On Nov. 12, MATC launched a monthly forum called Diversity Dialogues.

The forums are held from 10 a.m. to noon on the second Saturday of each month at Washington High School, 2525 N. Sherman Blvd., Milwaukee.

Inspired by efforts to rebuild relationships in the Sherman Park community after the violence broke out last summer, the free, public forums are designed to gather the community to learn and share ideas about race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion and other forms of cultural diversity. The next forum will be held on Saturday, Dec. 10.

“We hope these sessions can be used as a model for an ongoing, community-wide discussion that could be a catalyst to transform lives and our community,” said Dr. Vicki J. Martin, MATC president. “It is my hope that these monthly discussions will lead to substantive changes, not just in Sherman Park, but throughout Milwaukee.”

The community workshops will be led by MATC sociology instructors and are based on topics discussed in MATC’s “Introduction to Diversity Studies” course. Participants will receive an introduction to each topic, discuss questions in small groups and then gather to share insights. Attendees who participate in the full series will receive a certificate of completion from MATC.

Pre-registration is not required. For more information, call Dr. Jennifer Mikulay, MATC associate dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences, at 414-456-5325.