Today marks the first day of Diversity Dialogues. For the next two weeks, there will be a multitude of events put on by clubs and other organizations to help educate the UP community about a variety of topics related to diversity and inclusion. Events are free and open to all.
“We’re carving out this time in the academic calendar to focus on issues that are related to diversity, equity, inclusion, race, privilege, all that good stuff,” said Yuri Hernandez Osorio, coordinator for diversity and inclusion programs. “But the conversation doesn’t start or end there necessarily, and so another concept of Diversity Dialogues is continuing the dialogue.”
To kick off Diversity Dialogues, students volunteered on Monday in a national day of service event off campus in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. and his influence on ending racial segregation and contribution to the American civil rights movement.
Some clubs and organizations are putting on other engaging events to include hula dances and games, painting, Aztec dance and fry bread making.
Other events include guest speakers like Rebecca Garcia, who is the first Chamorro woman ever to receive a Ph.D in mathematics. The final keynote speaker on Feb. 1 will feature Ellise Smith, a body positivity speaker focused on “dispelling the myths around fat persons,” according to the official UP Diversity Dialogues calendar.
For a complete list of events, check out the calendar below.
Claire Desmarais is the news and managing editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at desmarai20@up.edu.
