Diversity and Inclusion Updates for Berklee Families

We invite students and their families to keep up with our events on berkleecdei.com. We also welcome students, family members, and friends of Berklee’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to find out the latest information.

Registration is now open for the inaugural We Will Rise Summit.

We ask all members of the community to join us at the We Will Rise Summit on February 26 and 27. The diversity and inclusion team, in collaboration with the Black History Celebrations Committee, has constructed a two-day, conference-style summit that is open to all, including alumni, parents, families, and friends of Berklee.

Here’s a glance at the five plenary speakers participating in the We Will Rise Conversation Series.

Anthony R. Green and Ashleigh Gordon

Anthony Green and Ashleigh Gordon are cofounders of Castle of Our Skins, a Boston-based concert and educational series devoted to celebrating Black artistry through music. From classrooms to concert halls, Castle of Our Skins invites exploration into Black heritage and culture, spotlighting both unsung and celebrated figures of the past and present. Gordon serves as the artistic and executive director, and Green serves as the associate artistic director.

Aysha Upchurch

Aysha Upchurch, the dancing diplomat, is an award-winning artist, passionate educator, and sought-after consultant who creates, facilitates, and designs for radical change. As a dancer/choreographer, she considers herself a storyteller who leans on African diasporic movement to create stories of joy, connection, and liberation on the stage that seek to stir up that which is stagnant in order to bring performers and audiences into closer dialogue with each other and themselves.

Ellice Patterson

Ellice Patterson is the founder and executive and artistic director of Abilities Dance, a Boston-based dance company that welcomes artists with and without disabilities. She is also the executive director of BalletRox, a Boston-based dance education program that provides access to high-quality dance education to youth within Boston Public Schools and in their after-school program in Jamaica Plain.

Bryan Terrell Clark

Bryan Terrell Clark is an accomplished actor and singer-songwriter who has performed in hugely successful Broadway shows and a wide range of popular television programming for various networks. In 2019, he reprised his role as George Washington in the record-breaking Broadway hit Hamilton. He made his Broadway debut playing the iconic role of Marvin Gaye in Motown: The Musical, which received a 2014 Grammy Award nomination for Best Musical Theater Album.

Visit the Black History Celebrations website to learn more about registration and participation in the We Will Rise Summit.

In March, we continue our Black History Celebration with the following event:

An Intimate Conversation with Actor and Director Salli Richardson-Whitfield

Thursday, March 11, 2021, 6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m. ET

Join us for an intimate conversation with actor and director Salli Richardson-Whitfield as she details her artistic approach, the pivot from acting to directing, and the ways in which her identities have impacted her artistry. Richardson-Whitfield will also candidly discuss lessons she's learned as a Black woman in the television and film industry.