The University of Akron will be hosting its 14th annual ‘Rethinking Race: Black, White and Beyond’ event in the final week of Black History Month and into March, with a wide array of events spanning from Feb. 24 to March 7. 

Rethinking Race aims to engage students and attendees in difficult conversations about race through a variety of programming, such as discussions, a film festival, keynote speakers, artist performances and panels.

According to a UA press release, Rethinking Race is actually a part of more than 100 syllabi for classes across UA and continuously invites people to deepen their understanding of race.

Dr. Amy Shriver Dreussi, Rethinking Race co-chair and professor of social science, believes this event is as important as event due to how uncomfortable the topic can make people feel.

“Our default is to ignore the topic and hope the problems will go away,” Dr. Dreussi said. “Instead, our reluctance to address race thwarts our understanding and our capacity to address these problems.”

This year, the event will start on Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. in Quaker Station with keynote speaker Dr. Johnathan Metzl, author of “Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America’s Heartland.”

Additional programs include a performance from Preacher Moss’s ‘End of Racism’ Comedy Tour; a panel about growing up biracial, titled ‘Us in Between’; and PechaKucha Night, where speakers will share stories from their personal lives about race.

A full list of events, performances, panels and historical exhibitions, along with their dates and times, can be found on the Rethinking Race website.

Most of this year’s programs are free and open to the public. However, students and attendees are encouraged to check the ‘Rethinking Race’ events calendar to see which events require registration.