Diversity Dialogue celebrates the importance of cultural heritage
Diversity Dialogue celebrates the importance of cultural heritage
The first fall 2012 installment of Diversity Dialogue was held on Wednesday, September 12, in the Gold Room of the Clinton Bristow Jr. Dining Facility. Diversity Dialogue is a monthly event sponsored by the Office of Educational Equity and Inclusion to promote cultural understanding through conversations around diversity issues among all members of the Alcorn campus community. The theme of this month’s program, “Reaching Back, Stepping Forward”, celebrated the importance of appreciating our own cultural heritage as a rich source of identity and inspiration as well as encouraged participants to envision ways to foster an even greater spirit of inclusion at Alcorn.
Non-traditional student Jacqueline Ford who graduated in May 2012 with a bachelor’s degree and came back to Alcorn to work on her master’s, remembered how she first came to Alcorn in 2006, “Beginning your college education when it’s been a long time since you’ve graduated from high school is not easy, but when I got here, Student Support Services helped me so much! They became my second family. I think Alcorn has a great atmosphere of inclusion thanks to great people who work and study here and activities like this Diversity Dialogue.”
Bhavtaran Singh, a freshman from Chandigarh, India, shared, “I enjoyed our discussion immensely. It made us think about things that are important – our identity and the way we are perceived by other cultures. It teaches us to be mutually respectful.”
“The event was a tremendous success and, indeed, I am so honored to be a part of such an inclusive and diverse Alcorn family,” said Dr. Derek Greenfield, director of the Office of Educational Equity and Inclusion. “Our office hosted a series of exciting programs this week, and we look forward to bringing even more dynamic offerings to the campus in the upcoming months.”
