February 2021: Black History Month
FEBRUARY 2021
Global Campus Diversity Equity & Inclusion Newsletter
This newsletter is intended to align with the University of Arkansas campus initiative: Belonging. Messages are intended to nurture a positive working environment at the Global Campus, where all individuals can feel welcome and valued.
“Belonging is defined by each of us and connects us all as Razorbacks. … Belonging is a feeling we all desire and long for, regardless of life experiences. We all want to find a connection with others in our community. Some of the key components to belonging are: mutuality, open-mindedness, willingness to change, shared purpose, acceptance, acknowledging differences, authenticity, honest curiosity, respect, safety, self-reflection, trust, and mattering.”
~ the University of Arkansas’ “Our Belonging Framework”
This newsletter also supports the Global Campus core values of Excellence, People, Innovation, Empowerment, and Access and Reach.
All employees are welcome to provide feedback and suggestions for this newsletter to gccomm@uark.edu or ksmurphy@uark.edu.
February is Black History Month. More than a century ago, historians chose February to celebrate the achievements of Black Americans because Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were both born in February. The 2021 theme for this annual celebration is “Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity,” which explores the African diaspora and the spread of Black families across the United States. Learn more about the origins of Black History Month.
Below is a virtual “bulletin board” that provides links to more information about Black History Month and U of A activities.
U of A Black History Month Kick-Off Celebration
Visionairi Foundation will host a live performance featuring the Zuzu African Acrobats
Monday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m.
Virtual: EVENT REGISTRATION
Originating in Mombassa, Kenya, the ZuZu African Acrobats have performed in over 25 countries. Their performances are a blend of circus-style acrobatics and popular dance, set to African music. Based on 2000 years of history, their techniques have been passed down by an oral tradition.
Sponsored By: Vice-Chancellor for Diversity & Inclusion, Multicultural Center for Diversity & Education, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, Walton College Office of Diversity & Inclusion, and Visionairi, LLC.
"America, What Now?" Conversation with Judge Wiley Austin Branton Jr.
Tuesday, February 2 from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m.
Virtual: EVENT REGISTRATION
A Conversation with Judge Wiley Austin Branton Jr. to honor the 73rd anniversary of Silas Hunt’s admission to the U of A law school
Judge Wiley A. Branton Jr., now retired, served as a circuit court judge in the Sixth Judicial District of the State of Arkansas from July 1993 until his retirement on Dec. 31, 2020. He obtained his Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. Judge Branton was 6 years old when the Little Rock Central High School crisis erupted in 1957. His father, the late Wiley A. Branton, served as the lead counsel for the black plaintiffs in the case that became known as Cooper v. Aaron.
Sponsored By: Office of Admissions and School of Law
Reginald Miller: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Modern Age
Wednesday, February 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Virtual: ZOOM EVENT LINK
Featuring guest speaker Reginald Miller: McDonald’s Vice President and Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Reginald Miller, vice president and global chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at McDonald’s and an alumnus of the University of Arkansas, will discuss diversity and inclusion, how to engage in these conversations in an organization, best practices and guidance for diversity and inclusion, and how to prepare to work in diverse organizations. Miller oversees the McDonald’s global diversity and inclusion strategy, with a focus on transformational change around the world.
Sponsored By: Office of Equal Opportunity & Compliance and Walton College of Business
Activist and Author Angela Davis to Speak
Tuesday, February 16 at 7 p.m.
Outspoken political leader and renowned author Angela Davis will deliver the Distinguished Lectures Committee’s first lecture of 2021. The lecture will be virtual and a link will be accessible on the Distinguished Lectures Committee’s website prior to the event.
Equity in Action: Envisioning a Post-COVID Arkansas
This panel recording from May 2020 is a deep-dive conversation about equity in Arkansas – both what we are learning from the current crisis (COVID-19) and how these lessons can be a catalyst for lasting change.
The forum convened a cross-section of community leaders to share their perspectives on this crisis and envisioned how our state can move forward, post-COVID, in a way that leaves no one behind. The U of A IDEALS Institute and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation sponsored the panel.
Also See:
EVENTS: Visit the U of A’s Diversity website for more Black History Month events.
BLOGS: Visit the U of A IDEALS Institute blog page.
Upcoming Events
Stay up-to-date on all events pertaining to Belonging at the University of Arkansas from their calendar of events.
Trainings
Stay up-to-date on all trainings pertaining to Belonging at the University of Arkansas.
Resources
Be Involved
GC DEI BOOK CLUB
Join us each month to share a book and have a conversation during a virtual Teams gathering. At the gathering, you can use the “chat” feature to suggest book titles for the future.
Author: Angela Y. Davis, who will speak Feb. 16 as the first lecturer in the 2021 U of A Distinguished Lectures Series.
(See above how to attend the virtual lecture)
Discussion: Noon to 1 p.m. Feb. 25 via Teams meeting.
Review by GoodReads: In these newly collected essays, interviews, and speeches, world-renowned activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis illuminates the connections between struggles against state violence and oppression throughout history and around the world. Reflecting on the importance of black feminism, intersectionality, and prison abolitionism for today’s struggles, Davis discusses the legacies of previous liberation struggles, from the Black Freedom Movement to the South African anti-Apartheid movement. She highlights connections and analyzes today’s struggles against state terror, from Ferguson to Palestine. Facing a world of outrageous injustice, Davis challenges us to imagine and build the movement for human liberation. And in doing so, she reminds us that “Freedom is a constant struggle.”
As a courtesy, not a promotion, Freedom is a Constant Struggle is available for free on Kindle Unlimited, for $10.99 through Apple Books, or in paperback from Barnes & Noble for $14.45. There are many options to access the book, including public libraries.
The Belonging committee seeks your feedback and suggestions. Use the "Submit a Comment" form below or contact a committee member.
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