Tickets for the 2018 Columbus State University Diversity Forum are now available for purchase. Scheduled for March 15, the event brings the Columbus community together to celebrate diversity and inclusion. Keynote speakers for the 2018 conference are Carlos Andrés Gómez and Chrisette Michele.
 
“This year’s forum is going to be unlike any other, because the speakers will lead breakout sessions that challenge participants to think through real life scenarios,” said Johniqua Williams, development specialist for diversity programs at CSU. “Carlos Andrés Gómez is a power house who will empower us with the tools we need to be more inclusive in our everyday lives, while Chrisette Michele has a powerful message of self-love and being courageous to do the right thing.”
 
Gómez is an award-winning poet, speaker, actor, and author of the memoir, Man Up: Reimagining Modern Manhood, released by Penguin Random House. He has starred on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, TV One’s Verses and Flow, and Spike Lee’s movie Inside Man with Denzel Washington.  His poems, “Where Are You Really From?” and “What Latino Looks Like,” have garnered millions of views online. Gómez recently partnered with John Legend for Senior Orientation, a program to counteract bullying and champion inclusive masculinity among high school students.
 
Michele is a Grammy-award winning R&B and soul singer and songwriter. Her singles have ranked on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, the Billboard Hot 100, Billboard 200, and U.S. Billboard 200 charts. With her single, “Be OK”, she received a 2009 Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative Performance, and her album, Better, was nominated for a 2014 Grammy award for Best R&B album. She has starred on R&B Divas LA and the CW’s Girlfriends. Her fifth album, Out of Control, will be released in April 2018.
 
Presented by CSU’s Office of Diversity Programs and Services, the Diversity Forum is a day-long conference and evening banquet that showcases successes in inclusion on CSU’s campus and fosters discussions on a broad range of relevant issues to discover best practices for a better future. Attendees will take part in inclusive active learning exercises that can be repeated in their own workplaces or with team or community group members.
 
Tickets are $40 and include admission to both the conference and the Legacy Celebration. Tables of eight are available for $320. For more information, please visit diversity.columbusstate.edu or contact Johniqua Williams at 706-507-8594 or [email protected].