February 19, 2026
Conversation of Understanding will look at Black history challenges
A Conversation of Understanding at noon today, Feb. 19, will explore how Black history, heritage and contributions “continue to be challenged and, in some cases, actively diminished in public discourse, federal spaces and educational policies.”
“Black History Month in an Era of Policy Pushback and Erasure: From Proclamation to Practice — Celebrating Black History Month When Identity Months are Under Attack” is from noon to 1 p.m. and will be available on the SIU System’s YouTube channel. Faculty, staff and students are invited to join the discussion.
The discussion “will include recent developments that illustrate how narratives about Black life, resistance and triumph have faced erasure or restriction in public spaces and official histories, and the real implications of these decisions for educational equity and collective memory.”
The featured panelists are:
- Pamela Smoot, assistant professor of history, SIU Carbondale.
- Tandra Taylor, interim director, Institute for Community Justice and Racial Equity. and assistant professor of history, SIU Edwardsville.
Sheila Caldwell, SIU System vice president for antiracism, diversity, equity and inclusion, and chief diversity officer, will serve as moderator.
A Q&A session will allow the online audience to participate by using the YouTube comment section. Questions may be submitted before or during the event by email to doris.williams@siu.edu.
The SIU System President’s Office and the SIU System Diversity Advisory Council sponsor the Conversation of Understanding series, which began in June 2020.