Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Promoting diversity in the University community and beyond...
By Umaru Blade
On the evening of January 16 2012,
UNI’s Center for Multicultural Education (CME) hosted Mr. Ellis Cose, one
of the most prominent authors, speakers, and journalists in the United
States. Mr. Cose is a bestselling author of many books in which he addresses and discusses challenging
social and political issues of our days.
Mr. Cose had an audience of about 80,
students, faculty, staff, and community
members that evening.
During the introduction, Dr. Blackwell
mentioned that Mr. Cose “Not only discusses race relations and issues related to that, but he talks about education and many different important social issues in America.” Dr. Blackwell
was correct! Mr. Cose began his
speech by addressing some statistical
facts about what Americans thought of
Dr. King’s dream. According to Cose,
Mr. Ellis Cose poses for a picture with the CME staff.
“Survey shows that two thirds of African-Americans believe that King’s
dream has been achieved, while 70%
said that America is heading in the
right direction.”
Moreover, as we are in the period of
electoral campaign, Mr. Cose brought
up the GOP campaign, mentioning
Herman Cain as an example of how
African-Americans need not only to be
very well informed but very strong as
well in order to be able to compete in
the political field. Cose believed that
President Barak Obama was a perfect
and well prepared candidate and that
Herman Cain was just “A simple
brother that one could meet anywhere
in the big cities.”Mr. Cose believes that
America is on the right path to the
Promised Land.
Cose informed that audience that in
1965 there were about 200 black
elected officials in the entire nation;
today, there are more than a thousand.
However, Cose felt that Herman Cain
was forced to drop out of the campaign
even after in Iowa, a predominantly
white state. “It has always been hard
for us,” Cose said. He informed the
attendees that the 1921 Tulsa Race
Riot can be compared to the case of
Herman Cain’s alleged affairs with different women which led him to drop
out from the campaign.
Mr. Cose continued to discuss how
corporate
America
discriminates
against people of color. “Even journalists of color are limited, they can use
their intelligence only to a limited
point,” a quote from his book, The End
of Anger. In addition, he talked about
Mr. Ellis Cose lectures about
MLK.
the criminal justice system, saying that
“colored people are more incarcerated
than whites and this causes anger in
society.” He suggested that society
needs to do its best to educate the
young people of color, accept them,
get them integrated in society, and
help them “graduate college instead of
graduate prison.”
I have learned more about different
social issues in America than I knew
before this event. I wish more students
would attend these kinds of events at
the CME, because this is part of why
we are here at this university. As students, we should always look out for
speakers like Mr. Ellis Cose because
we do hear and see a lot in the media,
TV, radio, and internet. However, we
don’t get the chance to meet the main
sources of all that information such as
journalists like Mr. Cose so often. I
think if anyone knows about how
American society functions, it would be
Mr. Cose, because of his experience
and involvement with the media for so
many decades.
Voices Newsletter
By Camelia Rubalcada
I began working with the CME
newsletter last fall since that time I
wanted to interview Dr. Blackwell. I
thought it would be a great addition to
the newsletter; students would be
able to know more about him personally. Timing is everything. I could not
have interviewed Dr. Blackwell at a
better time. He is known for his
strong dedication in promoting diversity and inclusion within a university
and the Cedar Valley Community but
how many of us know what his personal interests are?
February is
Black History Month and I could not
have interviewed a better prominent
figure on campus in this regard.
Dr. Blackwell spends a majority of
his time in meetings, committees, and
fighting for social justice for the oppressed. He sacrifices a lot of his
own personal time to be the voice of
the underrepresented population. Dr.
Blackwell is constantly addressing
issues related to equality, diversity,
and inclusion that it limits his ability to
interface with students as much as he
would like to do so. I enjoyed learning about his fears, interests, and
perspectives about his own life. I
hope you all enjoy it too. I want to
take this opportunity to thank Dr.
Blackwell for his time and honesty.
Thank You!
1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Sitting in my home office surrounded
by electronic gadgetry/and sharing
with my younger sister about the publication of one of my books.
2. What is your greatest anxiety?
Being trapped in a body of water and
having no way to get to shore. Also,
being around a crowd of people I
don’t know.
3. Which living person do you
most admire?
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I would have to say Nelson Mandela
because he suffered greatly, and
seemed not to be angry or vengeful
about it.
4. What irritates you the most?
Ignorance or pretending to know
something one does not.
5. What is your greatest regret?
I think that my biggest regret is not
sticking to my goal made in college of
being a committed writer and using
my income in a variety of charitable
ways.
