»ETW: Leading the Conversation on People & Communities in Motion

Wilkinson College is committed to leading the conversation in our community on issues of humanity, unity, and justice. As such, the college has undertaken semester-long examinations of key societal issues, including the significance of race, environmental justice, ethnic studies, health equity, and gender and sexuality. These interdisciplinary, campus-wide conversations promote thoughtful dialogue; mindful reflection; social tolerance; awareness and respect; peace and kindness. Our purpose for the 2026 ETW series is to promote informed, impactful, and enriching interdisciplinary dialogues through an in-depth exploration of the social, cultural, political, and environmental impact of people and communities in motion. 

The ETW series will focus on how social, cultural, political, and environmental structures both shape and are shaped by people and communities in motion. Motion connotes physical displacement or environmental alteration, bodies in motion, along with thoughts and ideas that spur and initiate change.

The series will emphasize the following themes:

• immigration and migration
• community construction and destruction 
• people in motion within public spaces 
• social movements and collective action