This past summer, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI)’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee launched a community reading experience, OLLI Reads, to encourage the discussion of diversity, equity, and inclusion in a safe environment. The committee’s first book selection is the New York Times bestseller So You Want to Talk About Race. Author Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from police brutality and cultural appropriation to the model minority, aiming for honest conversations about race and about how racism affects every aspect of American life.

The committee will hold its first OLLI Reads book discussion on Wednesday, October 26 from 1:30-3 p.m. The hybrid event will welcome attendees in person on the UMass Boston campus and on Zoom. Safiya St. Clair, PhD, a former OLLI Scholar and alumna of the Global Governance and Human Security doctoral program at UMass Boston, will moderate the discussion.

“Attendees will discuss questions in small groups,” says OLLI Director Jim Hermelbracht. “Ideally they will leave the program with some action steps that they can take in their lives to promote change

Non-OLLI members are welcome to attend the event, Hermelbracht says, “but we want to make sure people have read the book, so they can make the most of the discussion opportunities.”

To register, write to OLLI.