Happening Soon
Planning Committee: Antaknea Majors, Cindy Arias, Edwina Fui (Co-Chair), Fuifui Ah Kuoi (Co-Chair), Jeffrey Kurnick, Ly Luong, Raman Kaur, Sarijana Clark, Savannah Whisman, and Yara Bautista-Penafiel.
Graphic Designer: Kristin Lawpaugh
05/22 – From Gradu to Gumbo: The Roots of Authentic Connection Jori Bercier
Time: 1:00-3:00PM
Location: Building 7
Discover how embracing “gradoo” (grah-doo)-the Cajun word for mess and grit, and everything in between can better your relationships. The most delicious gumbo starts with a little bit of chaos in the pot, and the strongest communities are built when we embrace the messy, imperfect moments together. Meet me on my Front Porch (Building 7) to build deeper, more meaningful relationships and leave with stories and strategies you won’t want to miss.
Jori (they|them) is a PhD student in Built Environments, also pursuing certificates in Gender and Sexuality and Historic Preservation. Their research examines how queer bookstores in Seattle create spaces for transgender belonging and embodiment. Beyond academia, Jori works as a community development freelancer, applying systems thinking and mutual aid strategies to help diverse communities connect and thrive. They are passionate about creating inclusive spaces and support networks that recognize intersectional experiences and foster genuine connection. Fun Facts: Enjoys restoring classic cars, architecture, and owned a used independent bookstore in their hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana. Front Porch/Gumbo/Cajun culture is at the root of all they do. As they say, lâche pas la patate, reste sur le perron.
Photo of Jori Bercier
05/27 – Harmony in Motion: Explore your stories through Art & Senses with Meg Steele
Time: 11:00AM-1:00PM
Where: Building 7
Have you ever explored your story through being creative or doing something with your hands? This Zentangle Workshop & Sensory Pop Up will ease sensory overload and create a safe space to help you discover what brings you mental clarity. As long as you can draw a line, circle, or triangle, Zentangle will be a great meditative experience.
Photo of Meg Steele
Meg is an experienced Artist, Coach, and corporate HR Consultant/executive who teaches and presents on a variety of subjects. A key motivator in Meg’s life is Creativity in all forms. Meg’s greatest passion is reigniting creativity in adults who have abandoned their childlike creative joy
Photo of Meg Steele
06/03 – Juneteenth Celebration in collaboration with Black Scholars Club
Time: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Where: Building 7
Join us for an event honoring freedom, resilience, and excellence. This gathering will feature an engaging educational presentation on the history and ongoing legacy of Juneteenth, light appetizers, a showcase of local Black-owned businesses, and a vibrant fashion show celebrating Black culture and creativity. Come learn, connect, and celebrate in community
Fashion Showcase: Showcasing African Diaspora – Hosted by Black Scholars Club
We are seeking models to showcase designs and regalia from the African Diaspora. This event is all about celebrating cultural pride, representation, and fashion. Please fill out this sign up form by Monday, June 2nd at 2pm so we can get to know you and add you to our program! It is mandatory to attend a practice run-through.
Speaker Bio: Dr. Daryllyn Harris completed her PhD at Smith College School of Social Work in 2024. She brings over 20 years of experience serving as a case manager, clinical social worker, counselor, advisor, and educator. Her therapeutic approach centers on Relational Theory and Intersectionality, recognizing that our relationships and the intersections of our identities—such as race, gender, culture, and sexual orientation—deeply shape our lived experiences and worldviews. Committed to meeting people where they are, Dr. Harris holds the complexities of identity at the core of her work, using evidence-based modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, Solution-Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, EMDR, and Trauma-Informed Care. As a Womanist and community healer, she embraces Black joy, liberation, and the power of rest and relational care as essential to healing and resistance.
Speaker Bio: Nicole Hoyes Wilson, LICSW, LMHC (she/her/hers) currently serves as a tenured Faculty Counselor at Highline College. She is originally from Washington state and is a child of immigrant parents from Jamaica and England. As a licensed mental health counselor and licensed clinical social worker, she provides individual mental health counseling, crisis intervention, and educational outreach. Much of her clinical work has focused on the intersections of social justice, identity and mental health; namely, the impacts of racial trauma, sexism, and homophobia on one’s sense of self.
Nicole has over 20 years of professional experience in higher education and also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Seattle University and the University of Washington. Nicole is often sought out for training and development focused on trauma-informed care, racial battle fatigue, and collective care. She has provided consultation and organizational leadership training for non-profits, universities, K-12 teachers, and legislators.
About Black Scholars Club: The Black Scholars Club under the Umoja program is dedicated to fostering academic excellence, cultural pride, and personal empowerment among Black students. Our mission is to create a supportive community that celebrates the richness of Black heritage, cultivates leadership skills, and promotes intellectual growth. We are committed to uplifting one another, breaking barriers, and positively impacting our communities, all while staying grounded in the values of Umoja- unity, solidarity, and collective strength.
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