ANNUAL REPORT
2013-2014
INTRODUCTION »
The Center for Multicultural Education
(CME) provides a variety of programs,
activities and services for students,
staff and surrounding community
members. These multifarious events
and resources offer opportunities for
individuals and groups to understand
and appreciate the culturally diverse
landscape of our country. What follows is a summary of the
major work the CME accomplished the CME during the 201314 academic year.
Our lecture series and special events primarily focused on the
role of women in the United States and beyond. From Angela
Davis to Christine Seyboe Tour and Lela Lee to Erica Littlewolf,
the CME provided the campus and community the chance to
interface with women from different cultural backgrounds and
to learn of their accomplishments as well as the challenges
women still face here and abroad.
SPECIAL EVENTS »
WELCOME BACK BBQ
The Welcome Back BBQ is an annual
event that students genuinely enjoy
attending after their summer break.
For the first time ever, because of
the extreme heat, we hosted the
BBQ inside the Maucker Ballroom on
Monday, Aug. 26, 2013. We still had plenty of students attend
to eat delicious food, enjoy a snow cone to cool off and even
dance with friends to celebrate the start of a new school year.
We ended up serving more than 600 students and staff at this
fun and classic gathering. It was a great start to yet another
fantastic year at the CME!
MARCH ON WASHINGTON REMEMBERED
On Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2013, we commemorated the
50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and
Freedom. The march began at the arch outside of the CME and
ended at the Campanile. The songs “Mine Eyes Have Seen the
Glory” and “We Shall Overcome” were played for the march,
and Dr. Blackwell also gave a brief talk for all attendees. This
special event was recognized with the playing and ringing of
the Campanile 50 times!
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TRIBUTES/MEMORIALS »
NELSON MANDELA TRIBUTE
On Monday, Dec. 9, 2013, the CME paid tribute to one of
the greatest world figures in history, Nelson Mandela. UNI
President Bill Ruud was the officiant of the ceremony. Dr.
Ronelle Langley, a native South African who teaches in the
College of Business Adminstration, talked about her memories
and meeting Mandela in South Africa after he was released
from prison. Both Dr. Catherine McGillivray, the director
of women’s and gender studies program, and Dr. Pierre
Mvuyekure, professor of languages and literatures, rounded
out the event with poetry. Also in attendance was Rev.
Suzanne Peterson, who served three years in the office or the
Archibishop in Capetown South Africa. The executive director
of KBOL-FM, Minister Michael Muhammad was also part of
the tribute honoring Mandela and talked about overcoming
racial injustice. Rev. Belinda Creighton-Smith and Dr. Suzanne
Freedman spoke on forgiveness, the late Nelson Mandela
and his influences. This important
event was well attended by
numerous campus and community
members, all joining together to
commemorate this historic world
leader.
1994 RWANDAN GENOCIDE REMEMBRANCE
On Tuesday, April 15, 2014, we collaborated with the Center
for Genocide and Holocaust Education (CGHE) to put together
the 20th Rwandan genocide commemoration. Dr. Stephen
Gaies, the CGHE director, introduced the event by addressing
various conflicts that are going on today, such as Darfur
(Sudan) and the Democratic republic of Congo conflicts,
and compared them to the Rwanda Genocide. Dr. Blackwell
discussed the role of churches, especially the Catholic Church,
during the genocide. The event also featured poems by Dr.
Pierre Mvuyekure and Rwandan music. Rwandan natives
Natalie Sugira and Diane talked about their perspectives of the
genocide and its aftermath.
LECTURE SERIES »
Sandra Guzman
On Sept. 30, 2013 Sandra Guzman,
an award-winning journalist, kicked
off our lecture series with a moving
talk about her documentary, “The
Latino List.” “The Latino List,” an HBO
hit, explores what it means to be a Latino in the 21st century.
The evening’s program included various portions of the
documentary along with a moving presentation emphasizing
personal heritage and storytelling. Afterwards, students met
with Guzman in the CME lobby for a more personal setting,
where she motivated students to embrace their heritages and
differences!
