Schedule

Registration Check-In 
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Welcoming Remarks
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM

Opening Plenary Session – “How I Got Over”
9:15 AM – 10:15 AM

Description: After surviving Covid-19 three times, Eris was left persistently disabled, enduring episodes that spike her heart rate and cause painful surges throughout the extremities, migraines, fatigue, breathing trouble, and an often debilitating sensitivity to light and sound. Eris lives life with neurological tremors that feel the way television static looks and sounds. These somatic reminders render medical professionals useless as there is no remedy, reason, or research of Long COVID. Compounding this condition with heartbreak, PTSD, childhood sexual assault wounds, and the effects of watching the political tide shift to alienate their rights, everything feels impossibly weary for Eris. They exist in a body equally foreign and familiar, having to find new ways of being and new pathways of self-love and adoration. Throughout the pandemic, she had to trust that she was still an artist even when her hands couldn’t grip an ink pen. The response to it all is How I Got Over. This immersive healing exhibit combines digital and mixed media, ekphrastic poetry, storytelling, and mirrors.

Bio: Eris Eady is a Black, bisexual, non-binary, and disabled artist and writer from Cleveland, Ohio. They have performed, presented, and curated healing spaces all over the country. Eris has worked in the nonprofit and advocacy sector for over 20 years and has a Master’s of Science in Positive Organizational Development & Change from Case Western Reserve University.

Break – Stretch your legs, refill and recharge!
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM

Workshop Sessions
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Workshop Sessions
1:15 PM – 2:45 PM

Workshop Sessions
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Moderator: Jayvon Howard (he/him) is a passionate organizer and advocate for social justice serving as a member of the LGBTQ Taskforce with BRAVO and the Anti-Oppression Committee with OAESV. He has formerly worked as an LGBTQ Outreach Advocate for Women Helping Women providing direct service to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. He has a background working with special populations doing advocacy, outreach, and programming. Jayvon has served on many teams to engage men in gender-based violence intervention and prevention, including working with different committees to assist in
the organizing of the Ohio Consortium for Men’s Masculinities in Higher Education. Jayvon holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Family Science from Miami University

Panelists:

Julius Payne is the Program Coordinator for the Center for Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services. He facilitates Green Dot discussions throughout campus and community. He serves on the CCRT as well and is involved in discussions and collaborations promoting positive/healthy masculinity. He has spent the last five years at the Rape Crisis Center of Summit and Medina counties. He originally started out as the Tina project specialist, going into middle and high schools and holding discussions surrounding healthy relationships. He then moved on to become an outreach and education advocate on campus at the University of Akron, and held discussions on bystander intervention, consent, and responding to disclosure. In his final two years at the RCC, he was the Campus and Education manager where he oversaw all presentation creation as well as all education and outreach advocates.

Richard Smith is a nationally recognized healing strategist with over 20 years of experience in community based programs for survivors of violence, specializing in trauma and healing for BIPOC and marginalized communities. He has been a guest lecturer at various institutions, discussing systemic racism, mass incarceration, and trauma and healing, and has made significant  contributions as a keynote speaker at numerous national conferences. His past roles include National Director of United for Healing Equity at Common Justice, where he steered their national policy and organizing work. Smith is the co-founder of Alignmeant Global LLC, a social enterprise focused on cultural reclamation, restorative practices, healing justice, and system reform, and the founder of Divine Masculinity Aspirational Apparel, a brand that uplifts through positive masculinity-themed clothing and accessories. Host of the Just Healing Podcast, Smith examines diverse perspectives on the social and cultural factors affecting healing for male survivors. His current academic pursuit is a doctoral degree at SUNY Albany’s School of Social Welfare, studying the nexus of the trauma-to-prison pipeline and male survivorship of childhood sexual abuse. A Robert Wood Johnson Forward Promise Fellowship for Leadership Fellow and proud father of two, Smith is a descendant of the Gullah Geechee people and is dedicated to honoring his ancestors’ legacy.

Dr. Issac Baez Isaac Baez is the Director of the Summa Health Equity Center since January 2023 and has been working at Summa Health since May of 2021. His responsibility is to catalyze institutional change across Summa Health and the Community. His goal is to further health equity by leading the development and management of strategic initiatives in collaboration with internal departments, community partners, and external constituents to address the complex social, economic, and structural social determinants of health. He also supports and collaborates with Summa’s Diversity Advisory Council and Employee Resources Groups, such as A+PLUs and Excel. He received his Master’s in Public Health from NEOMED and his Certified Diversity Executive (CDE) certificate through the Institute of Diversity Certification. In addition, he has conducted training throughout Stark and Summit Counties, including Cultural and Linguistic Competency, Cultural Humility, Language Access, and LGBTQ+ 101. His passion for working with those in need has been why he pursued a career in Public Health. It has also allowed him to work with different groups, such as Chair of the March for Akron Pride Festival’s Steering Committee, Akron-Canton Latino Committee, Refugee Task Force, board member of the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence (OAESV), and Chair of Outreach & Education Committee for the Board of Plexus LGBT + Allied Chamber of Commerce.

Registration Check-In 
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Welcoming Remarks
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM

Opening Plenary Session – “Weaving the Threads: Exploring the Intersection of Queer, Muslim, Immigrant, and South Asian Identities in the Context of Sexual Violence”
9:15 AM – 10:15 AM

Proposed Objectives:

• Deepen Understanding: Delve into the nuanced challenges and experiences faced by individuals at the intersections of queer, Muslim, immigrant, and South Asian identities within the context of sexual violence, fostering a deeper understanding among the audience.
• Illuminate Intersectionality: Shed light on the importance of an intersectional analysis when examining the complex dynamics of sexual violence within the context of multiple marginalized identities, helping the audience grasp the interconnected nature of these experiences.
• Cultivate Advocacy Skills: Provide practical insights, strategies, and resources to equip the audience with the tools needed to become effective allies and advocates for survivors at the intersections of these identities, promoting a more inclusive and supportive society.
• Spark Community Engagement: Encourage the audience to actively engage with their communities to create culturally sensitive and inclusive support systems that address the unique needs of individuals at the intersection of queer, Muslim, immigrant, and South Asian identities in the context of sexual violence, fostering a collective effort toward positive change.

Bio: Currently the director of programs for the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland, Gulnar Feerasta (she/they) is passionate about promoting empowerment, resiliency, and leadership throughout marginalized communities. With advocacy and outreach at the forefront of her vision, her goal is to build strong support systems while improving the quality of life through long-term policy and social change. Gulnar is also a recent recipient of the Outstanding Community Partner Award, which was bestowed upon them by Case Western Reserve University’s Office of Cancer Disparities Research Center in partnership with Case’s School of Medicine, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, and the Cleveland Clinic. More recently, Gulnar recieved recognition as a 2022 Notable immigrant Leader by Crain’s Cleveland and inclusion in the esteemed 2023 cohort of the Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity. As world traveler, they’ve lived and studied in New Zealand, Australia, and South Korea before pursing their bachelor’s degree in management and international business from the University of Akron. She then obtained a dual Master’s degree in Applied Social Sciences, with a focus on community practice for social change and Nonprofit Management from Case Western Reserve University. She has previously worked in the corporate sector in organizational development and as a management consultant, and presently serves on multiple boards including joining the fight to eradicate youth homelessness. Furthermore, they actively serve as a personal and professional mentor to young professionals.

Break – Stretch your legs, refill and recharge!
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM

Workshop Sessions
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Workshop Sessions
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Affinity Groups
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM