Symposium Keynote: Matthew Dicks

Join us for the keynote address of the Annual Symposium on Social Justice and Inclusion, delivered by Matthew Dicks. The address, titled “Finding and Telling Your Best Stories,” will expound on the use of personal storytelling in one’s professional and personal life, along with strategies for telling great stories.

This year, the Symposium will focus on new ways to explore and understand the powers of joy as individuals and communities, with a focus on how everyone can find and use their voices to find solidarity, build coalitions, and cultivate joy. While the concept of joy can be expressed in many different ways, Symposium Week will challenge everyone to continue to make space for finding new and creative ways to adapt, thrive, and redefine the things in our lives that bring us joy. Furthermore, the events, presentations, and workshops scheduled for Symposium Week will encourage participants to continue to seek ways to thrive and empower their communities while addressing systemic racism and oppression

About the Speaker
Matthew is the founder and artistic director of Speak Up, a Hartford-based storytelling organization that produces shows throughout New England, as well as Speak Up Storytelling, a podcast on storytelling. He teaches storytelling and public speaking to individuals, corporations, school districts, hospitals, universities, advertising agencies, and more. Matthew is also the internationally bestselling author of several novels, including Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend and Something Missing, among others, as well as the nonfiction title Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life Through the Art of Storytelling. He is an advice columnist for Slate and the humor columnist for Seasons magazine. He has written comic books for DoubleTake Comics. 

This event will take place in-person for the campus community in the McConnell Theater on Tuesday, October 19th at 6:00 p.m. The event will also be live-streamed via Zoom, free of charge, for the general public. 

» Zoom Link: Watch the Keynote Address
Tuesday, October 19
6:00�"7:00 p.m. EDT