Diversity and Inclusion

September 25, 2018 ● 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. ● WCC, Hurvis Room

Title: Cultural Appropriation: What Is or Isn’t – Understanding the Complexities around Race, Culture, and Consumption

Speaker: Jesus G. Smith

Topic: Cultural Appropriation or Cultural Appreciation

The debate over when certain acts and behaviors are considered cultural appropriation versus when they are seen as acts of appreciation still rages on. In this open dialogue, we examine different cultural acts and events that are at the center of the cultural appropriation debate (including music, fashion, hairstyles and dances) and explore the complexity and nuances to the arguments. The hope is to walk away with a greater understanding of what both are, how they compare and contrast to each other, and how to do one versus the other.

Please RSVP to div-inclusion@lawrence.edu.

September 20, 2018 ●  11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ● WCC Cinema

September 25, 2018 ● 7 to 8:30 p.m. ● WCC Cinema

The campus community including students, faculty, staff and alumni are invited to join in a town hall discussion of the Campus Climate Survey results. The town hall will include a presentation of findings presented by Dr. Kimberly Barrett, VP of Diversity and Inclusion followed by a question period. Next steps in addressing needs identified in survey results will also be discussed.  Ask questions!  Share ideas! Help shape the next steps that will be taken to make Lawrence a place where everyone has a voice, everyone feels they belong, and everyone can reach their full potential!

Please RSVP to div-inclusion@lawrence.edu.

September 19, 2018 ● 1 to 5 p.m. ● WCC, Esch Studio 

Upstander Training prepares participants to intervene safely and appropriately when witnessing incidents of discrimination, harassment or harm. Participants engage with real-life scenarios to enable them to effectively identify and challenge negative narratives and behaviors. Become an agent for change and foster a positive of the culture of safety and respect in your places of influence. 

(ADVANCED TRAINING: This session is especially geared toward those who are experienced practitioners and have considerable knowledge related to this topic.) 

Please RSVP to div-inclusion@lawrence.edu 

September 19 – 5:00 pm informal networking and social

October 3, 17, and 31 – 12:30 to 1:30 pm

For more details and to get access to the archive of past ARWAG readings, join the ARWAG Moodle group. Contact Jenna Stone (stonej@lawrence.edu), director of budget and planning, or Emily Wilson (emily.r.wilson@lawrence.edu), executive assistant for diversity & inclusion, for the Moodle instructions.

What, you may ask, is an anti-racist white affinity group? ARWAG is a gathering of Lawrence staff and faculty seeking to understand and challenge racism. Recognizing that anti-racist work is disproportionately borne by people of color, ARWAG is a setting for white people to take responsibility for educating ourselves about racism and for challenging white supremacy from the inside. Organized as a study group, ARWAG will read and discuss materials that help us understand how racism operates, especially in its insidious forms that are harder for white people to notice in action—white privilege, unconscious / implicit bias, and structural racism.

ARWAG is for white people at varying stages of knowledge and understanding about racism. Whether you’re just starting to learn about things like unconscious bias or structural racism, or you are a committed anti-racist activist, ARWAG welcomes your participation. Come, learn, ask questions, get uncomfortable, challenge yourself, share ideas, be part of a community learning to do less harm.