Westminster College Diversity Week Begins with Zoom Presentation

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Westminster College will host Diversity Week this week, featuring a series of in-person and virtual events, beginning with a presentation tonight.

At 6 p.m. on Zoom, University of North Carolina-Wilmington education professor Wilson Okello will present “Student Activism and the Impact of Student Voices.” The presentation will encourage students to find their voices as activists while also exploring the importance of social movements that were amplified by college students.

And at 6 p.m. Thursday via Zoom, Rosa Clemente will present the week’s keynote address – “Amplifying Your Voice through Empowerment and Action.”

An organizer, independent journalist, producer and scholar activist, Clemente is a Black Puerto Rican from the Bronx and a leading scholar on Black-Latinx identity. Clemente is the president and founder of Know Thy Self Productions, which has produced seven community activism tours and consults on issues such as hip-hop feminism, media justice, voter engagement among youth of color, third party politics, U.S. political prisoners and the right of Puerto Rico to become an independent nation apart from the United States to end its status as a colonized land.

For more information and a link to the Zoom events, contact Kaileik Asbury at [email protected].

Other events throughout the week include:

Wednesday

“You vs. the Stereotypes of You” at 11:40 a.m. in the Lakeview Witherspoon Rooms in McKelvey Campus Center. Junior Nicole Cardillo and sophomore Journey Washington will discuss the importance of self-awareness and deconstructing stereotypes in an effort to understand social justice and activism.

“Safe Zone Training: Common Language Workshop” from 1 to 3 p.m. in Berlin Lounge of the McKelvey Campus Center. This Safe Zone training session, presented by Kaileik Asbury, assistant director for diversity and inclusion, and Patrick Bussiere, area coordinator for student housing, will provide a comprehensive overview of the issues impacting the LGBTQIA+ community and students on Westminster’s campus. To register for the workshop, students should contact Asbury at [email protected].

“Art and Activism” at 6 p.m. in Berlin Lounge of the McKelvey Campus Center. Featuring 2015 Westminster graduate Marqus Koranteng, this protest sign making event will focus on identity and self-empowerment. Hosted by the Foster Art Gallery, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Campus Programming Council, Black Student Union and the Sexuality and Gender Alliance.

Thursday

“Discussing Robin DiAngelo’s ‘White Fragility’: Why We Must Increase Our Racial Stamina at 12:40 p.m. in Berlin Lounge of the McKelvey Campus Center. Presented by senior Nyna Hess, this program will give campus community members a brief overview of Robin DiAngelo’s key arguments in her book “White Fragility” and encourage discussion and reflection.

PRIDE at 6 p.m. in the Anderson Amphitheater. Sponsored by the Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA), students are invited to an evening of dancing and creating tie-dye T-shirts.

Friday

“Domestic Violence: Not So Black and White” at 11:40 a.m. in the Lakeview Witherspoon Rooms in McKelvey Campus Center. Led by junior Jill Douglas, in this workshop participants will learn about the different signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships.

Sunday

March for Change: Black Lives Matter at 2 p.m. beginning at the Anderson Amphitheater. No signs with hateful or discriminatory language will be permitted. This masked and socially-distant event is open to the public. Donations will be accepted and will benefit The Innocence Project. Candle vigil to follow.

For more information about any of the week’s events, contact Asbury in Westmisnter College’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion at 724-946-7179 or [email protected].

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.