Westminster Celebrates Diversity Month

November is Celebrate Diversity Month, and the students from on-campus organizations such as Black Student Union (BSU), ALLIES and the Disability Awareness Club (DAC) came together to plan a month-long string of events to bring light to prevalent issues among minority communities in society.   

Celebrate Diversity Month has been recognized for over ten years. This year, the students of the three organizations hope to increase awareness of inclusivity during a time when these matters have been heightened in our country.

“The goal is to provide the entire campus with educational workshops and events to help inform, inspire and educate our community about issues that are prevalent within minority and underrepresented communities,” Director of Diversity and Inclusion Jeannette Hubbard said.

Black Student Union kicked off the first week of the celebration with a series of events stressing fellowship and education. On Nov 9, guest speaker Mark Weir led a discussion on what it means to “Take a Knee” in today’s society. At the end of his discussion, he opened the floor for open discussion after his presentation.

“Mark talked about taking a knee and why people within this social climate do so,” BSU Vice President Antonia Thompson said. “It was enlightening.”

On Nov. 13, BSU, Allies and DAC presented “Dear Westminster,” a presentation from different students about their experiences as diverse individuals on campus. The following day, ALLIES and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and WHIG hosted Ted Hoover from the Persad Center in Pittsburgh to discuss LGBT in history.

“These students came together to ensure they work harmoniously to get the message of inclusivity across campus,” Hubbard said. “They’re being progressive to get the message out through workshops and activities that will help educate and empower the campus about salient issues in today’s society.”

The campus organizations, under the advising of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, encourage the campus to get involved.

“I became informed by going to different events on subjects I never knew about, and I got the groups' perspective on what’s going on,” BSU member Jay’Kayla Samuels said. 

Most importantly, Celebrate Diversity Month is about getting the campus engaged and better informed about issues every year. Through the events, students are not only able to learn about the subject matters at hand but are also given the opportunity to discuss them openly.

For more information, contact Tom Fields at fieldste@westminster.edu or 724-946-7190. 

Written by Megan Simpson

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