EQUITY, DIVERSITY, And INCLUSION EVENTS
Programs and events invite people to share cultures, explore ideas, and engage in dialogue. The following are highlights of events during the 2020-2021 academic year that reflect the rich diversity of cultures and experiences at Illinois State University.
Series in 2020-2021
The Department of Psychology and the School of Communication offer the virtual colloquium series, “The Extending Empathy Project: On the Way to Tulsa,” designed to increase understanding of social, racial, and economical adversity. The eight-part series featured keynote speakers Dr. J. Scott Jordan, Dr. Eric Wesselmann, Dr. Dan Lannin, Dr. Byron Craig, and Dr. Diane Zosky, as well as scholars from institutions around the nation.
Dr. Robyn Seglem and Dr. Anna Smith drew from their national networks of experts to provide parents, students, and instructors context, support, and guidance with remote and hybrid learning with Connecting the DOTS.
Dr. Ela Przybylo and Dr. Erika Sparby organized the virtual Podcasting Toward Social Change series, featuring podcast practitioners, theorists, and pedagogues.
Safe Zone evolved into Safe(ish) with sessions facilitated by Dr. Jonathan P. Higgins.
Dr. Ama Oforiwaa Aduonum and Dr. Cora Swenson Lee of the School of Music presented the series Music a Universal Language? Decoding the role of music in intercultural communication.
The Student Advisory Board of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders hosted the seven-part docuseries and discussions Unnatural Causes: Conversations about disparities and inequities.
The Native American Film Series offered discussions throughout the academic year of films that focus on historic and contemporary issues facing indigenous peoples. Films included Return: Native American Women Reclaim Foodways for Health and Spirit and Finding Dawn: Missing First Nations Women and the Highway of Tears.
The Center for Civic Engagement hosted the series “Exploring Wicked Problems” with conversations around community safety and justice.
Summer 2020
Student Access and Accommodation Services helped celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Student Art Gallery within the Central Illinois Regional Airport exhibited A lot and a little, which explored the nuances of identity, sexuality, race, and history, and how those things are transformed through both time and various experiences.
A Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies exhibit by alumna Venise Lashon Keys celebrated the glory and strength of feminine bodies.
September
The Office of the President hosted a virtual open house with updates on Interdisciplinary Studies and faculty/staff affinity groups.
Conversando Entre Nosotros Lecture featured Dr. Kantara Souffrant with “Teaching Diaspora in Museums: A Haitian Art Case Study.”
October
ISU Pride celebrated Coming Out Day on the Quad.
The Voter Engagement Coalition with support from the Center for Civic Engagement hosted a panel and open discussion designed to elevate the voice of students of color with Your voice matters: Virtual discussion to elevate voices of people of color.
The Katie School of Insurance hosted the Diversity Insurance Forum for the fourth year. Attendees learned about scholarships, internship opportunities, mentorships, career options, and educational career paths.
Milner Library welcomed best-selling author Dr. Safiya Noble for the virtual talk Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism.
The Multicultural Center hosted a Healing Justice Circle pre-election version with Bert and Det.
November
University College TRIO hosted the First Generation Celebration, focusing on Leading with LEGACY (Leadership, Education, Growth, Advocacy, Community, Yielding).
Dr. Gregory Braswell and Dr. Miltonette Craig offered insights for African American Studies with lectures on Afrocentric psychology and policing.
January
Dr. Phil Ewell, author of the recent article “Music Theory and the White Racial Frame,” presented his talk “How we got here? Where to next? Examining Assimilationism in American Music Studies.”
February
Dr. Calvin White Jr., gave the Black History Month keynote address with “Oscar S. De Priest: A Black Congressman in Jim Crow America.”
“Sustainability and the Soul” explored wellness through virtual yoga and cooking classes with alumni.
World-renowned Holocaust historian and author Christopher Browning explained how ordinary people can commit atrocities.
The School of Music held Harlem Sings: A Tribute to the Poets of the Harlem Renaissance with guest artists Kyle Walker and Patrice Eaton.
