By Stephanie Menders | Managing Editor
Every year, the Office of Multicultural Programs and Retention holds a weeklong event that not only celebrates diversity, but also strives to educate the university community. Salve’s fourth annual Multicultural Education Week is scheduled for February 25 to March 5, with a focus on the critical concerns of mercy: earth, immigration, women, racism, and nonviolence. All programs are also listed as an approved Navigator event for Freshman looking to fulfill their requirements.
Multicultural Education Week kicked off this past Saturday with an all-day Safe Space and Ally Certification program. The workshop provided training on identifying and mobilizing campus networks that will provide support to our LGBTQ community. Participants who attended the session, both students and faculty, received an ally certification badge.
Multicultural Education Week always culminates in a Multicultural Festival. The evening features a fashion show of international garments modeled by Salve students, a dance showcase, and a buffet of global cuisines. The event is also known for its amazing raffle prizes.
Here is a list of the upcoming events for Multicultural Education Week, with information taken from the office’s brochures, and be sure to say you’re going on Facebook:
1. Opening Speaker: Tim Wise
Student discussion: 9-11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 27, Ochre Court state dining room
Competency development workshop for faculty and staff: 1-4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27, Ochre Court state dining room
Keynote address: 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27, Bazarsky Lecture Hall
“Wise is an anti-racism activist and writer who has spoken on more than 1,000 college campuses about how to dismantle racism in institutions. He argues that people have internalized elements of racist thinking and discusses how members of society can challenge this conditioned way of thinking and be taught to believe in equality.”
2. Post-Election Discussion Panel
7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, Bazarsky Lecture Hall
“The panel discussion will focus on the state of the country during the Trump presidency.”
3. Student Showcase
8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, O’Hare Academic Building second floor
“Students will present sessions on issues pertaining to the five critical concerns of mercy: earth, immigration, nonviolence, anti-racism and women. Learn more about overcoming obstacles, empowering others and how current student organizations are tackling issues of oppression.”
4. Multicultural Coffeehouse
4-6 p.m. Wednesday, March 1, Angelus Hall, Room 102
“The coffeehouse is the center of social activity in cities and towns throughout many areas of the world. Sample coffees and pastries from a variety of cultures as you listen to live music and storytelling presented by Salve Regina students.”
5. Keynote address: Junius Williams
7 p.m. Wednesday, March 1, Bazarsky Lecture Hall
“Junius Williams, former president of the National Bar Association and a major community activist and leader in Newark, New Jersey, is a nationally recognized attorney, musician, educator and independent thinker who has been at the forefront of the civil rights and human rights movements in this country for decades. His speeches have energized young and old alike in places like the Smithsonian Institute, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Shiloh Baptist Church and colleges throughout the country.”
6. Keynote address: Bethany Johnson-Javois
7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 2, Bazarsky Lecture Hall
“Bethany Johnson-Javois, former managing director of the Ferguson Commission and CEO of the St. Louis Integrated Health Network, will engage with attendees to reconnect with their leadership purpose and reflect on lessons learned from her work to address community-level trauma and toxic stress spurred by the August 2014 events in Ferguson. She will outline a series of calls to action for higher education that offer a path to what generational change will require, using the lens of racial equity.”
7. Multicultural Festival
8 p.m. to midnight Friday, March 3, Ochre Court
• Watch the video from the 2016 Multicultural Festival
“The Multicultural Festival will feature cultural exploration and tips from student experts. View the extraordinarily diverse garments that make our world so colorful and bright during a fashion show. Taste magnificent cuisine from every corner of the globe. See the dances that have been passed from generation to generation. Let us come together for a night of warmth, celebration and acceptance.”
8. Movie Night: Fences
8 p.m. Saturday, March 4, DiStefano Lecture Hall
“Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) makes his living as a sanitation worker in 1950s Pittsburgh. Maxson once dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player, but was deemed too old when the major leagues began admitting black athletes. Bitter over his missed opportunity, Troy creates further tension in his family when he squashes his son’s (Jovan Adepo) chance to meet a college football recruiter.”
Multicultural Education Week is co-sponsored by the Alliance, Black Student Union, Campus Activities Board, Center for Student Development, Davis Educational Foundation, Department of Music, Theatre and Dance, Female Empowerment Organization, Mercy Center for Spiritual Life, Mercy in Motion, Multicultural Student Organization, Southern Poverty Law Center and the offices of Residence Life, Student Activities, and the Vice President for Student Affairs.
