Widening the Lens 2018

Our keynote speaker in 2018 was Richard Blanco: educator, storyteller, diversity advocate, and inaugural poet for President Barack Obama. Blanco is a sought-after speaker who captivates audiences around the nation and the world with his dynamic storytelling, his powerful readings, and his advocacy for diversity, LGBTQ rights, immigration, arts education, and cultural exchange. As stated so compellingly on his website: “Whether speaking as the Cuban Blanco or the American Richard, the homebody or the world traveler, the shy boy or the openly gay man, the civil engineer or the civic-minded poet, Blanco’s writings possess a story-rich quality that illuminates the human spirit. His work asks those universal questions we all ask ourselves on our own journeys: Where am I from? Where do I belong? Who am I in this world?” Blanco’s work, with his focus on negotiation of cultural identity and universal themes of place and belonging, fits in perfectly with our conference theme.