2025 Schedule of Events

12:00 PM | Breaking the School-to-Prison Pipeline (Clark Lounge - Campus Center)

Event Description:

The school-to-prison pipeline refers to policies and practices that push students—especially students of color—toward the criminal justice system. Underfunded schools, inequitable policies, and systemic racism contribute to higher discipline rates and law enforcement interactions. Join us on Monday, February 10, at 12:00 p.m. (noon) inside the Clark Lounge, on the second floor of the Campus Center, to explore how this pipeline was created, its impact on students of color, and how education policies and lack of resources increase incarceration risks.

***********************************************************

5:30 - 7:30 PM | Author Jonathan Eig Speaking at TCPL on his Pulitzer Prize Winning Book “King: A Life” (Tompkins County Public Library)

Event Description:

Join us on Monday, February 10, at 5:30 p.m. to hear Author Jonathan Eig speak at the Tompkins County Public Library on his Pulitzer Prize Winning Book “King: A Life”. Registered students will receive transportation provided by the BIPOC Unity Center to and from the event.

5:30 PM | Interfaith Open Mic Night on “Love” (Muller Chapel)

Event Description:

As part of MLK Celebration Week, join the BIPOC Unity Center and Office of Religious and Spiritual Life (ORSL) at 5:30 p.m. at the Muller Chapel for an evening where words, music, and creativity break the chains of incarceration and oppression. Through poetry, song, and storytelling, we’ll explore love as a force for healing, justice, and liberation. This is the first of three interfaith open mic nights that ORSL will host.

THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED is rescheduled for April 2025

12:00 PM | Intersecting Policing & Justice: Lunch N Learn with Dr. Tyron Pope (Clark Lounge - Campus Center)

Event Description:

Staff, Faculty, and Students are welcomed to join us for this MLK Week's special luncheon featuring a candid talk with Dr. Tyron Pope, Clinical Lecturer of Criminal Justice and Sociology at Iona University, a distinguished professional with a background in criminal justice and law enforcement. This event will be hosted at 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Wednesday, February 12, inside the Clark Lounge located on the second floor of the Campus Center.

In his presentation, Dr. Pope will share his experiences as a Black Man in law enforcement, the challenges and complexities of working within the system, and the future role that police can execute in rebuilding trust with marginalized communities. The conversation will also explore ways to foster understanding between communities and law enforcement while pushing for systemic change.

About Dr. Pope

Dr. Tyron Pope, Ed.D., is a retired member of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) where he served as Sergeant Supervisor Detective Squad in the Organized Crime Control Bureau – Narcotics Division from 1992 to 2012. In his 20 plus years of service, he has worked in various capacities, including major case narcotics operations, street-level buy and bust enforcement, homicide, counter-intelligence, and internal investigations.

A graduate of the Executive Leadership Program of St. John Fisher University, his dissertation focused on “The Reimagination of the School Safety Concept: A Phenomenological Narrative Study of School Leaders’ Perceptions of School Safety Pertaining to the Effects of the Removal of School Safety Personnel from Public Schools” which examined the calls for defunding the police, the removal of school safety personnel from educational institutions and school leader's shared decision-making during crisis planning, restorative justice, and disciplinary issues dealing with school safety and gun violence.

12:00 PM | Burning Injustice: A Case Study on Prison Slave Labor in the California Fire Fighting (Clark Lounge - Campus Center)

Event Description:

The school-to-prison pipeline refers to policies and practices that push students—especially students of color—toward the criminal justice system. Underfunded schools, inequitable policies, and systemic racism contribute to higher discipline rates and law enforcement interactions. Join us on Monday, February 10, at 12:00 p.m. (noon) inside the Clark Lounge, on the second floor of the Campus Center, to explore how this pipeline was created, its impact on students of color, and how education policies and lack of resources increase incarceration risks.

***********************************************************

6:00 PM | Annual Martin Luther King Scholar Presentation -- Class of 2028 (Emerson Suites - Campus Center)

Event Description:

Join us on Thursday, February 13, at 6:00 p.m. inside the Emerson Suites, located on the second floor of the Campus Center, as the MLK Scholar First-Year Cohort shares their transformative experiences from their Civil Rights tour and course. Through powerful reflections and insights, they will explore the lasting impact of history on our present and future.

***********************************************************

7:00 PM | Building a Restorative, Resilient & Regenerative: Minded Approaches to Breaking the Chains of Mass Incarceration (Emerson Suites - Campus Center)

Event Description:

Immediately following the MLK Scholar presentation, stay for an engaging keynote experience with Taili Mugambee , who will deepen the conversation on justice, resilience, and collective action. This event is scheduled to be held at the Emerson Suites beginning at 7:00 p.m.

In this conversation, Taili will share insights on transforming systems to improve the well-being of individuals in reentry and those impacted by the carceral system. How can we, as citizens, engage with one another and the structures around us to create more humanizing systems? What could this process look and feel like, and how can we navigate the current cultural and socio-political landscape to drive meaningful change? Through a dynamic blend of conversation and spoken word artistry, Taili will elevate collective consciousness, inspiring justice-oriented, resilience-building, and restorative approaches in our daily lives.

We are the system—only through collaborative effort can we achieve the change we desire.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, reflect, and be inspired!

About Taili Mugambee

Taili has served as the Director of URO since 2017. With a background in Ethnic Studies and Psychology from UC San Diego, as well as a Master’s in Education with a focus on Global Education, Taili has dedicated his career to community healing, justice reform, and economic empowerment.

Under his leadership, URO has spearheaded groundbreaking initiatives, including Upstate New York’s first reentry job fair, the Beyond the Box Employer Certification, and critical research on reentry in Tompkins County. He played a pivotal role in the Reimagining Public Safety Initiative and continues to facilitate community conversations on trauma and healing.

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM | From One Heart to Another: Letters of Hope for the Incarcerated (Clark Lounge - Campus Center)

Event Description:

Join us in spreading hope and solidarity by writing letters to incarcerated individuals. Your words can make a difference! Enjoy hot cocoa and sweet treats while earning community service hours. This event will run all day from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 14, inside the Clark Lounge located on the second floor of the Campus Center.

6:00 PM | SOCC: Black History Month Jeopardy (Emerson Suites - Campus Center)

Event Description:

Think you know Black history? Put your knowledge to the test in an electrifying Jeopardy-style game show to close out MLK Celebration Week! Gather your squad or compete solo for a chance to win exciting prizes while celebrating Black excellence, culture, and history.

Don’t just sit on the sidelines—come play, cheer, and celebrate! Who will take the crown? Be there or hear about it!

This event begins at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 15, inside the Emerson Suites located on the second floor of the Campus Center.