From the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Buffalo State University’s Anne Frank Project (AFP) will host its 17th annual Social Justice Festival, Belonging Begins Here, on October 8–9. This two-day celebration of stories is open to all members of our campus community—students, faculty, staff, alumni, and neighbors. I invite you to attend, participate, and encourage others to join. Using our annual festival as a platform, we have the opportunity to achieve Anne Frank’s wish to “repair the world” by valuing the sense of belonging.  Belonging is a foundation for wellbeing, resilience, and the ability to learn, work, and live with purpose. Together we have the opportunity to practice justice, build community, and advance our university’s mission of access, identity, and social responsibility.

About the Festival

AFP’s annual festival is an experiential exchange of ideas with a focus on processing theory into practice. We share diverse performances, workshops, and exhibits that actively engage participants in kinesthetic learning opportunities that connect to the festival's theme, AFP's mission, and the story of Anne Frank. 

Featured Sessions Led by Buffalo State Faculty, Staff, and Students

Wednesday, October 8

• AFP Welcome: Opening remarks and storytelling to set the stage for the festival

10:00–11:50 a.m., Campbell Student Union Social Hall
Presenters: Dr. Amitra Wall, Professor Drew Kahn, Jonise Hall

• You Belong Here: Zine Workshop

11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m., Campbell Student Union Assembly Hall

Presenter: Julie Setele

• Sophia’s Legacy: Holocaust, Genocide and Conflict Education in the Classroom

12:00–1:30 p.m., Campbell Student Union Social Hall
Presenters: Dr. Andrew Hashey, Leigh-Anne Hendrick, Jeanette Koncikowski

• Find Your Voice! Advocating for Your Rights

3:05–5:30 p.m., Campbell Student Union Assembly Hall
Presenter: Dr. Kimberley Zittel-Barr

• Voicing the Unheard: Belonging and Liberation

4:00–5:30 p.m., Campbell Student Union Social Hall
Presenter: Dr. Ho Eui Holly Bewlay

• Remarkable Rwanda Stories

6:00–7:30 p.m., Campbell Student Union Social Hall

Student Presenters: Cadence Aguilar, Alexandra Allard, Gianna Cotto, Asma Islam, Isabella Kilmer, Haran Sanders, Renata Tumusabire, Cameron Vitagliano

Thursday, October 9

• Trauma Healing and Restorative Practices

10:50 a.m.–12:05 p.m., Campbell Student Union Social Hall
Presented by the Criminal Justice Department

• The Ethics of Us: Philosophy, Responsibility, and Belonging

10:50 a.m.–12:05 p.m., Campbell Student Union 419
Student Presenters: Matthew Karovski and Glasha Zinenko

• Building and Sustaining a Sense of Community at Buffalo State

1:40–2:55 p.m., Campbell Student Union Social Hall
Presenters: Dr. Kelly Frothingham, Dr. Wendy Patterson, Dr. Amitra Wall

• Belonging and Academic Success: African American Male Voices

1:40–2:55 p.m., Campbell Student Union 419

Presenter: Michael Heflin

• Reimagining Africana Studies as a Collective Space for Belonging

3:05–4:20 p.m., Campbell Student Union Social Hall

Presenters: Dr. Marcus Watson, Naila Ansari Carbonell Catilo, Stephen Henderson, Stephen Rosenthal

• They Not Like Us: The Social Neuroscience of Belonging

4:30–5:45 p.m., Campbell Student Union Social Hall

Presenter: Dr. Gehan Senthinathan

Join Us

The Social Justice Festival embodies the best of Buffalo State: collaboration across disciplines, experiential learning, and a shared commitment to equity and inclusion. I encourage each of you to attend sessions, bring your students, and share this invitation widely.

For the full schedule, registration, and volunteer opportunities, please visit: annefrankproject.com/social-justice-festival.

Let us come together—faculty, staff, and students alike—to ensure that belonging begins here.