Ronald Sider
Dr. Ronald Sider is a professor of
theology, holistic ministry and public
policy at Palmer Theological Seminary.
The author of “Rich Christians in an
Age of Hunger,” Sider spoke on behalf
of the Reaching for Higher Ground: Food Matters project.
Students and community members had multiple opportunities
to engage in conversation with Sider through his presentations
at the Cedar Falls Mennonite Church, Lang Hall Auditorium
and Maucker Ballroom throughout his visit to UNI on Oct. 21
and 22, 2013. Sider discussed the persistence of hunger and
poverty in America and how we as a community can address
this issue as ethically and spiritually minded persons.
Marcia Riggs
Dr. Marcia Riggs, a classmate of
Blackwell’s at Yale Divinity School,
visited UNI for the annual Martin
Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration on
Monday, Jan. 20, 2014. During the
holiday, the CME encourages students to reflect on King’s
life and participate in service activities. Riggs spoke at the
Student Involvement Center’s luncheon for volunteers at the
Day of Service. Her address focused on issues of social justice
advocacy. Later that afternoon, Riggs attended the CME book
discussion on the book by King’s sister. Finally, Riggs provided
the keynote address about the need to develop tools to work
for positive social change.
Christine
Seyboe Tour
Christine Seyboe Tour visited the UNI
community on Wednesday, Feb. 19,
2014, to tell her triumphant journey
as a refugee during the Liberian Civil War. Seyboe Tour then
started her own beauty salon in Ghana, where she rescued
women off the streets to teach them cosmetology skills. After
returning to Liberia a few years after the war, she transferred
her business and institute back home—continuing to reach
out to women in need. As a result, the Goldman Sachs 10,000
Women project recognized her in 2010 for giving back to her
community and country! Blackwell served as the moderator
for this conversational event. Throughout the dialogue,
audience members could easily recognize Seyboe Tour’s
compassion for others.
John Womack
Rev. Dr. John H. Womack Sr. is an
ordained Baptist minister with a
Master of Divinity degree and a
Ph.D. in ministry. During his visit to
UNI from February 26 to March 2,
2014, Womack spoke to community members, Cedar Falls
High School students, participants of the African American
Families and Children Conference and attendees of the Toast
for Change Banquet. Womack shared his “rags-to-riches
testimony” how he started a company with only a bucket
and mop, and eventually transformed it into a million dollar
company. Students and community members were moved by
his inspirational life story, and found hope and motivation to
pursue their dreams!
Lela Lee
For the final lecture of the year Lela
Lee, the author of the popular “Angry
Little Asian Girl” cartoon and the
book series “Angry Little Girls,” came
to UNI on Monday, April 7, 2014. Lee
spoke to audience members about how she started the Angry
franchise by using examples of her cartoon clips and comic
strips. She encouraged students to explore different classes
and opportunities during their undergrad careers, as that is
how she discovered her love of illustrating cartoon characters.
Attendees really enjoyed her humorous ways of talking
about more serious issues such as racism, social injustice, and
activism.
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CONFERENCES »
ANGELA DAVIS
Dr. Angela Davis was this year’s
keynote speaker for the Annual Cedar
Valley Conference on Human Rights
on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013. Davis is a
Distinguished Professor Emerita in the
History of Consciousness and Feminist Studies Departments
at the University of California, Santa Cruz. In her address, she
discussed advocating for prison reform and organizing for
social change within our community. A private reception was
held after the lecture where community members had the
chance to engage in one-on-one conversations with Davis.
At the conference, Davis served as a panelist in a discussion
with other campus and community women, and motivated
attendees to get involved in social justice work.
