Leading Equity, Diversity, and Justice Conference

2024: The Heart of Social Justice

Hollins’ fourth annual Leading Equity, Diversity, and Justice (Leading EDJ) Conference took place on February 15 and 16, 2024. This year’s theme was “The Heart of Social Justice” and featured a special movie screening on Thursday night, February 15, and a keynote speaker plus over a dozen sessions across two session times on Friday, February 16. 

Thursday, February 15

Special Movie Presentation: “Hope of Escape”

A special screening of the film “Hope of Escape” will take place at the historic Grandin Theatre in Roanoke on Thursday evening, February 15. More details will be provided in January 2024.

Associate Professor and Chair of the Hollins Film Department Amy Gerber-Stroh wrote and directed the film, based on a true story that follows the incredible journey of an enslaved mother and daughter who must escape before they are sold and separated forever. Their only hope is to connect with their free relatives in the North and convince the most powerful abolitionists of their time to help them.

Gerber-Stroh has written and directed independent films for over 30 years. Her films have won honors at numerous national and international film festivals.

Friday, February 16 

Schedule of Events

• 9:00 a.m.: Welcome and Keynote Address (Hollins Theatre)
• 10:30 – 11:45 a.m.: Session Block #1 (Various Locations)
• 12 – 1:30 p.m.: Lunch Break
• 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.: Session Block #2 (Various Locations)
• 3 – 4 p.m.: Session Block #3 (Various Locations)
• 4:15 – 5 p.m.: Reception and Reflection (Moody)

Keynote Speaker: Lloyd Hackley

Lloyd Vincent Hackley was born and educated in Roanoke’s Black community. After enlisting in the Air Force at 17, he rose through the enlisted ranks to non-commissioned officer status before earning a commission as an officer. All four of his academic degree levels — associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. — were completed while he was on active duty and were funded by Air Force “Scholarships.” He graduated magna cum laude from Michigan State University’s Honors College and earned his doctorate in International Relations at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, and Pi Sigma Alpha Scholastic Honor Societies.

As president and CEO of Hackley and Associates, he has taught in or conducted personally more than 6,000 seminars, workshops, and lectures, from elementary schools to colleges, government agencies, and major corporations, across 32 states and overseas.

He also served as a member of the Hollins Board of Trustees from 1988-1990.

Hackley and Associates conducts seminars, workshops and lectures in ethics, character, leadership, and community development. Although they work with businesses, universities, governmental agencies, and public service establishments, their primary target groups are those entities that work with children: parents, teachers, administrators, churches, colleges, child service entities, and other organizations. Their principal concern is to assist community elements in their efforts to improve academic and behavioral outcomes for all children, especially poor and minority children.

2023 Conference: Barriers and Bridges to Access

Hollins’ third annual Leading Equity, Diversity, and Justice (Leading EDJ) Conference took place on February 23 and 24, 2023. The year’s conference theme was “Barriers and Bridges to Access” and featured two keynote speeches as well as 30 sessions across three session times on Friday, February 24.  

2022 Conference: “Equity, Accessibility, Identity”

What began in the 2020-21 academic year as Leading EDJ Day evolved into a two-day conference in its second year, with keynote speakers scheduled the evening of Thursday, February 24, and during the day on Friday, February 25. Theme for 2022 was “Equity, Accessibility, Identity.”

Over 400 attendees participated in 37 virtual and in-person sessions united around this year’s theme of “Equity, Accessibility, and Identity.” Session topics ranged from “Broaching: Confronting the Uncomfortable Conversations in Systemic Racism” and “Examining Residential Segregation: Where You Live Determines Your Health and Quality of Life” to “Talking Back to Dad: Developing Pedagogies to Discussing Hard Questions in the Classroom and Community” and “Cultivating Inclusive Friendships: Real Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Starts in Our Social Circles.” Session leaders included current students and faculty as well as alumnae/i and guest activists and experts from the community at large.