On Wednesday, February 10th, The Office of
Diversity & Inclusion hosted a Diversity Dialogue. This engaging dialogue
was presented by associate intern, Ivana Marsh.
Ivana Marsh did an analysis of the importance of maintaining
a cultural identity in an institution where there is less representation of
select groups. “Do you change your name to fit in because it is too ethnic
sounding or hard to pronounce? Do you change the way you talk so you can sound
more ‘educated’?” These are the questions Marsh explored in her presentation as
she looked into the causes behind harmful stereotypes.
Marsh also re-examined the word diversity to demonstrate
that diversity extends beyond the color of one’s skin. Diversity includes age,
background, socio-economic status, religion, sexual orientation, and many other
concepts for example. Marsh expressed that one cannot be the spokesperson for
one specific group they identify with because no one has a single unitary identity.
Students then held a conversation about ways to continue to make
Tarleton State, a predominately white institution, a place for everyone.
Students brainstormed strategies that can be used to address micro-aggressions
and miscommunication such as honoring the intent of a message while
highlighting the impact.
For more information, contact The Office of Diversity and
Inclusion at diversity@tarleton.edu.
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