The Forum

President W.R. Davies was the prime mover in establishing The Forum within the first year of his administration, to bring to life his vision of the college as a cultural center. He transformed Eau Claire's after-dinner speakers club into a college-community partnership that selected an average of five speakers a year. The Forum is committed to the concept of non-discrimination as related to race, creed, sexual orientation, age and physical disability.

Tickets for one or all events are available through the University Service Center. Visit the Service Center in Davies Center’s east lobby. Call 715-836-INFO [4636] or 800-949-UWEC [8932].
PURCHASE ONLINE

Ticket Prices in Advance:
$8.00 | General Public + UWEC Faculty/Staff
$2.00 | UWEC Students & Children ages 17 and under

Ticket Prices Day Of:
$10.00 | General Public + UWEC Faculty/Staff
$4.00 | UWEC Students & Children ages 17 and under

April 19, 1989 started off as a normal day for 14-year-old Kevin D. Richardson, but that night would change the course of his life and American society forever. After the brutal attack and sexual assault of jogger Trisha Ellen Meili in Central Park, the New York Police Department rounded up and arrested a total of 10 suspects, including Richardson. Despite there being no DNA and no evidence connecting himself and the four other teens to the crime, Richardson was charged and sentenced to serve 5 to 10 years in jail. After serving 7 years for a crime he did not commit, Richardson was put on 3 years of probation, had to register as a sex offender and was released from prison.

However, years later the conviction for the attack remained on his record. In 2002, New York District Attorney Robert Richardson joined forces with the other men falsely convicted and filed a lawsuit for $41 million, which was finally settled in 2014. In 2019, Netflix released When They See Us, a mini-series portraying the famous events of the case. The celebrated and award-winning show has brought the injustices Richardson and the Central Park Five experienced back into the public’s attention.
30 years later, Kevin Richardson is an advocate for criminal justice reform and uses his personal experience with false coercions and unjust convictions to bring about change. He has partnered with the Innocence Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted people through DNA testing. In addition, Syracuse University created The "Our Time Has Come" (OTHC) Kevin Richardson Scholarship. The scholarship fund named after Richardson focuses on people of color and helps them achieve an education when they might not have had the financial means to do so.

Award-Winning Actress, “Taylor McKessie” in Disney’s High School Musical & Activist for International Youth, Women and Girls' Empowerment

Monique Coleman is an award-winning actress, producer, host, and humanitarian whose career—spanning more than three decades—is a testament to resilience, reinvention, and an unwavering belief in possibility. Raised with big dreams and an even bigger work ethic, Monique pursued a path in entertainment knowing the odds were rarely designed in her favor. Through persistence, discipline, and self-belief, she built a career defined not by a single moment, but by continual growth and purpose. While she is globally recognized for her role in Disney’s High School Musical franchise, Monique has always seen the spotlight not as a destination, but as a platform.

At the height of her mainstream success, Monique made a bold choice to expand her impact beyond Hollywood. She became the first—and to date only—United Nations Youth Champion, traveling to 24 countries to listen to young people, elevate their stories, and advocate for solutions to the most urgent challenges facing youth worldwide. This chapter reshaped her understanding of leadership, grounding her work in empathy, global citizenship, and service. Her passion for storytelling with purpose led her to create, produce, and host Gimme Mo’, a Daytime Emmy–nominated docuseries for Discovery Life that explored wellness, identity, and self-discovery through honest, human conversations.

Monique recently starred in and executive produced the Lifetime thriller Trapped in the Spotlight, marking a powerful evolution in her career and reinforcing her voice as a creative leader both in front of and behind the camera. Her partnerships with COACH’s annual “Dream Day,” Hello Sunshine, AT&T, and the U.S. Figure Skating Team reflect a career aligned with empowerment, storytelling, and aspiration. At every stage, Monique has chosen courage over comfort—proving that success is not a straight line, but a series of brave steps forward. With a career rooted in perseverance and a mission driven by impact, Monique Coleman stands as an inspirational female leader who has never stopped fighting for her dreams—and continues to invite others to believe in theirs.