On Tuesday, Feb. 13, Cabrini College will celebrate Founder’s Day. Founder’s Day is an annual celebration of the mission of Cabrini. It is held near the birthday of Sister Ursula Infante, MSC, the founder of Cabrini College. Infante founded the college in 1957 and died in 2001 at the age of 104.
This celebration, which is only in its third year, is a day to honor a particular person who embodies the Cabrinian legacy of making the love of God visible through active social justice work in the world. Each year the day is themed around a different issue. Past years have honored immigration-rights activist Jim Claffey and death penalty abolitionist Sister Helen Prejean.
The key note speaker this year is Dr. Robert Bullard, Ware Distinguished Professor of sociology and director of the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University. He is known as the founder of the field of environmental justice. His ground-breaking work connecting environmental pollution and institutional racism is changing policies across the United States.
Environmental justice is the fair treatment of all people, no matter their race, color, national origin or income with respect to the development, execution and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.
Bullard worked with President Clinton on his Transition Team in the Natural Resources and Environment Cluster. He is one of the creators of the First and Second National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit. Over the past decade, he has served as an expert witness in dozens of civil rights cases. He is the author of many books and articles on this issue, including Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class and Environmental Quality, now in its third edition.
A selection of Bullard’s works will be available in the Wolfington Center or the Holy Spirit Library beginning Monday, February 12.
Bullard’s keynote presentation, “For Our Children’s Sake: Environmental Justice for All,” will be at 7 p.m. in the mansion. There will also be an open session for faculty and staff, “Reflections with a Master Teacher, on Integrating Diversity Perspectives into the Classroom across Disciplines,” from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. in the SET lecture hall.
There is no change to the class schedule on Founder’s Day.
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