Center for Ethnic Studies Research

THIS MONDAY, November 11, join us for a lunch and lecture with madison moore, Assistant Professor of Modern Culture and Media at Brown University .mcm . This is the final entry in the Fall 2024 CESR Speaker Series, and we are so excited to welcome Dr. moore to CESR and Pitt for this illuminating talk!

Happening tomorrow! Join us for a public lecture with Dr. Perla Guerrero from University of Maryland, College Park. This event is part of the CESR Speaker Series, and we will provide refreshments! No registration required.

Join us THIS FRIDAY, October 4, 2024, from 2:30 to 4:00 PM at 4130 Posvar for the second talk in our Fall 2024 CESR Speaker Series, featuring Dr. Lok Siu, a Professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies and Associate Vice Chancellor of Research at University of California, Berkeley.

Her talk, entitled “Chifa: How Chinese Food Became Peru’s National Treasure,” will explore the Chinese diaspora in Peru and its national contributions through food culture.

Dr. Siu is a cultural anthropologist and award-winning author with expertise in diaspora, transnational migration, belonging and citizenship, food, ethnography, and hemispheric Asian American studies.

CESR’s Faculty Collaborative Research Incubator is a signature program that invites faculty from various schools and disciplines to develop collaborative projects.

The incubator offers a space for community, professional development, and, of course, collaboration.

The '23-'24 cohort created impactful projects. Check out this year's collaborative projects!

Haben Girma is a disability rights advocate of Eritrean and Ethiopian descent, and the first deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School. She has used her platform to champion accessibility and equal opportunities for people with disabilities, and her efforts continue to inspire and drive change in creating a more inclusive world. Check out her memoir, Haben : The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law, and give her a follow .

Today’s quote comes from Amanda Nguyen, a a renowned civil rights activist and the founder of Rise, a nonprofit organization advocating for the rights of sexual assault survivors. Take a second to and challenge yourself to think critically about the way systematic rules play a part in our everyday lives.

Brit Bennett is an acclaimed American author known for her exploration of race, identity, and family in her novels.

Her bestselling novel, “The Vanishing Half" is well renown for its take on twin sisters who choose to live in racially divergent worlds.

Dolores Huerta is an American labor leader and civil rights activist. and change the world!✊

Meet Villisa Thompson, a licensed social worker and disability activist, and the founder of Ramp Your Voice!, an organization dedicated to promoting self-advocacy and empowerment among disabled people of color. Go give her a follow , to keep up with all of the amazing work she does

Leroy F. Moore Jr. a writer, poet, community activist, and music lover, and the is the founder of the Krip-Hop Nation/Institute, a movement that uses hip-hop as a means of expression for people with disabilities.

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Learn about the influence that haudenosaunee women and culture had on our country and suffragettes.

Alice Wong is a disability rights activist, author, and founder of the Disability Visibility Project, an online community dedicated to creating and sharing disability media and culture.

Through her work, Alice amplifies the voices of disabled people and advocates for greater inclusion and representation. She is also known for her book, "Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century," which highlights diverse experiences within the disability community.

!!Meet an Author!!

Daniel José Older, an author of Cuban and Jewish descent, is known for his storytelling and commitment to diverse narratives.

Check out one of his most popular novels "Shadowshaper", a urban fantasy that follows Sierra Santiago, a young Afro-Latina artist in Brooklyn who discovers her family's magical heritage and their connection to shadowshaping—an ancient ability to infuse art with spirits.

This disability pride month, we at CESR wants to honor an influential activist for disability rights.

Brad Lomax was a member of Black Panther Party and played a crucial role in the 504 Sit-in, a key event in disability rights history. He helped bridge the civil rights and disability rights movements, advocating for the rights of people with disabilities to have equal access to public services and facilities.

!! Activist Spotlight!!

Meet Imani Barbarin, a prominent disability rights advocate, writer, and speaker known for her impactful commentary on social justice issues. As a Black woman with cerebral palsy, she uses her platform to challenge ableism, racism, and other forms of discrimination, promoting greater understanding and inclusion. To learn more, follow her at

Check out this amazing project headed by Dr. Adam Cilli at Pitt Greensburg. You can now listen 1970s recordings of Black steel workers and Southern Migrants to Pittsburgh online! Learn about their experiences and hear about what Pittsburgh was like.

Transcriptions are available for some of the interviews and CESR has provided funding for future transcriptions for other interviews in the collection

July is Disability Pride Month! Swipe to learn more.

Wrapping up our pride month series here at CESR is Audre Lorde!!

A poet, essayist, and activist, Audre Lord embraced her multifaceted identity as a “black, le***an, mother, warrior” to confront and dismantle systems of oppression.

Her writings, including “The Black Unicorn” and “Sister Outsider,” provide powerful insights into race, gender, and sexuality.

Audre Lorde’s legacy continues to inspire generations of activists, urging us to embrace diversity and solidarity in the ongoing struggle for social justice and equality.