Dear White People (2014), offers a timely and provocative look at race in higher education today. At prestigious Winchester University, biracial student Samantha White (Tessa Thompson) begins her radio show, “Dear White People, the minimum number of black friends needed to not seem racist has just been raised to two. Sorry, but your weed dealer, Tyrone, doesn’t count.” Sam becomes president of the all-black residential hall, Armstrong-Parker House, whose existence is facing extinction in the name of diversification.

A TV reality show smells gold in Sam’s story and decides to follow it. The clamor over Sam’s rise becomes a career-defining opportunity for black misfit Lionel Higgins (Tyler James Williams), when he is asked to join the school’s lily-white newspaper staff to cover the controversy, even though he secretly knows little about black culture.

York College Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Darrien Davenport, will discuss the issues of race and diversity among college campuses across the country.  This event will begin at 7 pm in Humanities 218 on February 18, 2016.