Building Brighter Futures: Working to End Violence Against Women

This Women's History Month event features panelists Tracie Q. Gilbert, Lili Bernard and Amber Hikes.

 Monday, March 14, 2022 00:11 PM

Dr. Tracie Gilbert, Lili Bernard and Amber Hikes are the featured panelists for the Building Brighter Futures event during Women's History Month.Tracie Gilbert, Lili Bernard and Amber Hikes will be the featured panelists for the event.

As part of Women's History Month, a panel featuring prominent voices in education education, social activism and art will share their wisdom on how to promote a future where women are free from violence and harm.

The Building Brighter Futures: Working to End Violence Against Women event is sponsored by the Office of Prevention Education, the Office of Equity & Title IX and the Africana Studies Program.

Due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict, this event has been postponed. This article will be updated when a rescheduled date has been decided.

Featured panelists include educator Tracie Q. Gilbert, artist Lili Bernard and social justice advocate and ACLU Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer Amber Hikes.

Gilbert is a writer, educator and researcher who uses her work to pursue sexual wellness for Black people and racial justice in sex-ed spaces. Gilbert received her M.S.Ed. at the University of Pennsylvania and her doctorate from the Center for Human Sexuality Studies at Widener University, where she now teaches as an assistant professor. In November, she released her first book, Black & Sexy: A Framework of Radicalized Sexuality. Her voice and perspectives can be found most often on her podcast, The Sex Ed of Blackfolk w/ Dr. G.

Bernard is a Cuban-born, Los Angeles-based actor, interdisciplinary artist and mother who was raised predominantly in New Jersey. In the fine arts, her numerous credits include a 2017 solo exhibition at the Museum of African Diaspora and favorable reviews in a multitude of mainstream periodicals. As an actor, Bernard starred in the BBC film Murder in Oakland and co-starred in Stephen King’s Golden Years and also has had appearances on Seinfield and The Cosby Show. 

Bernard is a Cosby survivor-turned-public-figure anti-rape activist who influcenced the abolishment of the statute of limitations on rape prosecution in California as well as the gubernatorial signing of three #MeToo bills on employment sexual harassment and assault. Bernard graduated from The American School in Japan and attended Cornell University and The City University of New York. She received her M.F.A. from Otis College of Art and Design. 

Hikes is a social justice advocate and community organizer who is unapologetically queer and Black. She is the ACLU’s first chief equity and inclusion officer, providing vision, leadership and direction for the organization’s nationwide strategy to support equity, diversity and inclusion.

Hikes has been recognized nationally by OUT Magazine as “Community Organizer of the Year” in 2018 and as one of the 40 LGBTQ Leaders Under 40 by Business Equality Pride. Hikes earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania and psychology and English degrees from the University of Delaware. 

This event was made possible in part with the help of the Office of the Dean of Students and the Lectures and Forums committee.