WCU’s upcoming Whee Talk event focuses on the national movement, From Privilege to Progress (P2P), that aims to desegregate conversation about racism.
Melissa DePino and Michelle Saahene, the two women behind the P2P movement, will be speaking in the WCU University Center Grand Room at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
DePino and Saahene met two years ago in a Philadelphia Starbucks after they both witnessed two innocent black men being arrested for not buying coffee. DePino tweeted a viral video of the encounter which received national media coverage and led to the creation of their P2P movement.
The Whee Talk event is presented by the WCU Student Government Association (SGA) and Last Minute Productions.
Jada Da Rosa, WCU SGA Director of Diversity and Inclusion Excellence, said that DePino and Saahene were chosen to speak this semester because of their passionate and influential movement of speaking up against racism.
“We would like students to attend this event and be inspired to speak up for what is right every single day,” DaRosa said.
Da Rosa explained that Whee Talk is Western’s version of TED Talks, and is held once every semester.
“It is designed for students, by students, to broaden worldly intelligence to members of the WCU community, faculty, and staff,” added Da Rosa.
