Community Conversations

As the most diverse higher education institution in the region, Columbus State has a responsibility to serve as a regional steward in discussing important and timely issues.

Courageous Conversations 2015-16

In late 2015, the College launched the Courageous Conversations initiative to foster a yearlong, authentic and though-provoking dialogue centered on civility and human rights.

The theme for the first Courageous Conversations event was race, a raw but vital topic in the wake of national tragedies. Subsequent events covered topics of education and health care, with hundreds of community members, students and College staff attending the monthly sessions.

Courageous Conversation in Action 2016

Featuring community advocates Richard “Duarte” Brown and Donte Woods-Spikes, an open-forum discussion was facilitated by Columbus State President David Harrison. Brown is an artist, community leader and Columbus State alumni. Woods-Spikes is a community volunteer, mentor and Columbus State student. Both shared how they’ve used their talents to impart social justice.

Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration

Activist Angela Davis, a professor emerita of Feminist Studies at the University of California Santa Cruz, served as the 2017 keynote speaker for the College’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. Davis stressed that the legacy of Dr. King Jr. isn’t just that of one great man, it acknowledges long-standing mass struggle that continues today. “When we celebrate Dr. King, we celebrate our own potential as agents of change,” Davis said.

The Big Table

The Big Table is the Columbus Foundation’s call for individuals and companies throughout the region to gather for dialogue on topics that challenge and strengthen Central Ohio. Columbus State is an event sponsor and organizes discussion opportunities on our campuses to support this community collaboration.