UW-Madison DEI forum ‘triggered’ black woman during racism discussion

A black woman said she was “triggered” by a panel this week at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s “Diversity Forum” while several panelists at the “Bridging the Divide” conference said their suggestions can improve open debate on campus.

The Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement event has hosted the forum annually for over 20 years. The forum included speeches and breakout sessions on a range of DEI topics, including one on “LGBTQAI+ Affinity Group,” a keynote on immigration, and a speech titled “How to Be a Confident Pluralist.”

Despite the ongoing tensions at UW-Madison and other college campuses surrounding the deadly Hamas attacks on Israel and subsequent reactions, antisemitism was not on the agenda.