Ackerman Lecture Fall 2026
The Lillie and Nathan Ackerman Lecture Series on Equality and Justice
Fostering Intersectional Belonging & Resisting the Anti-LGBTQ+ Backlash
Tuesday, November 17, 2026
In-person free public event with optional livestream.
Registration 5:30 – 6:00 pm | Lecture and Q&A 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Networking Reception 7:30 – 8:00 pm
Guest Speaker
Dr. Carla Smith
CEO of The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center (The Center)
Join us to hear from this inspiring leader as she shares personal lessons from four decades in the nonprofit sector. As CEO, Dr. Smith builds on her extensive experience, including her prior role as Deputy CEO of the Urban Resource Institute, to drive holistic support across housing, healthcare, and anti-violence services. Drawing on The Center’s legacy of standing at the frontlines of major LGBTQ+ community crises from HIV/AIDS to current legislative threats, her presentation will explore how leaders can transform immediate community response into long-term structural defenses that foster true intersectional belonging.
Baruch College, Information & Technology Building (Library Building)
151 E. 25th St. New York, NY 10010 New York
Atrium, Rackow Room and Lounge – Room 750
RSVP required to attend in person or to receive a link to the livestream.
The Lillie and Nathan Ackerman Lecture Series on Equality and Justice (Ackerman Lecture) is generously sponsored by Irwin and Rosalyn Engelman and named in honor of Rosalyn Engelman’s parents. The series began in 2001 and has included scholars, policymakers, and other public figures whose work focuses on the challenges of ensuring social, economic, and political equity and justice.
