Annual Report
2010-2011
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 of the CME during the 2010-2011 academic year.
Below is our mission statement, which provides the
foundation upon which our programs, activities and
services are structured.
CME MISSION »
We foster success in American 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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PROGRAMMING »
Speakers
Samuel
Betances
One of the foremost lecturers
and workshop leaders on
inclusiveness and understanding
of differences, Dr. Samuel Betances, dropped by to provide
us with some tools to ensuring “racial and ethnic minority
success.” He used his life’s story as an example, rising
from inner city poverty, where violence, illiteracy and
broken families were rampant. Betances was able to earn
a doctorate from Harvard University and to use his tools
of overcoming adversity to the benefit of countless high
school and college students. Never one to stay ensconced
in the ivory towers, Betances took his energy and charisma
to presidents, CEOs, managers, community agencies and
the clergy. He was well received by an audience of 200,
comprised primarily of students.
Tim Wise
The most celebrated white anti
racist advocate in the country is
inarguably Tim Wise. He first came
to UNI a couple of years after the
emergency relief debacle in the wake of Hurricane Katrina,
which was the central factor in one of his talks in the CME.
His return in the fall of 2010 was highly anticipated, and
he did not disappoint. His public address took place in
the GBPAC with an attendance of approximately 500 in
the Great Hall. He related very well with the students, for
he talked about his college days and how we often make
excuses that prevent us from confronting racism. He
received a thunderous standing ovation when he was done,
and numerous students took advantage of his willingness
to stick around during the Q&A and book-signing reception
that followed his talk. Earlier that day, he was able to discuss
with 70 participants his latest book, “Colorblind: The Rise of
Post-racial Politics and the Retreat from Racial Equity.”
Waziyatawin
The author of “What Does Justice
Look Like? The Struggle for
Liberation in Dakota Homeland,”
Dr. Waziyatawin, is a most
challenging public intellectual. A Dakota writer, teacher and
activist, she is committed to the development of liberation
strategies that will support the recovery of Indigenous
ways of being, the reclamation of Indigenous homelands,
and the eradication of colonial institutions. Waziyatawin
comes from the Pezihutazizi Otunwe (Yellow Medicine
Village) in southwestern Minnesota. Her discussion of the
travails and tragedies of the American Indians and their
mini-triumphs cast a pall over much of the audience. They
were mesmerized by her authoritative understanding of
the issues, but apparently overwhelmed by the hegemonic
power wielded by the U.S. government and its unwillingness
to make amends for its brutal mistreatment of indigenous
peoples. She added a dimension to our lecture series that
few others could ever approach.
Leonard Pitts
For the first time, the CME
partnered with the Waterloo
Commission on Human Rights
(WCHR) in putting on the latter’s
annual conference on Nov. 18, 2010, held at Allen College
of Nursing in Waterloo. A more intimate pre-conference
setting occurred in the CME on the previous evening
with the conference’s keynote speaker: the Pulitzer
Prize-winning journalist Leonard Pitts. Pitts had been
the featured guest of the annual Martin Luther King, Jr.
celebration organized by the Iowa Commission on the
Status of African Americans (ICSAA) a year earlier, under
the leadership of the directors of the CME and the WCHR
who were, at the time, president and executive director,
respectively. Pitts has a knack for telling the unadulterated
truth with an eloquent and inspiring directness, or
simplicity, which is downright mesmerizing! He was quite
gracious with his time.
Dwight
Watson
The dean of the College of
Education, Dr. Dwight Watson,
was glad to relate on Jan. 17, 2011, to the lifework and
legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. through the lenses of
teaching and learning. He even brought children along
to illustrate his points and to reemphasize King’s own
emphasis on education: “I still have a dream that one day all
of God’s children will have food and clothing and material
well being for their bodies, culture and education for
their minds, and freedom for their spirits.” Watson asserts
that education is key to making oneself more mobile,
understanding the world and perspectives different from
one’s own, and analyzing issues, thinking critically and
effectuating positive social change. A genuine leader,
scholar or no, is to recognize the interplay between theory
and practice and to conduct oneself accordingly.
