The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our work at The Uniter in many ways. But one of the longest-lasting impacts has been the delay in our Speaker Series programming. But the hiatus is about to end!

For those who aren’t familiar, the Uniter Speaker Series is an ongoing lecture series hosted by The Uniter and its board, Mouseland Press. The folks involved in putting on the Speaker Series try to bring speakers to Winnipeg with unique perspectives that are of interest to our readers, as well as the U of W and downtown communities we serve. Past events have included lectures by musician Vivek Shraya, historian Gwynne Dyer and panel discussions on topics such as meth in the media.

While the pandemic put a hold on our in-person events, we are finally ready to bring virtual Speaker Series lectures to the comfort of your laptop or smartphone.

The first of the events will take place on Thursday, Jan. 21, with speaker Keisha Greaves. Greaves is the founder and CEO of Girls Chronically Rock, a fashion company that makes clothing celebrating and advocating for people living with chronic illness and disabilities.

The second, taking place on Thursday, Jan. 28, will feature speaker Matthew James-Wilson. James-Wilson is a writer, journalist and the editor of FORGE. Art Magazine. His longform article for Pitchfork magazine, “What It’s Like to Be Black in Indie Music,” explored the racism and obstacles that Black musicians face in the independent music space.

We’re looking forward to finally bringing the Speaker Series back to our readership. Keep an eye on uniter.ca and our social media channels for info on these upcoming events.

Published in Volume 75, Number 14 of The Uniter (January 14, 2021)