2022 Mandela Social Justice Day to feature author, musician Simon Tam

The University of Southern Indiana College of Liberal Arts Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity Committee (LA EDIC) is partnering with the USI Nelson Mandela Social Justice Commemoration Committee to host a virtual event on February 24. The event is free and open to the public. 

The keynote speaker for Mandela Social Justice Day, Simon Tam, will present "The Song of Change" at 3 p.m. February 24, and the presentation will be recorded and available on the Mandela Social Justice Day webpage at USI.edu/msjd.  

Tam believes that apathy is not compatible with love. He works to change the culture by transforming systems with an equity framework, and he may best be known for winning a landmark case in 2017 which helped expand civil liberties, unanimously, at the Supreme Court of the United States (Matal v. Tam). He is the founder of The Slants, one of the first all-Asian American dance rock bands in the world, and co-founder of The Slants Foundation, a nonprofit organization pushing the boundaries of what is possible for arts, activism and civic engagement.  

USI has sponsored the Nelson Mandela Social Justice Day and Speaker Series since 2014. The goal of these events is to raise dialogue at USI around current issues of human and civil rights, public service and activism through diverse, dynamic, nationally and internationally known public intellectuals and academics. Previous speakers include authors Manisha Sinha, Tim Wise and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, community organizer Tia Oso and academics and activists such as Dr. Cornel West and Dr. Angela Davis. For more information about the annual event, visit the Mandela Social Justice Day webpage at USI.edu/msjd. 

The 2022 Mandela Social Justice Day is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts, College of Nursing and Health Professions, Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education, Romain College of Business, Center for Social Justice Education, Housing and Residence Life and the Multicultural Center. For more information about these events, contact Dr. Denise Lynn, Director of the Africana Studies Program, at dmlynn1@usi.edu or 812-465-1095.