Raising Awareness Stimulating Dialogue Eliminating False Ideologies

Click here for the What? and Why? about the Series

What?

Diversity is important because it affects everyone. Diversity is more than racial classification, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation. Diversity encompasses the whole range of human experiences including but not limited to age, gender, racial classification, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic class, physical disabilities, national origin, geographical location, political orientation, physical size and appearance. These factors influence the cultural experiences and backgrounds of individuals and groups.

At the Real Talk Diversity Series, participants will have an opportunity to interact and learn about the experiences and perspectives of individuals and groups from many cultural backgrounds. The Series will provide a forum to engage in and discuss critically many pertinent issues, serving as a bridge to the entire campus community. Many of the problems experienced by culturally different groups and individuals are based on cross-cultural miscommunication and misinformation. The Real Talk Diversity Series plans to serve as a catalyst to promote, celebrate, and increase awareness about diversity at WMU, to recognize cultural differences as well as similarities, and to encourage cross-cultural interaction.

Students who frequent the RTDS will demonstrate an increased awareness of diversity related to the discussion focus.

Students who attend the RTDS will demonstrate basic communication skills around diversity.

Students who are frequently exposed to the RTDS will be able to articulate a basic understanding of privilege and identify examples of oppression.

Students who attend all forms of the RTDS will be able to actively resist systems of privilege and oppression in their everyday lives

These goals will be accomplished through a number of different program formats including but not limited to:

  • Raising Awareness programs: Participants engage issues of diversity informational and experiential programs
  • Stimulating Dialogue: Participants engage issues of diversity through discussion with their peers
  • Eliminating False Ideologies: Participants engage issues of diversity in an intensive workshop format that includes concept exploration, exercises, and skill development

Why?

Diversity is important because it affects everyone. Diversity is more than racial classification, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation. Diversity encompasses the whole range of human experiences including but not limited to age, gender, racial classification, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic class, physical disabilities, national origin, geographical location, political orientation, physical size and appearance. These factors influence the cultural experiences and backgrounds of individuals and groups. At The Real Talk Diversity Series, you will have an opportunity to interact and learn about the experiences and perspectives of individuals and groups from many cultural backgrounds. The Series will provide a forum to engage in and discuss critically many pertinent issues, serving as a bridge to the entire campus community. Many of the problems experienced by culturally different groups and individuals are based on cross-cultural miscommunication and misinformation. The Real Talk Series plans to serve as a catalyst to promote, celebrate, and increase awareness about diversity at Western, to recognize cultural differences as well as similarities, and to encourage cross-cultural interaction.

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To RSVP to any of these programs, please submit the form below:

Understanding Racism 101 -- February 15 Read and Dialogue: Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks -- February 7-28
Understanding Whiteness, Race, and Racism -- March 15
Watch and Dialogue: Race--The House We Live In -- March 13 Watch and Dialogue: Half the Sky -- March 18
Understanding Racism 101 -- March 21 Understanding Whiteness, Race, and Racism -- March 29
Guided Tour of Jim Crow Museum for Racist Memorabilia -- April 11  

 

 

All programs will be held in the Multicultural Center, Adrian Trimpe Building
(across from Parking Services) unless otherwise noted.

February 7—February 28, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Read and Dialogue: the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
(meets weekly for 4 weeks—Participants will receive free book upon RSVP)

Program Description: This is a four week series where participants will have the opportunity to read and discuss the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks within a group. Participants will receive a free copy of the book before the program starts along with each week’s chapter assignments. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a powerful text that challenges our sense of ethics and shared humanity as we delve into the experience of Henrietta Lacks and her family.   http://rebeccaskloot.com/the-immortal-life/

February 11, 4:30—8:00 PM
Remembering Henrietta Lacks: Dialogue with David and Shirley Lacks
Fetzer Center, Western Michigan University

Program Description: Attendees will have the opportunity to dialogue with David “Sonny” Lacks, the son of Henrietta Lacks. David “Sonny” Lacks has enthralled university and library audiences across the country talking about his mother Henrietta Lacks and her important contribution to science. The international success of Rebecca Skloot’s New York Times bestseller, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, has left people keenly interested in the Lacks Family and Henrietta’s legacy. In his appearances, Sonny shares with audiences what it meant to find out—decades after the fact—that his mother’s cells were being used in laboratories around the world, bought and sold by the billions. Sonny’s visits put a personal face to big issues such as the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over “informed consent” and whether we control the stuff we’re made of, and should share in the profits. http://www.lacksfamily.net/index.php

March 13, 4:00—6:00 PM
Watch and Dialogue: Race—the House We Live In
Bernhard Center, Room 211

Program Description: Race may be a myth, but racism gives different groups vastly different life chances. Forty years after the Civil Rights Movement, the playing field is still not level and “colorblind” policies only perpetuate inequality. This 50 minute documentary takes a close look at housing segregation throughout the American past and present. Panel discussion will follow the documentary.

