Blaikley Thompson is a psychology student at the University of North Carolina Asheville with a focus on social justice issues. She has been honored to assist in the UNCA symposium, primarily serving as the event coordinator for community gatherings following the symposium sessions. Blaikley loves bringing people together and seeing the joy that comes from connection. Outside of her studies, she enjoys exploring psychology through writing and research, as well as integrating health and wellness into her daily life. Whether it’s weightlifting, walking, or yoga, she finds movement to be an important part of her balance. She also loves spending time outdoors with her partner and dog, soaking in the grounding benefits of nature.

Dr. Megan R. Underhill joined the Sociology and Anthropology Department at UNC Asheville in 2016 and now serves as department chair. Trained in both cultural anthropology and sociology, she describes herself as an inequality-oriented teacher and researcher. In the classroom, her courses focus on racial and class inequality in the United States and invite students to imagine how we might build a more just world. Megan began her research career as a disaster scholar examining issues of social vulnerability. Today, her work centers on how white parents teach their children about race and racism—a critical but often overlooked dimension of racial socialization. Her book manuscript, A Movement or a Moment: Antiracist White Parenting in the Time of Black Lives Matter, is forthcoming with Stanford University Press and draws on interviews with white parents from Asheville, North Carolina.