#Leaders4Diversity

On Friday, April 1, The Office of Diversity and Inclusion partnered with the School Wide Activities Team (SWAT) to host the 3^rd annual #Leaders4Diversity conference. #Leaders4Diersity is a one-day conference that provides students with an opportunity to strengthen their understanding of diverse topics. Students develop leadership skills as they reflect on their identity and impact in a diverse society.

Workshop I

“Deaf Culture”

Students were engaged as they reflected on the meaning behind deaf culture and the privileges the “hearing world” have. Emmalee Morgan,
the Tarleton State Coordinator for Student Disability Services and an interpreter, presented this session.

 “Managing Conflict Effectively”

Students discovered the five stages of team relationship
development and reflected on barriers that can cause conflict. Students were able to examine qualities that cause conflict and strategies to resolve conflict. This session was presented by Landan Schaffert, the keynote speaker for the conference.

“Diversity and Voting Rights: The Challenges of Equal Representation”

During this session, Dr. Eric Morrow (the chair of the Department of Social Sciences) challenged students to think about equity in relation to growing diversity. Students reviewed examples in history where voting rights and representation have posed a challenge to society.

Workshop II

                “Links to Empower”

This session was presented by Kristina Marshall. Marshall is a full-time professor of Social Sciences at Baker College of Owosso.  She is a member of the advisory council for the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education. Students were able to gain an understanding of oppressed groups within the United States in this interactive sessions. Students focused on the power of privilege and he importance of recognizing intersectional identities.

“Bring your Broom...’Cause It’s A Mess!”

             Students examined fighting and tension in this engaging session. Students learned useful techniques to confront these issues in student organizations, teams, and personal relationships. This session was presented by Corinne Ogle. 

Corinne Ogle is a former graduate student who has worked in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. She has worked with underprivileged youth in the Youth after school program, and facilitated the Washington Leadership Conference for the National FFA.

“Hongry with an O is Different than Hungry
with a U”

During this presentation, Misty Smith raised awareness about resources for students with food instability. Students were engaged in an activity to simulate the impact decision-making has when one is faced with limited resources. Misty Smith is currently the Title IV-E Project Director and Instructor of Social Work at Tarleton State University. In addition, Mist Smith is
 a volunteer in the Tarleton Food Pantry.

               Keynote

During lunch, Students were joined by keynote speaker Landan Schaffert, a legally blind speaker and teacher with a passion for achievement and positive difference. In 2010, Schaffert was the National FFA Secretary. Schaferrt shared personal stories and connected with students during the lunch portion of the conference. Students were able to hear about the triumphs and challenges Schaffert faced and were encouraged to make a difference.

Workshop III

“Soldiers and Diversity”

In this workshop, the cultural reference of “Army Green” was explored. Through her 13 years of experience, SSG Stachura examined diversity and inclusion in the U.S. Army. SSG Stachura interacted with students as they looked into what defense means when it comes to defending one’s experiences and background.

“Diversity at its Core”

This session was designed to provide student leaders with tools to assess their role with involving students in decision-making. Barriers and biases were examined as students addressed differences in socioeconomic status, race, sexuality, and gender. This session was facilitated by Kendrick Spencer, the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at Jackson State University.

“Slavery, Then & Now”

Dr. Michael Landis and Texans for Freedom addressed the issue of slavery in terms of historical black slaver and modern-day slavery in this informative presentation. Dr. Michael Landis serves as an assistant professor of history at Tarleton State University. He is also a board member of Historians Against Slavery and the editor of The Historians Against Slavery blog.

 Workshop IV

“Overcoming Barriers and Embracing Mental Freedom”

This panel provided students with the opportunity to explore personal experiences of Mental Freedom. This organization is a mentoring program for traditionally underrepresented men of color. Students were able to discover the experiences and characteristics that can become barriers to success.

“What It Is to Be a House Guest in Your Own Body”

This creative writing workshop was presented by Tro’juan Henderson. Henderson is a national poet and advocate for survivors of abuse and sexual assault. In this workshop, the topics of gender inequality and beauty standards were explored.

“Matching Game Extravaganza: Test Your Rainbow Knowledge”

Presented by the Gay-Straight Alliance, students were tested on their knowledge of the LGBT+ community. Assumptions were explored as        students increased their knowledge of recognizing personal bias.

Thank you, sponsors!

The #Leaders4Diversity Conference was sponsored by Student Success and Multicultural Initiatives, Center for Academic Readiness and Success, International Programs, JTAC News, Career Services, Academic Resources Center, Health Services, Academically High Achievers, and Academic Advising.

 For more information, contact the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at diversity@tarleton.edu.

Lateefah Simon

On Wednesday, February 15^th, The Office of Diversity and Inclusion hosted Lateefah Simon. Ms. Simon facilitated a discussion on “Women, Empowerment, and Social Justice”. As the Director of the Rosenberg Foundation, a speaker, and women’s rights advocate, Ms. Simon shared her experience working with those in low-income communities, women, and those who have been incarcerated.

Students were engaged as Ms. Simon shared what she called her “migration story”. Students were empowered to overcome obstacles to become social change agents and recognize injustice and poverty. “If not you, who?” Ms. Simon asserted as she challenged students. A question and answer panel followed the presentation. 

