Come to this Conversation and Q&A about the book, Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You'd Rather Cancel which chronicles author, Loretta Ross's experiences as varied as teaching Black feminist theory and anti-rape philosophies to incarcerated sex offenders and working with ex-Klan members on how to become anti-racist. When we think we've arrived at a cultural impasse, Ross points us to solutions that foster social change at this critical moment of social and political divisions.

Loretta Ross is a MacArthur Prize-winning activist, author, scholar and professor at Smith College, who has been on the frontlines of Civil Rights and Feminist movements the past 50 years. 

Ross is the founder of the National Center for Human Rights Education and a cofounder of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, her many accolades and honors include a 2022 MacArthur Fellowship and a 2024 induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Today, Ross is an associate professor at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts and the founder of LoRossta Consulting, with which she runs “Calling In” training sessions online and for organizations around the country.

UAlbany’s Constitution Day and Great Dane Dialogue features a week of panels on navigating civil discourse in a divided society. Students will hear from journalists, advocates, and elected officials as they share perspectives on negotiation, collaboration, and civic engagement—offering real-world insights into building understanding, finding compromise, and strengthening democracy. 

Co-Sponsored by the Offices of Communications and Marketing, Inclusive Excellence, Student Affairs, First Year Experience, CATLOE, OGCR/Leading Questions, Rockefeller College, Interfaith Center, University Libraries and the New York State Writers Institute.

This event is cosponsored by the UAlbany's Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies; Black Indigeous Latinx and People of Color (BILPOC) Faculty Advancement Initiative; Office of Inclusive Excellence; Africana, Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies, the College of Integrated Health Sciences; and the NYS Writers Institute.

For a complete schedule of events, visit Great Dane Dialogue.