Michael
Eric Dyson
The repertoire of the so-called
public intellectual, Dr. Michael Eric
Dyson, is multifarious. He graced the stage in the Great
Hall of the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center on
Feb. 17, 2011. He is able to speak comfortably no matter
where he is; he has a penchant for quoting from hip hop
culture, in general, and rap songs, in particular. The author
of numerous books and articles, Dyson explores American
culture on radio and travels the country, including college
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campuses, with his message of responsible ethics. Dyson
gave of his time liberally and seemed genuinely interested
in each student or community member that attended the
lecture. It was marvelous to have Dyson on campus, after
having entertained Cornel West the previous year. Dyson
did not disappoint, and he had something with which
each person, regardless of age group, could identify and
utilize in addressing and redressing issues prevalent in our
society, especially, but not exclusively, that of racism!
Susan Douglas
A kind of sequel to last year’s visit
of Dr. Barbara Berg, author of
“Sexism in America: Alive, Well and
Ruining our Future,” was the guest
appearance of Dr. Susan J. Douglas, author of “Enlightened
Sexism: The Seductive Message that Feminism’s Work Is
Done.” Douglas is a strong advocate for the continuing
woman’s movement and a literary protagonist of woman as
full citizen. She is the Catherine Neafie Kellogg Professor of
Communication Studies, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, and
chair of the department at the University of Michigan. In
both the book discussion and lecture, Douglas highlighted
not only the gains of woman since the 1920s, but also the
long road ahead for equal pay, socioeconomic and political
power, and just treatment under law. The Women’s and
Gender Studies faculty and students greatly appreciated
her talks and the liberality of time she accorded to them.
Of special note was her detailing of the plight of women
of color and how all of us—women and men alike—must
seek a more egalitarian society that embraces the dignity
and worth of all women.
Joan Faung
Jean Lee
The author of “Asian Americans in
the Twenty-first Century,” Dr. Joan
Faung Jean Lee, was able to visit
the UNI campus on March 28, 2011. As a journalist, Dr. Lee
was the first Asian American reporter hired by CNN, as well
as its first New York Correspondent, covering Wall Street,
the United Nations and the court system. She was also the
first Asian American television reporter to be hired for ABC
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and CBS local affiliate stations in Sacramento, Chicago and
Philadelphia. She was able to discuss her book in a small
group setting, and then lecture on the Asian American
experience generally and on Asians and the media. Lee’s
down-to-earth style, folksy, understated sense of humor,
cultural pride, and personal and professional transcendence
over stereotypes such as the “model minority” were just
what the largely student audience needed to celebrate
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
Michelle
Alexander
Many people anticipated the
arrival of Michelle Alexander
to the Cedar Valley to discuss her controversial book,
“The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of
Colorblindness.” She was able to visit with members
of the community at Jubilee United Methodist Church
during the day and to speak to a standing-room-only
crowd in the CME Multipurpose Room and spillover
attendees in the lobby who watched on closed circuit
television. Alexander’s easy command of the historical
facts and her unassuming, yet gracefully eloquent,
presentation held the captive audience spellbound. She
took pictures galore and answered questions judiciously.
Of all our guests in the 2010-2011 school year, she was,
by far the most appreciated. Maybe, Alexander will be a
returning guest of the CME’s in the not-too-distant future.
Special Events
THE WELCOME BARBECUE
Each year, the CME offers a free dinner to the campus
community on the grassy knoll to the east of its
entranceway called the Memorial Gardens. This year,
we incorporated catering help of not only the UNI
Department of Residence, but also local licensed vendors
such as Hy-Vee. Hamburgers and hot dogs—even veggie
burgers—were grilled to perfection. Of singular appeal
was the rented snow cone machine.
The annual cookout, once catering primarily to the
participants in the Jump Start program, has grown to fulfilling
the appetites of nearly 700 individuals, largely students. This
event does not simply fill the stomachs of hungry students
at no cost; rather, in addition, it offers student a relaxed
atmosphere to socialize with old friends and to make new
acquaintances. Camaraderie is augmented by background
music deejayed throughout the hours-long gathering, as well
as lively conversations, performances, recreational games,
student sing-alongs and cultural announcements.
