Message from the Chief Diversity Officer
Dear App State Community,
November offers many opportunities to affirm our diverse campus community.
November is Native American Heritage Month, when our country recognizes the significant contributions of America’s Indigenous peoples. App State has planned several activities this month to celebrate our nation’s Native American heritage, building upon the Oct. 24 Gadugi Fall Speaker Series event “Voting in Indian Country: The View from the Trenches” and the Nov. 2 showing of “Powerlands” (part of the American Indian Film Series).
Thanks to support from Dr. J. Allen Bryant, our new faculty director for Indigenous Communities, and the Gadugi Partnership, you are invited to the following programs in November:
- “Inhabitants: An Indigenous Perspective” on Nov. 9 (part of the American Indian Film Series)
- “We’re Here: Indigenous Communities” at App State on Nov. 9
- “Another Word for Learning” on Nov. 16 (part of the American Indian Film Series)
Through the Gadugi Partnership and the Office of International Education and Development, App State also forges global partnerships to promote greater awareness of Indigenous people’s language and culture around the world. A recent $100,000 grant awarded to App State will facilitate a cross-cultural exchange between high school students and community leaders of the Cherokee and Māori nations in North Carolina and New Zealand.
In addition, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts will host an event this month that will serve as an affirmation for people of color on campus and in the community. You are invited to attend an exhibition of the works of Renee Cloud ’15 and de’Angelo DIA ’99, both Black App State alumni. The event, which will take place at the Turchin Center on Nov. 7 at 6 p.m., also features a storytelling workshop, “How Do You Brace Yourself for It?”, hosted by the two artists. Cloud and DIA will gather narratives from workshop participants that will inform their upcoming exhibition “Say:Word,” which will appear at the Turchin Center from Jan. 20 to June 3, 2023.
Veterans Day on Nov. 11 will give the App State Community an opportunity to recognize service members who have defended our nation and protected our fundamental human rights. Veterans are one of the most diverse groups in America, and they constitute an important part of our employee and student populations. This national holiday gives all of us a chance to celebrate the diversity of our veteran community, as well as honor the many ways we have been touched by veterans’ selfless service. App State’s plans for Veterans Week feature a variety of events, including a Veteran Art Making activity on Nov. 10, a Veterans Day Ceremony and Reception on Nov. 11, and a Heroes Day Tailgate before the App State football game against Old Dominion on Nov. 19.
And finally, one of the best ways for the App State Community to celebrate the diversity and inclusiveness of our American democracy is to vote in local, state and national elections. I encourage all members of our community to exercise this fundamental right in the Nov. 8 election, as you are able.
Sincerely,
Jamie Parson, J.D.
Chief Diversity Officer