Attend Smithsonian panel: “Reckoning with our Racial Past”

Smithsonian logo, "Reckoning with our racial past: conversations for our shared future."Join the special event “Reckoning with our Racial Past: Conversations for our Shared Future,” a panel discussion sponsored by the Smithsonian, and hosted at Central Piedmont’s Central Campus.

Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and Brian Moynihan, Chair & CEO, Bank of America, along with other local leaders, will discuss how access to critical resources can shape communities across the nation–including right here in Charlotte.

The panel will be moderated by award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien.

  • Monday Nov. 6
  • 6:30 – 8  p.m.
  • Central Campus, Parr Center, Theater

Registration is required, RSVP on the event page.

Mural artists event March 22

In the spring of 2022, Central Piedmont Community College selected two former students and local artists, Rosalia Torres-Weiner and Felicia Sky Sutton, to create a large-scale mural honoring the past history of the college, documenting the present, and reflecting the aspirations of Central Piedmont students for the future.

In celebration of the completion of the mural project, Central Piedmont will host a panel discussion March 22 with the muralists and technical executive, to share their experience, inspiration, and process creating the mural.

The panel discussion is open to all Central Piedmont students, employees, and members of the community. We invite all attendees to join us after the discussion for a reception in the lobby of the Parr Center Theater.

  • March 22 at 3 p.m.
  • Central Piedmont Central Campus, Parr Center Theater
  • Reception to follow in the lobby of the Parr Center Theater, immediately after the discussion

Visitors to the mural can enjoy the added element of augmented reality (AR) built into the murals metadata. The RedCalacAR app, available for IOS and Android devices, allows the viewer interact with the mural through the power of technology. The AR design provides the viewer with the opportunity to enjoy various animations, listen to student stories, songs and poetry and learn more about the history of Central Piedmont.

Torres-Weiner and Sutton are both former Central Piedmont students, and were chosen from a highly skilled pool of applicants to work collaboratively with current students, faculty, and staff to create an interactive mural. Learn more about the artists.

For more information about the mural or the event, please contact Amelia Zytka at amelia.zytka@cpcc.edu. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook at Central Piedmont Arts and the Central Piedmont Arts blog.

Central Piedmont Hosts Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Panel with Community Leaders

two students sitting in auditoriumIn celebration of Black History Month, the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Council at Central Piedmont is hosting a virtual panel with prominent leaders from partner organizations in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community. Central Piedmont students and employees don’t want to miss this opportunity to hear personal and professional experiences of how some of our top community leaders advocate for opportunity, access, and fairness within their organizations. 

The panelists: 

  • Kieth Cockrell, president, Bank of America Charlotte
  • Chiquitha Lloyd, director of diversity and inclusion, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
  • Dr. Dana McDonald, vice president of talent development, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont
  • Fernando Little, vice president and chief diversity officer, Atrium Health
Students and employees can join the event on February 2, from 1:00 -2:30pm online. (Link will be made live the day of the event. Currently it goes to the Central Piedmont homepage.)