October 8, 2024 — Hundreds of students gathered for the Explorations in Social Justice Conference, an event organized by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in partnership with the Common Read Committee.

Since its start in 2019, the annual conference has expanded its reach, with this year’s programs focused on LGBTQIA+ and intersectional identities. Discussions explored how social norms can hinder progress toward inclusion and belonging, promoting important conversations to foster a more inclusive community at Marist.

Dr. Edward Antonio giving his keynote address at the Social Justice Conference. Photo by Bobby Oliver/Marist College.

To kick off this year’s conference, Dr. Edward Antonio, Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion delivered a keynote address in the Nelly Goletti Theatre. The remarks and following conference events drew a wide audience of students, faculty, and key figures from across campus, including President Kevin Weinman, Provost Catherine Gunther Kodat, and other Marist leadership.

"If you care about yourself, your education, your family, your friends, your world, then you ought to care about justice," said Dr. Antonio. "When you want the best for yourself, your loved ones, and your neighbors then that is to wish them fairness, equity, and well-being. I am proud that we are coming together in the name of justice, and that this conference is becoming a meaningful part of our institution’s identity and history—something we are deeply invested in."

The Common Read

Carvell Wallace speaking to Marist students at McCann Arena. Photo by Benson Delaney '27/Marist College.

The theme of the conference, “Empowering Pride and Challenging Norms” aligns with this year’s Common Read, Felix Ever After, written by a Black, queer, and trans author, Kacen Callender. Felix Ever After is a young adult novel about a Black transgender teen who struggles with issues of identity, belonging, and self-assurance as he moves into adulthood.

The mission of the Common Read Program is to engage the Marist community in dialogues about challenging contemporary issues. Each year the College selects a text that promotes interdisciplinary discussions engaging with topics in diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and social justice. While the common read is anchored in the First Year Seminar, it aims to inspire campus-wide conversations outside of the traditional classroom through lectures, discussions, and co-curricular programming.

Dr. Patricia Tarantello, Director of First Year Seminar, Dr. James Snyder, Dean for Academic Engagement, and the Common Read committee intentionally incorporated the 2024-2025 Common Read into the Social Justice Conference. This decision aims to foster deeper conversations between students and faculty about the novel's themes.

Carvell Wallace, a New York Times best-selling author, came to campus during the Social Justice Conference to give an analysis of these themes. In his speech, Wallace emphasized the intrinsic value of human beings, discussed the importance of fulfilling emotional and spiritual needs, and challenged attendees to read Felix Ever After not just through the lens of identity, but through the lens of humanity.

“This is a story about the human desire to be loved, to be seen as whole, a desire that isn’t about identity or intersectionality but about humanity,” Wallace said in his address.

The central point of the talk: every human being has the right to be loved.

(Left to Right). Dr. James Snyder, Carvell Wallace, Dr. Edward Antonio, Dr. Patricia Tarantello at a special Q&A dinner with Wallace. Photo by Ellen Hallgren, Executive Assistant to the VP of DEI.

Following the Common Read Lecture, fifty First Year Seminar students were specially chosen by faculty to attend an exclusive dinner with Wallace at the Cornell Boathouse. During the event, Dr. Antonio conducted an engaging interview with Wallace, giving students the unique opportunity to hear Wallace discuss his memoir, Another Word on Love.

Collaborative Events

Dr. Antonio moderating a Social Justice Conference Panel. Photo by Nelson Echeverria/Marist College. 

Throughout the conference, community members participated in poster presentations, workshops, and breakout events.

Marist faculty led many of these events. Dr. Daria Hanssen, Associate Professor of Social Work, led a workshop on self-expression through art. Dr. Kristin Bayer, Associate Professor of History/Director of Women’s Gender, and Sexuality Program led a talk on LGBTQIA+ history and activism in the Hudson River Valley. Dr. Antonio also moderated a student-led discussion on the intersection of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC identities.

Students were actively involved throughout the conference. The executive board of Marist Fox Pride presented valuable resources for both the LGBTQ+ community and allies alike.

“Fox Pride and I are so excited to be a part of such an amazing opportunity to spread the word of allyship and acceptance not just on Marist Campus but also in the local community,” said Tori Cardone '26, President of Marist Fox Pride. “I strongly believe that this social justice conference will encourage open and healthy conversations regarding allyship beyond the classroom at Marist.”

“The Social Justice Conference is an integral commitment of our Marist community to partake in opportunities to edify ourselves and re-engage our role in bettering the social circumstances around us,” said Paschalyn Cama '25, VP of DEI for the Student Government Association. “It also provides the space to share a common regard for the dimensionality of a social justice topic.”


Explorations in Social Justice Awards. Photo by Nelson Echeverria/Marist College. 

The event ended by presenting Social Justice Awards to Tim Lawton and Angel Arriaga, celebrating their contributions to DEI efforts at Marist.

Learn more about the College’s DEI efforts here.