ERICA LITTLEWOLF
Erica Littlewolf, leader of the
Indigenous Vision Center for MCC
Central States, also spoke at the Annual
Human Rights Conference. She was a
featured panelist and also presented
on “Indigenous Women Issues.” In her presentation, Littlewolf
focused on Indigenous awareness-building, the hardships
Indigenous women face and decolonizing the root cause of
colonization. Littlewolf also attended a book club discussion,
a Reaching for Higher Ground film showing and a Women’s
and Gender Studies luncheon. Her entire UNI visit lasted from
Wednesday, Nov. 6 to Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. Her light
and fun personality and her passion for activism left a strong
impression on UNI students.
JESSICA GARAWAY
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Jessica Garaway was another featured
speaker at the Annual Human Rights
Conference, held in the GBPAC Nov. 7
and 8, 2013. Garaway, a senior at UNI,
spoke to conference attendees on
Friday about how to utilize summers wisely. She testified how
she has used her summers to travel the country participating
in protests and demonstrations against social structures,
processes, and policies that belittle human lives and their
communities. Garaway also spoke on her new organization,
Deep Roots United Front, which brings people to discuss the
oppression of cultures and also damage to the environment.
Garaway left audience members not only awed by her
personal experiences, but also motivated to make the most of
their summers.
WHITE PRIVILEGE CONFERENCE
The White Privilege Conference (WPC) is a conference which
brings together people from different walks of life to focus
on multiple forms of privilege through keynote addresses,
workshops, caucuses, films and performances. This year
was the 15th annual White Privilege Conference and it took
place in Madison, Wis., from March 26 to March 29 at the
Monona Terrace Conference Center. The theme for this year’s
white privilege conference was “Building Relationships!
Strengthening Communities! Seeking Justice!” The CME
sponsored UNI faculty, staff and students to attend this
exciting event.
The White Privilege Conference was started by an African
American professor, Dr. Eddie Moore Jr., to offer a challenging,
collaborative and comprehensive experience about racial
group relations. The conference strives to empower and equip
individuals to work for equity and justice through self and
social transformation.
Dr. Blackwell, Tabatha Cruz, Lauren Wypiszynski and Diane
Ihimbazwe from the CME attended the conference. The CME
also sponsored students from the UNI Social Work Master’s
Program to attend the conference as well.
VOICES NEWSLETTER »
2013-14 was the first year that
we were able to distribute our
newsletter every month throughout
the school year. The CME director
always writes a piece in every
letter, upcoming lectures are
previewed and student workers
are highlighted. Women of the civil
rights era and strong Asian women
were featured in our spring issues. Student readers were
also given the opportunity to answer trivia questions about
information in the articles in order to win prizes for correct
responses.
COOPERATIVE VENTURES »
GALLAGHER-BLUEDORN PERFORMING
ARTS CENTER
We have partnered with the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing
Arts Center (GBPAC) since its inception by cohosting
performances in its artist series. This year we sponsored
Kristallnacht: The Night of Broken Glass on Sunday, Nov. 9,
2013. Kristallnacht marks the beginning of what we call the
Holocaust. The broken glass refers to the shards of shattered
glass from the windows of homes, synagogues and Jewishowned businesses in German streets that were destroyed
on Nov. 9, 1938. The GBPAC performance included music
by Paulus, Yannay, Bloch, Prokofiev, Shostakovich and the
Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra, among others.
“GIRL RISING”
For Women’s History Month, UNI
put together a screening of the
documentary “Girl Rising” on
Tuesday, March 11, 2014. The
screening was sponsored by the
College of Education Diversity Committee’s Educators for
Change Film and Book Series with support from the Women’s
and Gender Studies Program, the CME and a UNI diversity
mini grant. “Girl Rising” tells the story of nine girls from nine
countries who struggle in many ways, yet strive to get an
education and make a difference. The event was well attended.
After the screening, panelists led a discussion and audience
members were able to reflect and ask questions. The film was
inspirational and emphasized the importance of educating
girls in our community and all over the world.
JFK PANEL DISCUSSION
In cooperation with the American Democracy Project, the
Department of History and the Department of Political
Science, the CME held a panel discussion and film screening
commemorating the 50th anniversary of the assassination of
President John F. Kennedy on Friday, Nov. 22, 2013. Amanda
Goodman, KWWL anchor, served as the moderator for the
afternoon program. Professors Al Hays, Wallace Hettle, John
Johnson and Michael Blackwell were panelists for the event.
