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College and Community Connections

Autism Awareness Month

Overview

College and Community Connections celebrates the diverse people, cultures, and experiences that have shaped—and continue to shape—the United States. The Center serves as a campus and community hub for learning, reflection, and dialogue on identity, equity, and inclusion across American history.

Our Goal

To educate, inspire, and connect individuals through an honest exploration of America’s complex past and present. We promote understanding, empathy, and civic responsibility by highlighting the stories of historically underrepresented communities and the ongoing pursuit of the American Dream.

Our Vision

A campus and community that recognizes and values the shared and diverse experiences that define us—creating space for every individual to learn, belong, and thrive.

What We Do

The Center brings history to life through events, exhibits, and collaborations that deepen awareness of the American experience.

  • Educational programming — lectures, film screenings, interactive workshops.
  • Community partnerships — collaborations with local organizations and historians.
  • Cultural exhibits & collections — honoring contributions of underrepresented groups.
  • Student engagement — service, research, and storytelling opportunities.
 

Upcoming Events

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC (unless otherwise noted).
Maps and directions to all Sinclair locations

To receive email notifications about upcoming events supported by the Building Community on Campus Office, email: Patty Peters

Have A Gay Day: Annual PRIDE Dinner

Sponsored by Have A Gay Day, all are welcome to the annual PRIDE Dinner. This is a family-friendly event. Free Parking. 

  • Complimentary Dinner
  • Great Conversation
  • Entertainment
  • Door Prizes!

REGISTER

Date:
Wednesday, June 3, 2026  

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Location: Sinclair College, Dayton Campus, Building 12, Great Hall

Directions

Film Screening: Stonewall Uprising

Snacks and Drinks Provided!

June is PRIDE Month - Discover why - Join us for this film screening and discussion. This 2010 documentary, directed by Kate Davis and David Heilbroner, examines the events surrounding the Stonewall riots, which began in the early hours of June 28, 1969. The film traces how America at the time treated homosexuality as a mental illness and how gay people lived almost entirely in the closet, with Greenwich Village serving as a rare exception where they could gather openly. Using rarely seen archival footage, photographs, and eyewitness interviews — including one of the officers who took part in the initial raid and a Village Voice reporter who was barricaded inside the bar with police — the film pieces together the night the Stonewall Inn's patrons finally fought back.  It concludes by looking at the aftermath of the uprising, including the galvanizing of the gay community as a political force and the founding of Christopher Street Liberation Day, which became the genesis of gay pride parades across the United States.

REGISTER

Date:
Wednesday, June 10, 2026  

Time: 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Location: Sinclair College, Dayton Campus, Building 11, Room 324

2026 Juneteenth Celebration

College & Community - ALL ARE WELCOME!

On behalf of the Senior Advisor to the President, Michael Carter, you are invited to join colleagues, family and community members, for a free lunch and program celebrating Juneteenth, the day known as the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

11:00 a.m. - Doors open! A variety of vendors will be in attendance to showcase their products.
11:30 a.m. - Program begins, featuring Furaha Henry Jones and G. Scott Jones
12:15 p.m. - Free lunch, vendors open, enjoy!

Please register to help us plan for lunch - thank you.

REGISTER

Date:
Thursday, June 18, 2026  

Time: 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Location: Sinclair College, Dayton Campus, Building 12, Great Hall

Juneteenth Celebration(s) in Troy, Ohio

Juneteenth Festival at McKaig-Race Park in Troy, Ohio. Celebrating History, Community, and Summer!

  • Saturday, June 20, 2026 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
  • Music & Games
  • Vendors
  • Food and more

Juneteenth History Exhibit: "Rhythm of Change: The Transformative Power of Black Art 1619 to Present"

  • Friday, June 12, 2026, through Sunday, August 9, 2026
  • Location: Troy Hayner Cultural Center

History of Funk: Free Concert with the Deron Bell Band

  • Friday, June 19, 2026
  • 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. (Concert begins at 7:00 p.m.)
  • Location: Troy Hayner Cultural Center

More Information

Date:
Friday and Saturday, June 19 and 20, 2026

Time: Varies by event

Location: McKaig-Race Park, Troy, OH, and Troy-Hayner Cultural Center, 301 W. Main St. Troy, OH 45373

 

Juneteenth Celebration in Springboro, Ohio

Did you know Springboro was a significant stop on the Underground Railroad? With 26 documented safe houses, more than any other city in Ohio, the founding Quaker families played a major role as a safe harbor for enslaved people and paved the way for freedom for Black Americans. Visit the Springboro, Ohio, Museum to learn more.

  • Live Music & Entertainment
  • Food Trucks
  • Artisan Craft Vendors
  • Family Friendly
  • Underground Railroad Tours

More Information

Date:
Saturday, June 20, 2026  

Time: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Location: Springboro, Ohio, East North St. 45066

Book Read: The Rainbow Ain't Never Been Enuf: On the Myth of LGBTQ+ Solidarity, by Kaila Adia Story

HYBRID EVENT - Join in-person or via ZOOM

Join Lajmar Anderson, Sinclair's Archives & Reference Librarian-Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Liaison for a conversation on Dr. Kaila Adia Story’s thought provoking book, The Rainbow Ain’t Never Been Enuf: On The Myth of LGBTQ+ Solidarity.  In this timely piece, Dr. Story asks us to examine the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality, along with the myth of community unification and homogeneity.  Copies of the book are available in the Ohio Digital Library or may be requested via OhioLink (Sinclair affiliates).  Please note, this is a participatory discussion (not a presentation) and you will need to have read at least some of the book in order to actively engage.

Paper copies of the book will be available beginning June 1, 2026. Contact Patty Peters to reserve your copy: patricia.peters9828@sinclair.edu

REGISTER

Date:
Tuesday, June 23, 2026  

Time: 2:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Location: Sinclair College, Dayton Campus, Building 11, Room 324 or ZOOM

Celebrating PRIDE Month: The Lavender Menace and the Second Wave of Feminism

Women's History Virtual 101 Talk with Emily Krichbaum, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Strategic Programs and Education at the National Women's History Museum. Termed the “lavender menace,” lesbian feminists fought for inclusion within a liberation movement that dismissed them as a liability. Through protest, manifesto, and collective action, this talk explores how lesbian activists refused to be pushed to the margins, turned an insult into a rallying cry, and established a distinct political movement in the process. 

REGISTER

Date:
Thursday, June 25, 2026  

Time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Location: ZOOM