“Are You Ready to Fix Racism? (or are you still pretending it doesn’t exist?),” a presentation by damali ayo, will highlight a series of events at UNC Asheville to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Week. Her talk, which begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, January 19 in UNC Asheville’s Lipinsky Auditorium, is free and open to the public.

damali ayo

A writer, artist, and speaker, ayo focuses on community building and has won plaudits for her talks at many campuses. Through an interactive process, she leads audiences in developing multi-step programs to improve relationships within a community.

She is author of How to Rent a Negro, (Lawrence Hill Books, 2005), which garnered Honorable Mention in the Outstanding Book Awards from the Gustavus Meyers Center for the Study of Bigotry and Human Rights. “Living Flag: Panhandling for Reparations,” ayo’s radio story, won a Silver Reel Award from the National Federation of Community Broadcasters.

This event is free and open to the public, and is co-sponsored by many UNC Asheville offices and programs, including Cultural Events and Special Academic Programs, the Intercultural Center, Office of Multicultural Student Programs, the Center for Diversity Education, Africana Studies Program, Department of Education, and Teaching Fellows Program.

An ASL interpreter will be provided at ayo’s presentation. Individuals requiring other accessibility accommodations and/or childcare should call (828) 251-6674 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it at least a week in advance.

For more information about other Martin Luther King Jr. Week activities at UNC Asheville, please contact Lamar Hylton, director of Multicultural Student Programs, at (828) 251-6585.