Programming for Belmont’s 10th annual Diversity Week centered around the theme “Celebrating (Our) Stories of Hope, Unity and Belonging.” Sept. 25-29 marked Diversity Week, an intentional time for the campus community to listen, learn and grow in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
This year’s celebration incorporated new and familiar events and activities from past years, making for a vibrant display of campus support and representation for the many areas of diversity.
Nashville Public Television (NPT) and the Nashville Black Market partnered with Belmont for a community showing of the award-winning student documentary “Exit 207: The Soul of Nashville,” and a pop-up market for Black-owned businesses hosted at the NPT station.
A diverse collection of students from various academic disciplines collaborated on the documentary which examined the effects that Interstate 40 had on North Nashville. The project received awards in the Nashville Film Festival and the International Black Film Festival, in the “student shorts” and “short documentary” categories.
Several Diversity Week events were sponsored by Belmont’s 22nd annual Humanities Symposium which took place the same week and featured events that focused on examining humor through diverse perspectives and traditions.
The Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival is the second largest traditional festival in China and the Chinese Cultural Association (CCA) hosted a celebration for Belmont’s campus.
“Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is an occasion where family, friends and community gather together to celebrate togetherness and a good harvest,” Assistant Professor of Asian Studies and Chinese Joan Li said. “When you are here tonight, we are one family. So as one family we are celebrating this festival.”
More than 100 students gathered to learn more about the festival, hear Chinese music, listen to Chinese Moon Festival fables as well as eat moon cake in celebration.
Curated by Associate Professor Douglas Crews, a panel of LGBTQ+ students discussed their individual challenges and the importance of allyship in a question-and-answer session on “How to be an LGBTQ+ Ally.”
“I really appreciate it when I have cis or straight friends who make sure to use my pronouns,” Bridge Builders president Taylor Sanderson said. “That makes a big difference – knowing that you respect me and respect my identity and that you're going to make sure to be as informed as possible means a lot.”
The panel candidly answered a range of questions asked by Associate Professor Douglas Crews: What is your name and preferred pronouns? What was the environment like towards the queer community back in your hometown or high school? How can others partner and be an ally? Attendees were able to speak with the student panelists at the end of the session to continue the conversation.
The Office of Hope, Unity and Belonging (HUB) and the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month Task Force hosted a celebration for Hispanic Heritage Month on Friday. All were welcome to enjoy community food trucks that featured Mexican and Peruvian cuisine, listen to a student-curated music playlist, play games and participate in dance lessons provided by Luis Alejandro Rivera, director of Dance at the Global Education Center.
“This celebration is a great example of the commitment HUB has made to radically champion the pursuit of life abundant for all people,” Equity Compliance Specialist & Title IX Grace Patton said. “Not only do we seek to create spaces in which authentic identities can be celebrated, but we also hope to foster this sense of belonging in every corner of campus. So really, this celebration was just the beginning; our office, alongside some key players, have long-term plans to explore the how truly interwoven Hispanic and Latin culture is in Belmont's past, present and future.”
Diversity Week coordination was spearheaded by the Events and Engagement Committee of the HUB Advisory Council. Being a full-campus effort, numerous campus departments contributed to the abundant schedule of events. This tradition represents the continuation of Belmont’s work to foster a space for engagement, conversation and programming that centers around the University’s commitment to hope, unity and belonging for all members of Belmont’s growing community.