6. What do you consider your
greatest accomplishment?
Sacrificing my time to be an advocate
for the oppressed.
7. Being that February is a month
of love, what is the romantic part
of you like?
I’m a very good listener and I ensure
that my partner is satisfied first.
8. Is there a moment in your life
when you look back and say “Wow
that was embarrassing?” If so,
what does it entail?
I challenged someone in a game of
basketball and talked a lot of junk. It
turned out that person almost shut
me out, like 15-3. I couldn’t believe
he beat me so badly. Of course, I
was like 38 years old and he was
only 25 but still he killed me. I didn’t
think he could murder me on the
court but he did. I don’t know if it’s
the most embarrassing, but it is very
funny to me. I sang at someone’s
ordination and was completely off
key. It was recorded and after I listened to it, I realized my singing was
terrible.
9. What is the wildest thing you did
in college?
I drank seven tequila sunrises in a
row without any food in my stomach
and woke up not knowing how I got
home in a pool of my own vomit. I’ve
been a teetotaler every since.
10. What is your favorite book?
In high school I liked the book Martin
Dr. B and Camelia.
Eden by Jack London. I also liked W.
E. B. Dubois’ An ABC of Color.
11. What were you like as a child?
I was a quiet and voracious reader. I
was gifted at making people laugh. I
was also a great ball handler and like
my grandfather, I enjoyed talking with
anybody. I was in a number of fights,
but never initiated them. I always
swung to strike a blow, but failed to
connect and fell flat on my face. My
opponents never hit me in the face.
They would hit me in my stomach but
luckily my stomach was hard, their
punches wouldn’t hurt me.
12. Do you have a bucket list? If
so, what is on it?
Yes, I would like to visit South Africa,
West African countries, Hawaii, and
the Caribbean. I would also like to
retire and entertain socials in my
home to raise funds for the disadvantaged.
13. What is your ultimate goal?
My ultimate goal is to see a world
without war.
14. In the office, we have heard
you mention that you used to play
basketball; do you think you will
ever play it again?
Of course I will!
15. What excites you the most
about Black History Month?
Marveling at the richness and diversity of the culture is what excites me.
Page 3
The CME would like to thank all
who participated in the February
Newsletter competition! The question
asked was, “Should it matter what
type of relationship you’re in when
celebrating Valentine’s Day?” The
article following, by Gloria Sumpter,
is the winner!
By ChaValier N. Sharps
SHOULD it matter? No. DOES it
matter? Yes. The issue of SHOULD,
would, and does requires respective
attention, as they each subsequently
elicit different responses. For the
matter of "SHOULD" however, again,
no, it SHOULD NOT. What is it to me
(or anyone else for that matter) how
When Celebrating Valentine’s Day
By Gloria Sumpter
Who you are when celebrating
Love from angles
Not seen to any other
But the love you are presenting it to,
Can only be distinguished
By viewing it from the
Point of view.
That is, sending the affection
As it matters the type of relationship,
The type of gift one will give,
But all can celebrate the love shared
Between people and animals alike
Because, within each heart I
Is the sincere
Affection for the other, whether
It is human or beast.
As with many holidays celebrated in
the United States, Valentine’s Day
originated elsewhere. My favorite
thing about Valentine’s Day is that I
get to eat the left over chocolates.
Seriously, Valentine’s Day is one of
the most dreaded days of the year.
an individual (or individuals, for arguments sake) celebrate their love for
another? Why SHOULD the rules
change when said individuals are in
public? I SHOULD not be concerned
with matters of this nature affecting
someone else that does not affect
me. Assuming that this is a matter of
a romantic relationship and not platonic, who am I to encroach on others
civil liberties because of my bigoted,
ignorant, and/or naive views? Who
am I to feel that my opinion is even
remotely important enough to apply
to others? What is the basis of my
opinion? Is it my religious upbringing?
Is it what others have disseminated?
Is it my sheer lack of knowledge and
inability to relate? Whatever the ba-
sis, they are not solid grounds for the
type of relationship to matter regarding Valentine’s Day celebrations. I
would not want nor expect someone
to grant me such a privilege of being
the recipient of their unsolicited opinion(s) grounded in any of the aforementioned reasons. If anything, everyone celebrating a capitalistic holiday in a capitalistic society leads to
capitalistic gains and
economic
growth,
right? SHOULD it
matter to you, just
look at it that way. :)
Whether or not one is in a relationship, there is always the expectant
person, which one knows nothing of.
