Students sought to lead discussions about raceSept. 28, 2010 KALAMAZOO--Western Michigan University is recruiting up to 40 students to help facilitate discussions regarding race, coinciding with a national touring exhibit coming to Kalamazoo Oct. 2. Prospective participants must attend a two-part training session from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6, and from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 9, at the exhibit, "RACE: Why Are We So Different?" hosted by the Kalamazoo Valley Museum through Jan. 2. Exhibit organizers are looking for dynamic students who are interested in social justice and come from diverse socioeconomic, racial and ethnic backgrounds. They will be trained to facilitate discussions on campus with other students about the exhibit. Those chosen must be able to facilitate at least two conversations throughout the fall. Through film, still photography, interactive components and programming, the exhibit invites people to explore race as well as the impact of race as an economic, political and cultural construct. The exhibit was created by the Science Museum of Minnesota, in conjunction with the American Anthropological Association, to educate the public and be a catalyst for discussions about race. It explores three themes: the everyday experience of race, the contemporary science that is challenging common ideas about race and the history of this idea in the United States. For more information on becoming a student facilitator or to apply, visit raceexhibit.org/wmich. For more information on the RACE exhibit and accompanying events, contact Zarinah El-Amin Naeem, exhibit community coordinator, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, at zarinah.el-amin@wmich.edu or (269) 387-6324. Media contact: Deanne Puca, (269) 387-8400, deanne.puca@wmich.edu WMU News |
