Reclaiming Hope: The 2025 Power & Privilege Symposium

The Power & Privilege Symposium has become a cornerstone of Whitman College’s commitment to fostering critical conversations about structural oppression and its manifestations both on campus and beyond. This year’s symposium, themed “Reclaiming Hope: Resilience and Resistance in Action,” invites the community to engage in bold, transformative discussions centered on issues of racism, sexism, ableism, capitalism and other systemic power structures. Our program will include multiple student-led sessions, as well as invited talks by equity educator and actor Kausar Mohammed (pictured, left), artist Fatimah Hossaini (pictured, right), and education scholar Dr. Terrell Strayhorn (pictured, center). Through lectures, panels, workshops and artistic showcases, the symposium empowers students, faculty and staff to examine and question the social paradigms that shape our world.

A Legacy of Activism and Reflection

The origins of the Power & Privilege Symposium are rooted in student activism and community resilience. In 2006, an incident of blackface at a fraternity party sparked outrage and ignited a critical conversation about race and privilege on campus. What began as a contentious email chain evolved into a collective call for change. Students, supported by faculty, canceled classes for a day-long Symposium on Race Relations and Community, with nearly 1,000 attendees engaging in critical dialogues.

In the years that followed, student activists from groups like Feminists Advocating for Change and Empowerment and the Black Student Union pushed for an institutionalized annual symposium. Their efforts culminated in the first Power & Privilege Symposium in 2014, marking a pivotal moment in Whitman’s journey toward addressing structural inequities and creating a space for education and empowerment.

Reclaiming Hope: Resilience and Resistance in Action

This year’s theme, “Reclaiming Hope: Resilience and Resistance in Action,” emphasizes hope not as an abstract ideal but as a transformative force capable of driving meaningful change. Amidst global challenges—including wars, humanitarian crises, climate change, anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation, and ongoing campus protests—hope becomes an act of resistance and a source of resilience.

The 2025 symposium aspires to uplift stories of perseverance and collective action, shining a light on how individuals and communities navigate and combat systemic injustices. Through dynamic discussions, workshops and artistic exhibitions, participants will explore the intersections of personal resilience and broader systems of oppression, fostering a deeper understanding of their shared role in building a just and equitable society.

Featured Speakers:

Kausar Mohammed is a distinguished equity facilitator, actress and comedian.

As a co-founder of SHIFT, a women of color-led collective offering racial and gender equity education and consulting, and drawing from her own experiences in Hollywood, Kausar disrupts norms by unapologetically centering historically marginalized identities.

Kausar is a founding member of Los Angeles-based The Get Brown sketch comedy troupe, where she continues to create comedy that pushes the boundaries as to what it means to exist as first generation South-Asian American today.

As a writer, her celebrated queer, Muslim romcom “The Syed Family XMAS Eve Game Night,” premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival and was acquired by a major studio for development. She also starred in the 2023 horror comedy movie, “Appendage” and the films, “Little” and “What Men Want.”

Kausar's impactful career spans TV, film, and live comedy. On television, in addition to portraying superhero Dr. Meena Dhawan on the CW’s “The Flash,” and Soraya Abbas on CW’s “4400,” she’s also played Shila in “MO.” A prominent voice actress, she brings to life Yaz, a fan-favorite lead character, on Dreamworks and Amblin’s hit show “Jurrasic World: Camp Cretaceou” and the latest installment, “Jurassic World: Chaos Theory.” She also voices the iconic Cleo on Nickelodeon and Mattel’s “Monster High.”

Fatimah Hossaini is an acclaimed Afghan-Tehran born artist, photographer, curator, and founder of the Mastooraat Organization. Celebrated as one of the youngest recipients of the prestigious Hypatia International Award, was honored as a rising talent and youth ambassador by The Women’s Forum in France in 2022.

A tireless advocate for women’s and refugee rights, Fatimah’s art poignantly captures narratives of identity and femininity, with a particular focus on the Afghan experience. Renowned for her expertise in staged photography, Fatimah’s use of vibrant color and passionate storytelling are hallmarks of her acclaimed work.

Her artwork has been exhibited globally, from solo exhibitions in Europe to renowned art festivals across Asia and the USA. Additionally, Fatimah’s work and thought-provoking articles have been featured in leading publications such as Time, The Guardian, Vogue, Arte and many more.

Terrell Strayhorn is an academic at heart. Professor, center director, and principal investigator, Terrell has an unapologetic commitment to conducting, marshaling and translating scientific research for the purposes of advancing equity, removing systemic injustices, and improving the material conditions of our most vulnerable populations in society. He is President/CEO of Do Good Work Consulting Group, leading an awesome team, working with hundreds of colleges, universities, districts and agencies in “moving the needle” on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging outcomes for staff and students.

Terrell loves to write. He has published 12 books and over 200+ book chapters, journal articles and other scholarly publications. He believes strongly in connecting research findings to addressing broader social problems and putting research to practice, thus, he frequently writes Op-Eds, letters to editors, and blogs. He’s a contributing writer for Entrepreneur, AllBusiness, Thrive Global and Psychology Today.

Schedule:

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025
P&P Kick-Off: Laughter & Liberation—Comedy as a Tool of Hope

• Featured Guest: Kausar Mohammed
• Time: 4–5:30 p.m.
• Location: Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025
P&P Keynote Address: Beauty Amidst Conflict—Resilience, Resistance, and the Story of Women of Afghanistan Through Art

• Keynote Speaker: Fatimah Hossaini
• Time: 6–7:30 p.m.
• Location: Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom

Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025
P&P Day Schedule

• 9–10 a.m.
  Symposium Opening Speech
  • Featured Speaker: Dr. Terrell Strayhorn
  • Location: Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom
• 10 a.m. to Noon
  Student-Led Sessions
• Noon–2 p.m.
  Lunch, provided by the Division of Inclusive Excellence
  • Location: Cleveland Commons Dining Hall
• 2–4 p.m.
  Student-Led Sessions
• 6–7 p.m.
  Closing Ceremony
  • Location: Reid Campus Center, Lower Level

Join Us!

We warmly invite you to participate in this year’s Power & Privilege Symposium, a powerful opportunity to reflect, engage and take action. Whether you are attending an inspiring keynote or diving into student-led sessions, your voice and presence contribute to the transformative spirit of this event. Together, let’s reclaim hope and work toward a future built on resilience, resistance and solidarity.

Sincerely,

Power and Privilege Symposium Executive Team 2024–2025
Angela Eliacy, Executive Director 
Gauri Vaidya & Ariadna Villavicencio, Operations Directors 
Yael Hensen Anaya & Vinson Russell, Programming Directors 
Spenser Lamphear, Marketing Director