REACHING FOR HIGHER GROUND »
HUNGER IN THE CEDAR VALLEY
PANEL DISCUSSION
In November 2013, we collaborated with the Reaching for
Higher Ground project and hosted a panel discussion on
Hunger in the Cedar Valley on Tuesday, Nov 12. Panelists
included W. Ray Richardson, interim executive director
of the Jesse Cosby Neighborhood Center; Barbara Grant,
Grundy County representative of Operation Threshold;
Ben Carlson, agency program coordinator of the
Northeast Iowa Food Bank; and Dr. Kamyar Enshayan,
FOOD MATTERS
director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Education
at UNI. All panelists provided unique information regarding
the issue of poverty and hunger in our own backyard. Panelists
also shared ways students could volunteer, become active and
make a difference in the community.
FILM SERIES
We continued our partnership
with the Reaching for Higher
Ground Project on campus
this year. The theme was “Food
Matters,” which focused on social
justice, education and economic
issues surrounding food. In
addition to Sider’s visit, the CME
sponsored a film series along with
Thomas Kessler of the Rod Library. The films this year included:
“Food Matters,”“Hungry for Change,”“Price of Sugar,”“The
Harvest,”“Soul Food Junkies,”“King Corn” and “The Garden.”
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SPOKEN WORD »
STACEYANN CHIN
In fall 2013, we welcomed a very
vibrant and vivacious poet, Staceyann
Chin. Having won awards such as
the 2007 Power of the Voice Award
and the 2008 Safe Haven Award from
Immigration Equality, she did not disappoint during her visit
to UNI on Wednesday, Oct. 23. Chin shared her personal story
through poetry of moving from Jamaica to America while
struggling with cultural and identity transformation. Students
and staff alike enjoyed her colorful and moving poems that
depict her life and struggles with racism and discrimination.
MARIAHADESSA EKERE
Mariahadessa Ekere came to UNI
on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013, in a
collaborative project with the Women’s
and Gender Studies program. Ekere
shared her amazing and emotional
poetry, as well as a few pieces that included her first collection
of poetry, “Karma’s Footsteps.” She started writing at a young
age, but things did not click until she read the autobiography
of Malcom X, which a college counselor at a Talent Search
Program at Columbia University gave her. Ekere shared how
these authors shaped her and helped her overcome self-hate
as a woman of color while inspiring her to be the writer and
poet she is today.
POETRY AND OPEN MIC NIGHT
In spring 2014, we held an exciting night of poetry
performances. To begin the evening’s program, three
seasoned poets, Yaw Kyerematang, Jerica Crawford and
Danique Seymour, performed for audience members during
the evening of Monday, April 14. The audience then had the
opportunity to ask questions after each performer shared
personal testimony about where their passion for writing
poetry originated. For the open mic portion of the program,
attendees had the chance to perform their personal works.
About 45 individuals attended the poetry event.
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BOOK CLUB »
The CME Book Club featured its traditional list of seven titles
this year. “Women and Society” was the theme for 2013-14
because of Betty Friedan’s seminal work, “The Feminine
Mystique,” published in 1963, the landmark decision in Roe
v. Wade, and the sustained debate over the Equal Rights
Amendment, the later two in 1973. Therefore, all of the books
for this year’s book club were written by female authors.
A favorite of this year’s selections was “Mom and Me and
Mom,” written by Maya Angelou. In this book she describes
the ups and downs of her relationship with her mother.
