As the world’s knowledge of diversity expands, understanding how privilege interacts and intersects with different groups is important.

Now at Iowa State, Nolan Cabrera, associate professor in the Center for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Arizona, will be presenting on the topic of white privilege at 7 p.m. on Thursday in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union.

Cabrera is a nationally recognized expert in the areas of racism and antiracism on college campuses, as well as whiteness and ethic studies.

Cabrera said he chose to be speaking about this topic because universities are the most racially diverse areas in the country, and they produce the leaders of tomorrow. He said that because we have an expanding multicultural society, it’s increasingly important for people to know how to navigate the space.

“We live in a very racial time, and it is important to understand the racial dynamic on college campuses,” Cabrera said. “I feel that I can bring a different perspective on race because when we talk about racism, it’s usually centering students of color, who are the targets of racism, and I also talk about whiteness, white privilege; and this will bring a lot of perspective on that.”

People may be unsettled by the lecture, but they may eventually see things in a different light and will get another tool on the anti-racist tool box. Cabrera said this is why people need to hear his lecture.

A big issue Cabrera said he wants people to know is a concept that is being developed called “White Immunity.”

“It’s sort of like white privilege 2.0, but I think people have been engaging the concept pretty well in the last year or so as an anti-racist teaching tool,” Cabrera said.

He said he is very committed to this important issue, and he wants to spread tools to help college students fight racism.

Admission to the event is free of cost.