The Office of the Provost helped promote the Multicultural Leadership Institute with an information session.
Dr. Gholdy Muhammad headlined the History-Social Sciences Teacher Symposium exploring equity, identity, and literacy in the classroom.
March
Guest lecturer Dr. Ollie Watts Davis presented “Yet With A Steady Beat: The Art, Aesthetics, and Activism of the Music of Black Americans.”
The School of Social Work hosted a two-day conference for Annual Social Work Day titled, “Your Normalcy Excludes Me: Eradicating Racism in Social Work.”
The Career Center held a series of events sharing tips for transitioning from college to career with “Success Looks Like Me, She Leads, and Equal Identities.”
African American Studies and Latin American and Latino/a Studies programs hosted a talk by scholars Javier M. Rodríguez and Dean Robinson, “What COVID-19 Reveals about Politics, Policy and Racial Health Inequalities in the United States.”
Chicago celebrity Bambi Banks-Couleé headlined the annual Pride Charity Drag Show.
April
African American Studies hosted Dr. Helen Neville’s talk “The Psychology of Radical Healing and Hope: Implications for Research and Practice with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.”
Health Promotion and Wellness, Student Wellness Ambassador Team, and Students Ending Rape Culture sponsored events for Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
The annual Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Student Research Symposium explored the theme “Reconcile, Rebuild, and Recover” with student research and scholars Dr. Harsha Walia, Dr. Tristen Johnson, and Laina Reese Carney.
The School of Theatre and Dance presented a virtual production of Roe by Lisa Loomer.
The Spring Dance Concert featured Pivot, a compilation of four dance films, choreographed by School of Theatre and Dance faculty members Laina Reese Carney, Darby Wilde, Kaley Pruitt, and Gregory Merriman.
AsiaConnect honored Asian Heritage Week under the theme #MyAsianCulturalExperience, joined by events from the Asian Pacific American Coalition.
Sober Redbirds celebrated National Collegiate Recovery Day on April 15.
Latin American and Latino/a Studies hosted the Stevenson Center for the talk “Why Do Hispanics Spend More Time in Local Jails Than Whites?”
Earth Week 2021 featured marine biologist, climate policy expert, and writer Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, who spoke on environmental justice.
May
Registered Student Organizations affiliated with the Multicultural Center hosted cultural graduation recognition events for students that included Nuestros Logros, Lavender, and Middle Eastern, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Southeast Asian.
The annual Umoja recognition ceremony, planned by the Umoja Community Forum, honors Blackness and community at Illinois State.
Founder of the company The Sioux Chef, Sean Sherman led events in April that explored decolonizing food systems and embracing indigenous foods. Along with a keynote address and cooking demonstration, he joined the Normal Food Summit and lent his expertise to a program with the Horticulture Center called “Seeds of Change.” Image from Heidi Ehalt.
Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. discussed the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in light of racial politics with the talk “Democracy in Black” in January. Dr. Byron Craig and Angell Howard co-facilitated this event.
Dr. Nobuko Adachi addressed the growing rate of racial assaults toward Asian Americans during a campus talk in March. AsiaConnect also hosted a healing event “Stop Asian Hate: Open discussion on experiences of Asians and Asian Americans” in April.
Latinx Heritage Month hosted a virtual series of illustrations from artist and writer Dr. Alberto Ledesma from his work, Diary of a Reluctant Dreamer: Undocumented Vignettes from a Pre-American Life.
ReggieCon, a national panel of experts led by Illinois State’s Dr. J. Scott Jordan, focused on equity as reflected and explored in comics and graphic novels. Guests such as X-Men writer Chris Claremont discussed the need for inclusive stories.
The Culturally Responsive Campus Community (CRCC) Conference dedicated a year to exploring anti-Black racism. The fall conference featured activist Tamika Mallory. The first-ever Spring Institute included keynote speaker Dr. Tyrone Howard of the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Kisha Porcher, Dr. Pamela Hoff, and Dr. Beth Hatt led sessions for faculty, staff, and students.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Annual Report for Illinois State University