THE LARAMIE PROJECT
“The Laramie Project” performance (Oct. 13 and 14) at UNI’s
Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center (GBPAC) was
co-sponsored by the CME. At first glance, many wondered
why the CME, which directs attention to racial and ethnic
marginalization, would substantially support this project,
which focuses on exposing and eliminating anti-gay violence
and discrimination. Advocating for gay rights and allying
with LGBT social causes parallel the quest for freedom and
equality of the 1950s and 1960s. Moreover, the percentage
of persons of color with a homosexual orientation compares
with the percentage among the white population. Before
and after the premiere of “The Laramie Project” in the
GBPAC’s Great Hall, the CME hosted a number of meaningful
discussions about the personal and political sides of gay life.
A major outgrowth of this play by the Tectonic Theater
Project was the inauguration of a university-wide series
called “Reaching for Higher Ground,” which will deal
with a contemporary issue in need of comprehensive
analysis over the course of an academic year. Next year’s
theme will join the national commemoration of the tenth
anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, and its aftermath with a
strong inclination towards efforts at building inclusive
community. The CME will play a vital contributory role in
making “Reaching for Higher Ground: Community After
9/11” a robust and much anticipated lineup of events.
GALLAGHER-BLUEDORN PERFORMING ARTS
CENTER (GBPAC) PERFORMANCES
Since the inception of the GBPAC, the CME has been a partner
with its annual artist series. This year was no exception. Most
of the programs we co-sponsor have a diversity component,
albeit sometimes we help to fund special events that are not
transparently ethnocentric. However, this year we embraced
the usual suspects, metaphorically speaking: Drumline
Live and Haochen Zhang. The climactic moment with the
former was the calling up of the CME director to help with
the segment commemorating the Temptations. One of the
exciting things about collaborating with the GBPAC is the
number of internationally renowned performers on the stage
of the Great Hall that students can see and hear. In primarily
supporting acts that showcase cultural traditions, the CME
enables students of various backgrounds, not necessarily of
the same heritage(s) as the performers, to experience a broad
swath of the world’s creative genius.
GIRL IN A COMA AND HACIENDA
For Hispanic Heritage Month, the CME collaborated with the
Hispanic Latino Student Union (HLSU) on an outside evening
fiesta featuring the trio called Girl in a Coma. The opening act
was an all-male quartet dubbed Hacienda. A local community
vendor catered the event with authentic Mexican delights.
CME’S FORTIETH
ANNIVERSARY
Every now and then, we
take time to remember
the establishment of the
Ethnic Minorities Cultural
and Educational Center
in 1971, after two years of
intermittent student protests. This time for the occasion,
we decorated the lobby with photographs, pictures and
artifacts from our archives. In addition, we employed the
services of a harpist, Ms. Gretchen Brumwell, an instructor
in the School of Music. Another special guest who was
scheduled to participate was unable to attend. Instead, a
guitarist and vocalist from the Cedar Valley, as well as our
event poetess, Ms. Danique Seymour, also entertained in
the lobby during the celebration.
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CME BOOK CLUB
One enjoyable and somewhat indirect way to enhance
cultural competency is through book discussion sessions.
During the academic year, the CME sponsors a book club
with at least seven texts to explore. What knocks the ball
out of the park is having a few authors featured on the
current list to visit our campus. The 2010-2011 school
year was a banner year for the book club because we
had sessions with Wise, Waziyatawin, Dyson, Lee and
Alexander. Usually a small cadre of folks gathers in the
lobby or CME conference room to chat about the current
tome. The groups expand exponentially when the author
of a book on the list comes to town. At those times,
the sessions are relocated to our multipurpose room. It
seldom fails that the focus of a discussion gives way to
other, somewhat related topics, many of which examine
challenging, contemporary issues. Sometimes the smaller
group discussions are equally or more beneficial.
MULTICULTURAL STUDENT LEADERSHIP RETREAT
A battery of diverse local professionals, both inside and
outside campus, facilitated presentations and discussions
based on the theme, “Creating Impact, Challenging
Perspectives and Cultivating Leaders.” In the past, the
retreat was typically a two and a half day conference. The
one day retreat format was in response to surveys and time
taken away from other student endeavors. The purpose
of the retreat is to equip students with the fundamental
skills of leadership and to sharper the skills of those at a
more advance level. There is a strong emphasis on civic
engagement and volunteerism. The retreaters take a
pledge, which stresses doing more and giving one’s best.