March 18, 5:00—7:00 PM
Watch and Dialogue: Half the Sky
With Kalamazoo YWCA & Department of Gender and Women’s Studies

 Program Description: Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide is a documentary inspired by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s book that introduces women and girls living under some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable – and fighting bravely to change them. Traveling with intrepid reporter Nicholas Kristof and A-list celebrity advocates America Ferrera, Diane Lane, Eva Mendes, Meg Ryan, Gabrielle Union, and Olivia Wilde, the film reflects viable and sustainable options for empowerment and offers an actionable blueprint for transformation. http://www.halftheskymovement.org/

April 11, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Guided Tour of Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia
Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Michigan

Program Description: Participants will travel up to the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia which is housed on the Ferris State University campus. This extensive exhibit contains the largest public collection of artifacts spanning the segregation era, from Reconstruction to the Civil Rights Movement, and beyond. Departure (Trimpe Hall): 11:00 AM, Guided Tour: 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM, Return (Trimpe Hall): 4:00PM http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/

Workshops
February 15, 2:00—5:00 PM
Understanding Racism 101

Program Description: This in-depth workshop will help participants to gain a working knowledge of racism from both an interpersonal and systemic level. Participants will learn how to identify examples of both interpersonal and system racism and to appropriately challenge instances of interpersonal and systemic racism. This workshop has a minimum of 8 participants and a maximum of 15 participants. Helpful but optional: Where White Privilege Came From by Allan G. Johnson. RSVP is REQUIRED.

March 15, 1:30 – 4:30 PM
Exploring Whiteness, Race, and Racism: Learning about Whiteness and the journey to being anti-racist

Program Description:  This in-depth workshop will help participants to gain a working knowledge of white racial identity development. The intent of this session is to provide space for participants to process their own white racial identity development while gaining an understanding of the developmental path. This workshop is limited to 15 participants. Participants should walk in with an understanding of racism and privilege in order for the workshop to be beneficial. Helpful article: Where White Privilege Came From by Allan G. Johnson. RSVP is REQUIRED.

March 21, 2:00—5:00 PM
Understanding Racism 101

Program Description: This in-depth workshop will help participants to gain a working knowledge of racism from both an interpersonal and systemic level. Participants will learn how to identify examples of both interpersonal and system racism and to appropriately challenge instances of interpersonal and systemic racism. This workshop has a minimum of 8 participants and a maximum of 15 participants. Helpful but optional: Where White Privilege Came From by Allan G. Johnson. RSVP is REQUIRED.

March 29, 1:30—4:30 PM
Exploring Whiteness, Race, and Racism: Learning about Whiteness and the journey to being anti-racist

Program Description:  This in-depth workshop will help participants to gain a working knowledge of white racial identity development. Participants will have the space to process and develop understanding around the white racial identity development model. This workshop is limited to 15 participants. Participants should walk in with an understanding of racism and privilege in order for the workshop to be beneficial. This particular session is open to participants of ALL racial and ethnic backgrounds. Helpful article: Where White Privilege Came From by Allan G. Johnson. RSVP is REQUIRED.

All programs will be held in the Multicultural Center, Adrian Trimpe Building
(across from Parking Services) unless otherwise noted.

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Real Talk Series


Video from 2nd Annual
Excellence in Diversity Awards
is available on our Resources page.

Click here to RSVP to the 3rd Annual Excellence in Diversity Awards

 
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Office of Diversity & Inclusion Vision

WMU recognizes that diversity and multiculturalism are essential for university administrators, faculty, staff members, students, alumni, and community partners to reach their unique potential in the areas of intellectual, personal, social, and cultural development in a fully engaged, enlightened community. Therefore, the University has a responsibility to encourage the exploration of the cultures and life experiences that are available on campus and in communities near and far, for cultural diversity makes sense only within a framework that enables equitable treatment of all in a community.

Office of Diversity & Inclusion Mission

WMU will be a leader in the area of diversity and multiculturalism by fostering an environment where diversity in all of its forms is investigated, explained, practiced, celebrated, affirmed, and vigorously pursued. WMU envisions an academic community that affirms the dignity, value, and uniqueness of each person. We intent to aggressively pursue the recruitment, retention, and/or promotion of a more diverse administration, staff, faculty and student body. Moreover, WMU aims to ensure that the campus climate is welcoming and affirming for all persons by addressing the causes and sources of structural inequalities and changing the decision-making processes that prevent “genuine participation” of all university constituents.

Office of Diversity and Inclusion
1003 Trimpe Building
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5405 USA
Phone: (269) 387-6313 | Fax: (269) 387-6331