Society has embedded rules that one
My point is that regardless of the
relationship, Valentine’s Day causes
people to think of others, or at least it
should. When we do good to others
it causes a chemical to be released
from the brain which is supposed to
be healthy for us. Whatever the
benefit from doing something to make
another person smile or have positive
self-concept it is worth the effort. In
conclusion, seek someone or something to be kind to on Valentine’s Day
and continue the kindness throughout
the year.
“Seriously, Valentine’s Day
is one of the most dreaded
days of the year.”
is expected to read between the lines
and invent some romantic event; that
might include a box of candy or
months of neglected memories (and
for good reasons they are neglected).
Just to find an insignificant “hi” or
“hug” to make them eligible of having
a box of chocolate.
My task is to show why any relationship, like the poem, can be reason to celebrate Valentine’s Day, or
not. Let’s say for example, you have
broken up with your significant other
and you want to make amends, but
cannot for the life of you find the
chance to do so. Valentine’s Day
would be the perfect answer! However, if this break up took place after
Valentine’s Day, it implies that both
are allowed to date other people.
ChaValier
Sharps
poses for a picture .
Gloria Sumpter poses for a picture on a beautiful Spring day.
Voices Newsletter
Page 4
President of UNI’s Black Male Leader’s Union
By Mukulika Vashistha
The advent of Black History Month,
which celebrates togetherness, inspired me to know more about black
students on campus, their ideology,
and the way they think about diversity
on campus. I interviewed Skylar Mayberry-Mayes, one of the seven founders of Black Male Leaders Union
(BMLU) and he presented very mature and sensible views about various
topics.
He said that BMLU is a fairly new
organization, being approximately
four years old. The idea to start
BMLU was proposed in 2007. In
March 2008, it got recognition by
UNI’s Student Government and in
Fall 2008 they held their first meeting.
Currently, BMLU is has approximately 30 members of which 20 are
active. They have their own website,
which demonstrates what BMLU is
and what the organization is all
about.
The entire functioning of BMLU is
focused around its mission, “A Man
Equals Scholarship, Service, and
Leadership.” Members support each
other academically through making
sure the entire members graduate
and are successful in their careers
after college. For service, BMLU does
a lot of community service in and
around UNI by volunteering for
around the community and serving as
an organization. As a group, they participate in campus cleanups, voter
registration drives, and many more
volunteer activities. In addition, they
focus on creating a strong bond
among African American males. For
leadership experiences, they allocate
and distribute themselves throughout
UNI to make sure they are leaders in
different areas on campus.
BMLU organizes and participates in
many on and off campus activities
such as bowling nights, pot-lucks,
and Panther Pride Cry each year. In
March 2012, they want to organize
BMLU Week, which is the week the
organization was founded. One of the
most prominent events, which they
have organized every year since they
got recognition, is BMLU Barbershop
Panel. In Black communities, a barbershop is not just a place where you
go for a haircut; it is a place for social
networking so, they named this event
Barbershop. Many professors are
recognizing the event now and give
extra credit to students who participate. Deans on campus recommend
their faculty and staff participate as
well. Last year, their opening address
was done by Dr. Terry Hogan, Vice
President for Student Affairs. It is the
biggest diversity-related event on
campus presented by a student organizations and is open to everyone.
It is an open forum discussion where
they have structured questions related to different topics such as interracial dating, being a minority in predominantly white community, and so
on; BMLU encourages the audience
to participate. This is a good opportunity for the audience to ask anything
they want without being intimidated
and worried about repercussions.
To celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day, most of the BMLU members did
their own volunteering. A few members of BMLU went to Cedar Rapids
to an African American Museum
while others participated in the University’s events. For MLK Day, BMLU
did most of the volunteer work organized by UNI. Black History Month
has a major impact on BMLU—it creates a bond among all members because of the month’s importance to
the individuals as well as the organization. Because BMLU is comprised
of members from various other ethnic
organizations such as African Union
(AU), Black Student Union (BSU),
etc., they share a lot of events for
Black History Month with various UNI
organizations. BMLU has twenty-two
events planned for the month of February.
According to Skylar, even in today’s
society people stereotype Africans
Mr. Skylar Mayberry-Mayes.
and African Americans. Some of the
common stereotypes individuals
make of Blacks are their sense of
style, their way of speaking, their
education, their scholarships, and
their hygiene. BMLU is working diligently towards breaking these stereotypes. Every Wednesday members of
BMLU dress up in business casual
because they want their opinion to be
valued as professionals and others to
see them as responsible people.