AN AFTERNOON WITH
JULIE DASH
This year, the Hearst Lecture
Series was hosted by the
Department of Communication
Studies. The CME joined with
that department, the Office of
the Executive Vice President
and Provost, and the College of Humanities and Fine Arts to
support the appearance of Ms. Julie Dash, producer, screenwriter and director of the 1992 film, “Daughters of the Dust”—
the first major theatrical release by an African-American woman.
She was able to share with students how she went about
making the film from concept to editing. Her film has a lot to do
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with family, place and identity. Prior to her visit, films by Dash
were screened in our multipurpose room followed by lively and
thought-provoking discussion.
UNDOING RACISM
The CME, in cooperation with Allen College and the Cedar
Valley Citizens for Undoing Racism (CVCUR), assisted in the
facilitation of Undoing Racism workshops emanating from
the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond out of New
Orleans. The hefty fees, borne by the CME and Allen College,
allowed persons from both institutions as well as community
leaders (primarily professionals) to attend the two and a half
day workshop free of charge. During this period the director
of the CME was asked to participate on the leadership
team of CVCUR. This partnership will foster the creation of
more egalitarian structures and processes that have been
historically discriminatory towards people of color.
Our Physical Plant
The multipurpose room of the CME is actually capable of
being divided in half. The southern half is like a classroom
with a blackboard on the east wall; the northern half
has a blackboard on the north wall with a bay window
on the east side, overlooking the beautiful archway and
Memorial Gardens. However, the room is rarely sectioned
off in this manner. Most of the time, the whole room
is utilized by reservationists because it is a nice and
comfortable meeting area for small-to-moderate-sized
groups. A majority of the time, the multipurpose room
is reserved by units whose main purpose is for event
space, rather than for addressing themes of cultural
diversity or the lack thereof. In this latter regard, passive
programming, such as artwork, crafts, photographs,
communication organs and the like, helps unobtrusively
to remind people of the central mission of the facility.
The lobby area is periodically rearranged to foster
unpredictability and to inspire, or take advantage of,
teachable moments. Changing decor and positions of
furnishings is in response to suggestions about how to
make this foyer superlatively inviting. Sometimes the lobby
is used as a spillover lecture hall, food-catering space, for
book signing receptions or close circuit feeds. To the south
of the lobby is a reception area staffed by professional,
clerical and student personnel with resources related to
multiculturalism and diversity close at hand. The lobby is
hardly ever reserved by itself; when not formally reserved,
it is treated as a quiet sitting place replete with games,
television, books, tables for eating and more!
The conference room, which used to be a student
computer lab, moved from a thin paper dream to a
near-reality during this fiscal year. Removal of computer
desks and the ordering of an executive conference table
complimented with nice, high-backed office chairs was a
sight for sore eyes, metaphorically speaking. Determinations
about mounting an LCD projector with screen for presentations
or obtaining a state-of-the-art flat screen television with all the
fixings were bandied about for some time, including whether
or not to have blinds covering the windows. As with the other
spaces in the reservation system, the new conference room
could be potentially reserved by other units, but with a strong,
overriding predisposition towards activities sponsored by the
CME and racial/ethnic minority student organizations.
Cooperative Liaisons
Communication Studies
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.
Leadership Studies
Our on-campus collaborators
included, in part:
American Democracy Project
Our off-campus collaborators
included, in part:
Allen College
Cedar Valley Citizens for
Undoing Racism
College of Education
Waterloo Commission on
Human Rights
Women’s and Gender Studies
Black Hawk County NAACP
Sociology Department
Social Action Inc.
Criminology
KBBG 88.1 FM Radio
Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing
Arts Center
KBOL 100.1 FM Radio
Student Activities and
Involvement Center
Peace and Justice Center of the
Cedar Valley
Darwin Week
Cedar Falls Mennonite Church
Hispanic Latino Student Union
Jubilee United Methodist Church
Black Student Union
University Book and Supply
New City Ministries, Inc.
UNI-STAND
Black Male Leaders Union
Rod Library
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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