West Virginia University’s Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion announces Diversity Week will begin Saturday, October 7 and continue through Saturday, October 14 with “One Mountaineer Family” as the theme.
“Diversity Week highlights the ongoing effort to promote Diversity at West Virginia University. We endeavor on a daily basis to foster a culture that is welcoming, inclusive and respectful of diverse cultures, views and opinions,” said David M. Fryson, vice president for the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
The week’s festivities are an opportunity for WVU students, faculty and staff to explore different cultures and focus on the things they share.
Diversity Week Highlights
· Saturday, October 7: The College of Physical Activities and Sport Sciences will be hosting a soccer tournament as teams play on the Recreation Fields for the Diversity Cup.
· Monday, October 9: Aisha Fukushima, a multilingual and multiracial speaker, will be performing in the Blue and Gold Ballrooms from 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Fukushima will introduce RAPtivism, a global hip-hop project that she founded that uses expression to challenge oppression and promote freedom and justice, to the WVU community. Later in the evening Sociology professor, Daniel Brewster and student leaders will host a panel titled “What is diversity and inclusivity: How can we discuss civility?”
· Tuesday, October 10: The annual Peace Tree ceremony will be held at 11:30 a.m. between Martin and Elizabeth Moore Hall with guest of honor, Chief Oren Lyons, from the Onondaga Indian Nation Council of Chiefs. Chief Lyons will lecture that same evening at 6 p.m. in the Mountainlair Ballrooms on “Peace, Equity and Good Minds.”
· Wednesday, October 11: The “Women of Color” luncheon will be held with keynote speaker the honorable Meshea Poore, who served in the West Virginia House of Delegates from 2009-2014.
· Thursday, October 12: The “One Mountaineer Cultural Celebration” will be held from 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. in the Mountainlair’s Blue Ballroom with a sampling of foods unique to each culture. This festivity will include the talents of students in song, dance and other skills.
· Thursday, October 12: A poetry slam in the Gluck Theater will take place at 7 p.m. with special guest, Crystal Good. Poems will be centered on the question of what “One Mountaineer Family” means to students. Poems will be judged and the winner wins an exclusive video shoot to be showcased on the Center for Black Culture website and social media accounts. To participate, students should email Eric.Jordan@mail.wvu.edu by Oct. 9.
New to the Diversity Week line up is “Mountaineer Talks”, a spin off from TED talks that will take place at the Mountainlair ballrooms on Wednesday evening. Students will lecture based on experiences followed by a panel with President Gordon Gee and David M. Fryson, Vice President for the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Several workshops will also be available this year such as Safe Zone workshop, Work Smart Salary Negotiation, songwriting workshop, How to be an ally: Sexual Assault and People with Disabilities, Green Zone Training and Title IX by-stander interventions.
Educational movies and documentaries such as “Spirit Game: Pride of a Nation”, “Girls Rising” and “Broken Plate: Food Justice Across Divides” will all be screened as part of the week’s activities.
The Diversity Week events will be concluded on Homecoming evening hosted by the Indian Student Association with a traditional event, “Tarang” that celebrates Diwali: The Festival of Lights, with traditional Indian songs, dances and skits.
Throughout the week, students and faculty will be hosting a wide range of events that highlight the diverse fabric of WVU.
-WVU-
sm-mh/09/27/17
CONTACT: Sharon Mallow, Division of
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Event Coordinator
304.293.5600; sharon.mallow@mail.wvu.edu