For more information, please contact the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at diversity@tarleton.edu 

"Women's history month pushes us to think about intersectionality, who we are, and how brave we can be.” – Lateefah Simon

Contemporary Topics About Women

On March 2nd, 2016, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion hosted a Diversity Dialogue in honor of Women’s History Month.

Students were engaged in a discussion about contemporary topics about women. The discussion included the following topics: Pay Equality, Harassment in the Workforce, Women’s Body Image and Media, Male: Female Distribution in the Workforce, Sexualization of Young Women, and Women in the Military.

Students were randomly seated at breakout sessions with different topics and interacted with others outside of their “typical” friend group. Open discussion was encouraged as students reflected on these issues and provided input on questions presented by facilitators.

For more information about this event, please contact the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at diversity@tarleton.edu.

Diversity Dialogue

On Wednesday, February 10^th, 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.

Spoken Word Poetry

On Wednesday, February 17^th, the Office of Diversity & Inclusion hosted “Spoken Word Poetry”. They were joined by spoken word artists Gian Smith (Tarleton alumni), Christopher Michael, and Tonyela “MasterPiece” Arphul. They can be followed on their Twitter pages at @Gian_Smith, @mrmichael310, and @MasterPiece83.

Students were engaged in this discussion as the artists creatively expressed their experiences with racial barriers and the media. 

Students were invited to present their own poems about topics they are passionate about. Open expression and involvement were encouraged as students listened to the words spoken and reflected on the art of spoken word itself. Students also created a community poem during this experience by combining words from multiple students in the audience.

"As a poet, you want to encapsulate 

all of the emotions and feelings."
– Gian Smith

For more information, please contact The Office of Diversity & Inclusion at diversity@tarleton.edu.

 

Spotlight: An Intern's Trip to Little Rock Central High School

On December 16^th, 2015, I went on a trip to Little Rock, Arkansas. While I was there, I was able to tour Little Rock Central High School. The first stop on the tour was the outside of the facility. I arrived at Little Rock Central High School at approximately 1:07 PM, just as students were being let out for their Winter break. The building was absolutely beautiful.

As I looked at the architecture of the building itself, I was told that the building was created to mirror a European design. Above the large doors were statues with facial features that represented the only race that was allowed through those same doors until 1957 (when the Little Rock Nine enrolled in the school). As I was being presented with information about the Little Rock Nine, I observed the students walking outside of the doors and talking with each other. 

It amazed that I was standing there in 2015, watching students who identified with various racial groups interacting with one another. Of course, I see diverse groups interacting all of the time…but in that moment, I was reminded of the segregation and hatred that occurred at that very same high school (and other high schools across the nation). I learned that there were many other students who had signed up to be the first black students to attend Little Rock Central High School. However, many had parents who were reluctant and decided not to let their children attend. Black students were told they could not retaliate verbally or physically if verbally or physically assaulted by White students. Failure to comply would result in immediate suspension.

The first notable item inside the building is a showcase dedicated to the Little Rock Nine. Inside the showcase was a collection of books, autobiographies, and miniature replicas of clothing items dedicated to Ernest Green, Carlotta Walls LaNier, Minnijean Brown, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Thelma Mothershed, and Melba Pattillo Beals. I was then escorted inside the remainder of the building.

I toured the auditorium next, and I could not believe my eyes. The auditorium, although dated, was extremely large. I could still see underneath the seats where there used to be under seat air conditioning. The next stop was the cafeteria, where I heard the story of “The great chili incident”, in which Minnijean Brown was suspended for spilling chili on a white student. Controversy still exists as to whether Minnijean spilled the chili on purpose. Nonetheless, Minnijean was eventually suspended.

The next stop was a small courtyard outside. I was told that Ernest Green, the only one of the Little Rock Nine to graduate from the high school, was not allowed to graduate with any white students. He had his graduation ceremony outside, and was surprised when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. showed up at his graduation. There I was, at 21 years old, learning new details about an event that happened in a country I have been living in my entire life. How was this possible?

As I left the building, I was able to view a section that was created to commemorate the Little Rock Nine. In this structure were two very large collages of photos, as well as a recreation of the statues above the doors. However, these statues differed from the statues in the front because they exhibited Black facial features. It was interesting to see that something so subtle as a statue could make such a bold statement. I was very honored to have been able to go on this trip and walk on the same campus that the Little Rock Nine had.

 “Learning history is easy; learning its lessons seems almost impossibly difficult.” – Nicolas Bently

Written by: Randi Morgan

Black History Month Kickoff

On February 3^rd, 2016, The Office of Diversity and Inclusion hosted a Black History Month Kick-Off with special guest Eddie Francis. Eddie Francis is an award-winning mass media veteran and HBCU/Black Greek Life advocate. 

Students were engaged in a dialogue as they explored the impact the media has on historically black colleges. Students were reminded of the importance of self-belief in higher education, goal-setting, inclusion, and the importance of overlooked history. Eddie Francis also emphasized that it is crucial for students to take ownership of their identity,  and the responsibility of correcting the misinterpretation of others in history. For more information about this event, please contact the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at diversity@tarleton.edu.

 

“Your reaction to adversity determines how successful you will be.” – Eddie Francis