women's History Month Lecture

This lecture occurs during the Spring Semester to honor Women's History Month (March 1-31)

  • A woman with a white shirt and a dark grey cardigan, speaker Althea Jones, speaks on stage, holding a yellow paper during the 2025 Women's History Month Lecture.
  • A woman with a black and white checkered jacket, speaker Senator Stephane Chang, stands at a podium labeled Hope College, speaking into a microphone in a warmly-lit auditorium during the 2026 Women's History Month Lecture.
  • Five women, a student, and four Hope College staff and faculty members sit on a panel in front of an audience during the 2024 Women's History Month Lecture. One woman speaks into a microphone. Behind them is a brick wall, a screen with a QR code, and blue and orange balloons.
Pan African Lecture

This lecture occurs during the Spring Semester to honor the history, heritage, and global impact of diverse African cultures.

  • Nine men, musical group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, in matching red, patterned shirts and black pants, sing into microphones on a wooden stage in a concert hall. They stand in a row, some with a hand on their chest, performing as a group for the 2026 Pan African Lecture.
  • A group of people stands and raises their hands during the 2023 Pan African Lecture. The Motherland Cultural Connections band performs on stage, with a screen and brick wall behind them that reads, "Celebrating PASA"
  • Ten people of Hope College students, standing together smiling in front of a screen that reads "Taste of Africa", dressed in colorful traditional African attire, with balloons and decorations in the background during the 2024 Pan African Lecture event
Asian Heritage Month Lecture

This lecture is offered during the Spring Semester to honor Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month (May 1-31)

"It is this interweaving of different peoples that results in the richness and beauty of the tapestry of our nation."
—Dr. Kenneth P. Moritsugu

  • A man wearing glasses and a dark shirt, speaker David Lee, speaks into a headset microphone, standing near a podium and in front of a brick wall during the 2024 Asian Heritage Month Lecture
  • Two men sit on tall chairs on a wooden stage, a Hope College staff member and the speaker, Curtis Chin, during the 2025 Asian Heritage Month Lecture. One holding an iPad and smiling, the other holding a book. The background features wooden paneling and warm lighting.
  • Six Hope College student actors perform on a theater stage with pink and purple lighting, two holding hands and talking on the left, three forming a dynamic lifted pose in the center-right, and one on the floor at the front facing the audience between wooden doorway-like frames. This was during the 2026 Asian Heritage Month Lecture event of the theatre performance "You For Me For You"
Hope CollegeCenter for Diversity and Inclusion

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