UALR’s Institute for Race and Ethnicity will join LeadAR, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s leadership program; and the Kareem Brown Foundation in hosting a panel discussion on race relations for members of a Wisconsin leadership group from 3 to 5 p.m Sunday, Sept. 11, in the Obama Room at the Holiday Inn Presidential Center.

Panelists will include Attorney Jimmy C. Morris, Ruth Shepherd, director of Just Communities; Ron Mc, author and hip hop artist; Tabitha Lee, a biracial student at the Clinton School of Public Service; Professor Ranko Shiraki Oliver of the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law and a member of the Arkansas State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; and Adjoa A. Aiyetoro, director of the UALR Institute on Race and Ethnicity and law professor.

The 25-member group is part of Leadership Wisconsin, a two-year leadership development program for that state’s citizens. Jo Ann Stormer, executive director of Leadership Wisconsin, said the organization wants the group to think beyond their geographical and personal borders.

“An ability to positively engage in diverse environments is key to being a good leader. In bringing our participants to Arkansas, we want them to see and experience something different from what is in their own back yard – to discover strength in differences and then bring those discoveries back to their communities throughout Wisconsin,” she said.

The discussion will be moderated by Sylvester Smith, who founded the Kareem Brown McNeal Foundation. For more information, contact Smith 501-838-4047.