First hour: Discussing diversity and inclusion in the preservation movement
Second hour: Why STEM can benefit from the arts and humanities
When historic buildings and spaces are successfully preserved, they help tell the stories of the communities that used and cared about them. But what happens when the majority of preservation professionals are white? Diversity and inclusion in the preservation profession is the focus of an upcoming conference hosted by the Landmark Society of Western New York. This year’s keynote speaker is Lee Bey, a photographer, writer, lecturer, and consultant whose work centers on the interpretation of the built environment. Specifically, Bey explores the political, social, and racial forces that shape spaces. This hour, we discuss how the preservation movement can be more inclusive, and how spaces and places would look different if more voices of color were included in preservation conversations. Our guests:
- Lee Bey, architectural photographer, writer, and lecturer
- Caitlin Meives, preservation planner for the Landmark Society of Western New York
- Wayne Goodman, executive director of the Landmark Society of Western New York
- (phone) Brent Leggs, executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund with the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Then in our second hour, we often hear that science and tech would benefit from arts and the humanities. But how? Start with this: the CEO of a tech company says his firm was about to lose one of their most important clients – but a bartender saved the day. That bartender was a philosophy dropout who offered his services in talking to the client, and was able to build bridges that no one in the firm could build. We’ll discuss whether this could possibly become the norm, and we’ll preview an upcoming event focusing on STEM and the humanities. Our guests:
- Eric Berridge, CEO of Bluewolf
- Michael Jacobs, dean of humanities and social sciences and director of the Institute for the Humanities at Monroe Community College
- Amanda Roth, assistant professor of philosophy and women's studies at SUNY Geneseo
