View the Video or listen to the podcast of Dr. Mary Frances Berry's keynote address.

Women of Color Task Force Conference RECAP

The Women of Color Task Force of the University of Michigan hosted its 25th annual career conference on Friday, March 2, 2007 at the Michigan League. The keynote speaker was Dr. Mary Frances Berry, a former chair of the US Civil Rights Commission and a graduate of both the University of Michigan’s Law School (JD) and Department of History (PhD). She is currently the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania.  Dr. Berry spoke about the importance of continuing your education and professional development, diversity in the workplace, and community activism. Dr Berry autographed copies of her latest book, “My Face Is Black Is True: Callie House and the Struggle for Ex-Slave Reparations.” 

Sponsors

The WCTF annual conference, the largest career development event held at the UM, offered 47 professional, financial and personal development workshops designed to educate and empower attendees, as well as to equip them to become more active in their communities. An exciting highlight from the workshop sessions was a presentation on mentoring which featured a distinguished panel of University administrators: Ms. Laurita Thomas, Associate Vice President and Chief HR Officer; Dr. Sue Eklund, dean of students; and Ms. Stacy Johnson Lead HR officer in the Office of the Associate Vice President for Facilities and Operations.  Other new additions to the workshop schedule included sessions on professional coaching; strategies for taking the GRE, MCAT, GMAT and other standardized tests; navigating the UM Careers website; leading change as a middle manager; yoga; ballroom dancing; and getting your child into college.

The Early Years

In its early years, the conference was simply a series of professional development sessions targeting women of color, who were not receiving career assistance through main university channels. The founders of the Task Force, Jennie Partee and Beulah Sanders, soon expanded their vision to a symposium that would provide both training and networking opportunities for all employees at the University and specifically address the needs of women of color staff.  Ms. Partee and Ms. Sanders’ efforts led to a one-day conference in 1983.  Since then, this annual event has grown to an average attendance of 600 people each year.

This year the WCTF conference was supported by both University of Michigan and community sponsors, including the Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, the UM Human Resources and Affirmative Action Office, the University of Michigan Health System, the Center for the Education of Women, and Borders Books, Store # 1.

Other WCTF Activities

In addition to the conference, the Women of Color Task Force sponsors innovative programs and activities throughout the year, designed to assist staff in realizing their career development goals; to prepare them to take on leadership roles in the organization and in their units; and to find their “voice" on campus. Members volunteer their time to support programs and collaborate with the other campus groups in order to promote diversity in the workplace, in particular at the senior staff level. 

For additional information about the Women of Color Task Force and its programs, please contact Janice Reuben, WCTF Program Coordinator at 734-764-6331, or via email at wctfadmin@umich.edu.