The Black Lives Matter Speaker Series: Bias in Professionalism has speaker Sunshine Clemons on Friday at 1 p.m. at the Doudna Fine Arts Center Black Box Theatre.

The Africana Studies program presents Sunshine Clemons to speak and examine discrimination and racism in professional settings.

The Bias in Professionalism is the first of many events as a part of the African American Heritage Month for Black History Month.

The speaker, Sunshine Clemons, is a co-founder of the local Black Lives Matter SPI chapter in Springfield.

Clemons’ objective is to improve the relationship between the community and law enforcement, judicial system, business owners, elected officials and others who don’t currently support the chapter.

Clemons and Khoran Readus, the other co-founder to the Springfield chapter, in 2020 were awarded the Humanitarian Service Award from The Greater Springfield Interfaith Association and won the readers’ poll category of “Best Affirmation that Black Lives Matter” from the Illinois Times.

Clemons is also the founder of Springfield Call to Action, a union of organizations dedicated to justice for the community.

This part of the speaker series is an annual event held with either individual speakers presenting or a round table discussion.

The speaker series is open to the public and examines how discrimination and racism affects the lives of African Americans in America.

Madelyn Kidd can be reached at 581-2812 or at mekidd@eiu.edu.