BMLU members volunteer to cleanup
around UNI campus to demonstrate
to their peers that not all Black people
are contributing to the mess on campus. People usually think that all the
BMLU organization does is play
sports but instead they organize
events like Barbershop to show that
they get scholarships because of
academics. He strongly believes that
to eliminate such ignorance one
should educate people in a tactful
manner depending on the scenario.
Skylar believes that since his time
here at UNI, diversity on campus is a
work in progress. He truly believes
that UNI is taking the initiative to
make diversity issues and concerns a
top priority, which is what BMLU is
working towards, too. Skylar thinks it
is a good idea for the university, as
far as diversity is concerned, to recruit students and staff from other
areas regionally and ethnically.
I want to thank Skylar for sharing
his opinion about diversity on campus
and letting us know more about Black
History Month and BMLU.
Voices Newsletter
By Dr. B
Dr. Carter G. Woodson started
“Negro History Week” in 1926, because he realized, like the late Dr.
Howard Zinn, author of A People’s
History of the United States, that
popular texts on American History did
not include the struggles, contributions, and perspectives of persons
routinely oppressed and discriminated against because of their skin
color. He selected the week containing Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, because he was honoring that president
for having signed the Emancipation
Proclamation in 1863—temporarily
manumitting the slaves.
Consequently, Negro History Week occurred from the start in the month of
February.
During the fiftieth anniversary of
Negro History Week, the members of
organization rooted in Woodson’s
Association for the Study of Negro
Life and History sought to honor its
founder by extending Negro History
Week to a month-long celebration:
hence, dubbing it Black History
Month. “Negro” was replaced by
“Black” because the latter term had
become more popular at that time
with the radicalization of the Civil
Rights Movement, expressed profoundly in James Brown’s song, “Say
it loud, I’m black and I’m proud.”
For much of the young history of
the American experiment, so to
speak, the telling of the story has
Picture courtesy of Google.
Page 5
been done by white men. That trend
continues to this day, albeit there is a
plethora of books written by African
Americans and others who do justice
in presenting the development of our
nation in a holistic manner. The tendency to be exclusive continues because the textbooks that are popular
in the core curricula of schools
around the country do not value the
thoughts and opinions of people who
have been exploited—as if they do
not have bona fide viewpoints and
legitimate interpretations to offer!
Rather than integrate their perspectives into the textbooks and infuse
diverse cultural positions into lesson
“The tendency to be exclusive
continues because the
textbooks that are popular in
the core curricula of schools
around the country do not
value the thoughts and
opinions of people who have
been exploited...”
plans, many, if not most, school districts, colleges, and universities opt to
append “specialty courses” as electives to apologize for their exclusionary practices and their scholarly laziness in developing more equitable
core curricula.
As a result, Black History Month
continues as a period of time to concentrate on the perspectives, strug-
Dr. Michael D. Blackwell
gles, and accomplishments of African
Americans. As aforementioned, it
was not placed in the month of February because it is the shortest
month. Any accusations to the contrary are revelatory, for it divulges
ignorance of how Black History actually developed. Certainly, any individual is free to learn about the full
history of the United States continually throughout the year.
As a youngster, I had the opportunity to visit the local public library
that had books on black history. It
was, indeed, a pleasure to be able to
learn about the lives of people with
whom I shared cultural dimensions
that were slowly fading away from my
existential circumstances.
By the
time I took my first course in Black
History in undergraduate school, I
was already quite knowledgeable
about it!
Enjoy the many activities sponsored by the Black Student Union
and others, including the CME, during
this month. What a wonderful opportunity!
Page 6
Competition:
Who said this:
Trivia:
“Let us nobly die?”
What is the significance of
First one to answer correctly
the UNI-Seven?
First one to answer correctly wins a snickers bar!
wins a snickers bar!
March Competition: Explain the similarities and differences between sexism and womanism. 600 words or less. Due Feb. 27.
*Keep an eye out for more trivia and competitions to come!
Center for Multicultural Education
109 Maucker Union
Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613-0165
Phone: 319-273-2250
Email: cme@uni.edu
Website: www.uni.edu/cme
Our Mission
We foster success in racial and ethnic minority students,
contribute to the cultural competence of all students, and
promote an appreciation of diversity in the University Community.
Editor-in-chief: Dr. Michael D. Blackwell
Co-editor: Kailee Becker
Co-editor: Camelia Rubalcada
Contributors:
Dr. Michael D. Blackwell
Camelia Rubalcada
Mukulika Vashistha
Gloria Sumpter
Umaru Blade
ChaValier N. Sharp
We are also on Facebook and Twitter!