Happening Soon
Spring Series 2025
Winter 2025 Series
Planning Committee: Yara Bautista-Peñafiel (Co-Chair), Tuan Dao, Shirlyn Mwangi, Monica Twork, Fuifui Ah Kuoi, Edwina Fui, Cindy Arias (Co-Chair) & Ciara White
Marketing Designs by: Kristin Lawpaugh
01/21 – CCIE Winter Series – The Power of Pause with Dr. Joye Hardiman
Time: 10 A.M. – 1:30 P.M.
Location: Building 7, Zoom, Building 8 (Mt. Constance/Olympus)
Dr. W. Joye Hardiman’s presentation draws from Classical African and Ancient Egyptian literature, Indigenous cultures, Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, and her own life experiences to explore powerful concepts of resilience and perseverance. The presentation will focus on the “Power of the Pause” and the reality that good work leads to more blessings, offering attendees practical strategies for navigating challenging times while maintaining their integrity and purpose. Dr. Hardiman will use her renowned storytelling skills to convey these ancient wisdoms and their applications to contemporary problems, making complex ideas accessible and inspiring. Following the Presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to engage in an intergenerational conversation and book signing with Dr. Hardiman, fostering a deeper connection with the material and encouraging ongoing dialogue
Keynote Speech
Time: 10:00am-11:30am
Location: Building 7 or Zoom (Live Streaming)
Passcode: ccieseries
Workshop Session
Time: 12:30-1:30pm
Location:Building 8-1st Floor (Mt. Constance/Olympus)
Dr. W. Joye Hardiman, is a storyteller, scholar, master teacher, world traveler, author of “The Ra- surrection of Truth from the Chains of Falsehood” and a Higher Education Architect. She has a Ph.D. in Applied Literary Studies and Urban Education from the Union Institute. She was a Fulbright Scholar and a Graduate of Harvard’s Management Development Program. She was the Executive Director of the Evergreen State College Tacoma Campus for over two decades and the Interim Director of the Washington Center for Improvement in the Quality of Higher Education for two years. She is a founding member of the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations (ASCAC) and the chairperson of its Creative Production Commission. She is currently teaching part-time on the Tacoma campus and is the Artistic Director of Ancestral Art Works – a creative production company that uses Ancestral Wisdoms to solve Contemporary Problems. She also hosts “Let the Ancestors Speak- a You Tube Series and recently had a city park named after her.
Photo of Dr. Joye Hardiman
02/13 – CCIE Winter Series – Rest as Resistance: A Mindfulness Field Day
Time: 10 A.M. – 1 P.M.
Location: Building 8, 1st floor – Mt.Constance/Olympus & Building 8, 2nd floor Inter-Cultural Center
The Center for Cultural & Inclusive Excellence is excited to announce the second program to our Winter Series! This year’s theme is “The Power of Pause: A Path to Healing & Justice”. The planning committee, aimed to highlight and engage in conversations centered on identity, community, and healing through rest. With this in mind, we decided to plan what we’re calling a mindfulness field day. We will begin with Isha and Nicole from the counseling center, who will teach us how stress can impact the body and how to manage it. After that, it will be a choose your own adventure. Please see below for more details.
Nature Walk 🌿
02/19 – 4th Annual Black Business Expo
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Building 8, 1st Floor
This event is dedicated to celebrating and featuring over 30+ local Black-owned businesses, showcasing their talents, products, and contributions to our community.
This year’s expo will be an exciting mix of business, culture, and interactive experiences. Attendees can look forward to:
🎶 Vibe Bingo 12:00 – 1:00 PM – A high-energy twist on traditional bingo, where a DJ spins the hits, and you mark your card if the song matches!
🏋🏽 Trap Lab Studio Workout Demo – Get moving with a sample workout class that blends music, movement, and energy for an unforgettable fitness experience.
🎨 Live Art by Christopher Coleman – Watch renowned artist Christopher Coleman create a masterpiece in a live, immersive art installation where attendees can contribute.
💆🏽♀️ Aromatherapy Massages – Relax and rejuvenate with calming scents and soothing techniques with short 5 minute sample massages
💈 Barbershop Talks with Life Styles Barber Academy – Experience the tradition and culture of the Black barbershop, with on-site haircuts and real conversations about life, community, and success.
This is an event you won’t want to miss! Join us tomorrow and spread the word as we celebrate Black excellence in business, artistry, and community.
We look forward to seeing you there!
03/05 – Savoring HERstory: A Brunch Celebration of Women’s Stories
Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Building 8, 1st Floor
This event is dedicated to celebrating Women’s History Month and celebrating their stories.
Fall 2024 Series
10/15 – CCIE Fall Series: Linocut Workshop and Identity with Dr. Eileen Jimenez
Time: 12:30 P.M. – 2:00 PM
Location: Building 8, Mt. Constance/Olympus
During this printmaking workshop, we will co-create artwork that reflects our experiences and relationships with Land, to joy, to resilience, to ourselves, and to our communities. We will co-create art using pre-carved linocut blocks, embellishing our prints with watercolors.
Eileen’s mother is Maria Cruz, her grandmother is Eloisa, and her great grandmother is Isidora, matriarchs of the Ñätho (Otomi Peoples of Michoacan/Guanajuato, Mexico). As an Indigenous leader, community member, educator and as an artist, everything she does and creates is influenced by her many intersecting identities and lived experiences. Eileen uses linocut and mixed-media techniques to develop her own ways of telling stories in the complex layers that they exist in, as well as to demonstrate the ways that we are connected to the Land and to each other.
Photo of Dr. Eileen Jimenez
10/24 – CCIE Fall Series: Drag Bingo With Brandi Marxxx
Time: 6:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.
Location: Building 8, 1st Floor, Mt. Townsend
Join us for an unforgettable evening of Bingo, Drag Performances and tunes, hosted by Brandi Marxxx! Tacoma’s non binary Diva and resident Trophy wife! Featuring dazzling performances, interactive bingo games, and tunes to keep the energy high! Presented by the Center for Cultural and Inclusive Excellence. You won’t want to miss this! This event is open to students, staff, faculty and community members! Light refreshments will be provided.
Brandi Marxxx has been dazzling audiences for seven years as a powerhouse in the Pacific Northwest drag scene. As the eldest daughter of the Haus of Sutra, she has earned a reputation for her dynamic performances, polished style, and sharp sense of humor. Beyond the stage, Brandi is a dedicated drag entertainer and producer, consistently curating unforgettable shows that spotlight queer talent and community spirit. You can catch her hosting and producing lively bingo nights and drag shows at the Mule Tavern in Tacoma and a queer variety show at Lush Bar in Belltown, Seattle, where she effortlessly blends entertainment with inclusivity. At 28 years young, Brandi embodies both fierce confidence and approachable charm, using her platform to uplift others while staying true to her own identity. Her pronouns are she/they/them, reflecting her non-binary, fluid expression, and her commitment to queer visibility is at the heart of everything she does. Keep an eye out for this diva, because Brandi Marxxx is here to stay and slay!
Photo of Brandi Marxxx