Human rights ambassador Thomas Davis will examine multiculturalism in the context of sexual orientation, ethnicity and minority status in two upcoming lectures at Linfield College.
Davis will present “How Health Care Professionals Can Effectively Work with and Support HIV Positive Clients” on Monday, Oct. 5, at 11:30 a.m. at the Linfield College Portland Campus. On Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 8 p.m. he will present a second talk, “What We Don’t Know CAN Hurt Us,” in Ice Auditorium in Melrose Hall on the McMinnville Campus.
Davis, a young gay African American man and a Human Rights Campaign Youth Ambassador who is living with HIV, will meet with students and staff in Portland and McMinnville and examine multiculturalism in the context of sexual orientation, ethnicity and minority status. He will discuss his own experience and raise awareness about the need for more honest and inclusive education programs in sexuality. Davis will also remind us that HIV does not discriminate, and stress the importance of taking responsibility to reduce our risk of exposure.
He received a BFA in performing arts dance theatre from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy College and Conservatory of the Arts and also studied with Debbie Allen Dance Academy. He currently teaches at the Lula Washington Dance Theater in Los Angeles and also has toured with the theater’s professional company. Most recently Davis has started working as a research assistant at UCLA, designing a mobile application for health and well-being.
The talk is sponsored by the Department of Health, Human Performance and Athletics; Student Health, Wellness and Counseling Services; the Black Student Union; Fusion; and the Associated Students of Linfield College.
It is also funded, in part, by a grant awarded by Linfield’s Diversity Committee to explore and support the intellectual and research interests of students, faculty and staff in areas of diversity and inclusion, promoting courageous conversations about diversity and lived experiences across our college and communities. For more information about those grants, contact Reshmi Dutt-Ballerstadt, rdutt-b@linfield.edu.
The talk is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dawn Graff-Haight, dghaight@linfield.edu, 503-883-2641.