Other books read during the year were: “Toward a Latina
Feminism of the Americas: Repression and Resistance in
Chicana and Mexicana Literature” by Anna Maria Sandoval;
“Mark My Words: Native Women Mapping Our Nations” by
Mishuana Goeman; “Through It All: Reflections on My Life, My
Family, and My Faith” by Christine King Farris; “Black Woman
Redefined: Dispelling Myths and Discovering Fulfillment in the
Age of Michelle Obama” by Sophia Nelson; “Asian American
Women’s Popular Literature: Feminizing Genres and Neoliberal
Belonging” by Pamela Thoma; and “Psychological Health of
Women of Color: Intersections, Challenges, and Opportunities”
by Lillian Comas-Diaz and Beverly Greene.
Beginning in 2014-15, the club will formalize a partnership
with the Rod Library. This collaboration will increase the
visibility of the programmatic endeavors of the CME and
enhance attendance.
COOPERATIVE PARTNERS »
Collaboration has been a staple feature of the CME for countless years, and this one was no exception. All of the major events we
primarily sponsored were cooperative affairs, some of which included off campus entities.
Our on-campus collaborators included, in part:
Our off-campus collaborators included, in part:
»» African Union
»» Area Education Agency
(AEA) 267
»» MS Society
»» American Democracy Project
»» Gallagher-Bluedorn
Performing Arts Center
»» Black Student Union
»» Graduate College
»» Center for Holocaust and Genocide Education
»» Hispanic Latino Student
Union
»» African American Historical
and Cultural Museum
»» Office of the Mayor/Cedar
Falls
»» Center for Urban Education
»» Center for Violence
Prevention
»» College of Education: Curriculum & Instruction
»» College of Social and
Behavioral Sciences
»» Communication Studies:
Electronic Media
»» International Student
Association
»» Black Hawk County Branch of
the NAACP
»» International Student
Programs
»» Bremer/Black Hawk League of
Women Voters
»» Mentors in Violence
Prevention Program
»» Canterbury Forum
»» National Coalition Building
Institute
»» Office of the President
»» Culture and Intensive English
Program
»» Office of the Provost
»» Department of English
»» Rod Library
»» Department of History
»» Department of Philosophy
and World Religions
»» Department of Political
Science
»» Department of Residence
»» Department of Social Work
»» Dining/Catering
»» Division of Student Affairs
»» Feminist Action League
»» Allen College
»» Cedar Falls Commission on
Human Rights
»» Cedar Falls Mennonite Church
»» Cedar Valley Citizens for
Undoing Racism
»» Reaching for Higher Ground
»» Coalition for Sexual Assault
and Domestic Violence
»» School of Applied Human
Services
»» Department of Correctional
Services
»» Student Involvement Center
»» Eastside Ministerial Alliance
»» TRiO Program
»» Hidden Heritage
»» Television Services
»» Hawkeye Community College
»» University Relations
»» Jesse Cosby Neighborhood
Center
»» Volunteer UNI
»» Jubilee United Methodist
Church
»» Veteran Affairs
»» Women’s and Gender Studies
Program
»» Northeast Iowa Food Bank
»» Office of the Mayor/Waterloo
»» Operation Threshold
»» Peace and Justice Center of
the Cedar Valley
»» Project for the Beloved
Community, Inc.
»» Unitarian Universalist Society
of Black Hawk County
»» University Book & Supply
»» Upper Iowa University
»» Veridian Credit Union
»» Volunteer Center of the Cedar
Valley
»» Wartburg College
»» Waterloo Commission on
Human Rights
»» Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier
»» Women’s Facility
»» YWCA
»» KWWL
THE CME 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.
We do this by:
Providing programs and services that contribute to
success for racial and ethnic minority students.
Encouraging racial and ethnic minority students to
become fully engaged in campus life.
Producing programs and activities intended to raise
awareness and appreciation of diversity across the
campus, and to increase the cultural competence of all
students.
Providing educational resources for faculty and staff
regarding racial and ethnic minority issues;
Maintaining a facility environment that conveys
appreciation for the cultural traditions, expressions and
perspectives of racial and ethnic minorities.
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Center for
Multicultural Education
109 Maucker Union
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0165
Phone: 319-273-2250
Fax: 319-273-7138
E-mail: cme@uni.edu