Diversity Week

Drawing from the story of Moses in Exodus 3, Rev. Gill will help us think about why we should think about who we are becoming. Like Moses, we must ask the question “who am I?” because others will be liberated when we have the courage to find out. Rev. Racquel Gill serves as the Minister for Intercultural Engagement at Duke University where she offers spiritual guidance, mentorship, care, and programming to students, particularly students of color, and also deepens relationships between the Chapel and campus cultural and identity centers. Rev. Gill previously served at Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina, where she was the endowed Jack and Jane Presseau Associate Chaplain. An ordained Baptist minister, she previously served on the pastoral staff at the St. Paul Community Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York. She grew up in Winnsboro, South Carolina, and is a graduate of Duke Divinity School.

Co-sponsored by the HUB

Join us for an educational seminar about the importance and informative notions about DEI in healthcare professions and graduate schools. Hear about methods used to help steer away from a fixed mindset in a profession that demands an open one. This event will highlight why we need to be both culturally and socially aware of the world around us in the diverse field of healthcare. 

Celebrate the 51st anniversary of Title IX by engaging in a comprehensive exploration of this pivotal legislation. Grace Patton will deliver a thought-provoking overview of Title IX's historical journey and its multifaceted components as Dr. Amy Bertram, in collaboration with the Women in Film student organization, will moderate the discussion. Afterward, we warmly extend an invitation to join us for a stimulating discussion and an interactive Q&A session. Seize this valuable opportunity to gain insights into the profound impact and significance of Title IX!

(WellCore event)

A veces se dice que una de las llaves del éxito es aprovechar las oportunidades que se nos presentan. En ocasiones podemos crearlas. Al hacerlo, en el ámbito creativo, podemos aumentar las posibilidades de mostrar y compartir nuestro trabajo. En esta charla, Tom Carr y Carmen Miquel mostrarán ejemplos de cómo han creado nuevas situaciones, no sólo para su beneficio, el de su equipo y el de sus colegas, sino también para los espectadores y para el público en general.

English Translation:

It is sometimes said that one of the keys to success is to seize the opportunities before us. Sometimes, one can create new opportunities. By doing so, in the case of creatives, we can increase our chances to show and share our work. In this talk, Tom Carr and Carmen Miquel will provide examples of how they have created novel situations to the benefit of not only themselves or their team members and colleagues, but also to viewers and the broader community.

The film Cantiflas released in 2014 is an ambitious biopic that relates the story of Mexican comedian, actor, and filmmaker Mario Moreno Reyes. He became an international star known by his stage name Cantiflas in the Spanish speaking world during the 20^th century. Evoking laughter and taking Hollywood by storm, Cantiflas achieved accolades well beyond his beloved home country of Mexico. Directed by Sebastian del Amo the film stars Oscar Jaenada as Cantinflas.

This event is only for Belmont faculty members. For RSVP information contact mike.pinter@belmont.edu

The Teaching Center will host the first mini-workshop session in the 2023-2024 Belonging in the Classroom series. This data-driven and inclusion-minded conversation will explore how embracing the identities of our students and utilizing their lived experiences may amplify learning for all.  In that regard, a richly felt sense of belonging in the classroom for every student supports their exploration and development of purpose. Lunch participants will leave with the pedagogical skills necessary for breaking down systemic barriers to learning that our students confront but also with a clearer understanding of what it means to “radically champion” the pursuit of life abundant for all Belmont students.  The session will be facilitated by Grace Patton, HUB Equity Compliance Specialist.

Can humor translate? What’s funny to a Japanese audience? Can we be in on these jokes too? In this talk, Chris Born explores the Japanese comedic art of rakugo, where a single, seated storyteller, bedecked in a kimono uses gestures, voice changes, a towel, and a folding fan to tell comic stories with a twist at the end. Having its origins in the Edo (1600-1868)period, Rakugo is considered to be one of earliest forms of contemporary comedy. Enjoyin gexamples in Japanese and English, we will learn how Japanese rakugo artists have been entertaining audiences for centuries, having a laugh or two along the way!

Exit 207: The Soul of Nashville, which premiered in May 2023, tells the story of Jefferson Street in North Nashville, a proud and resilient community that thrived during the Civil Rights Era and was deeply affected by the construction of Interstate 40. Today, Jefferson Street is fostering the future identity of Nashville’s Black community. The 20-minute documentary was directed and produced by Belmont students. Dr. Jennifer Duck, Jennifer Bergen and Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel served as faculty sponsors of this collaborative, interdisciplinary project between Curb College, Global Honors, Belmont-Fisk Collaborative and others. Carlos Partee, Nashville Black Market CEO/founder, was interviewed for the film. NPT will host several screenings of Exit 207 in their studio while NBM vendors and food trucks will operate a pop-up market in the NPT parking lot. The event is open to the public and will include free mini-movie posters that can be signed by the film's cast—many of whom will be in attendance.

Plan your viewing: Screening for Exit 207 will be shown at 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (20-minute duration) Stop by the pop-up market in the NPT parking lot with Nashville Black Market vendors and food trucks!

NPT address: 161 Rain Ave, Nashville, TN 37203

Join the Office of Student Engagement for It Must Be Wednesday every Wednesday! Stop by the Diversity Week tables on Wednesday along with the other unique local and campus partners. 

Join us to hear from the pastor of the largest church in our region about the relevance of the gospel to the lives of college students. Bishop Joseph W, Walker III is Senior Pastor of Mt. Zion Nashville and serves as the International Presiding Bishop in the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship. Bishop Walker has an M. Div. from Vanderbilt Divinity School and a D. Min. from Princeton Seminary and is the author of 13 books. In 1992, at the age of 24, Bishop Walker began his pastorate at Mt. Zion with 175 members, and the ministry has grown to over 20,000.

Dr. Fred Gardaphé, Queens College, City University of New York, Distinguished Professor of English and Italian American Studies.

From early immigrant theater to television shows such as The Sopranos, humor has been a regular, if reticent, factor in the assimilation of Italian immigrants into U.S. American culture. Long before Americans were laughing with Italians, they were laughing at them. Like all new immigrants, Italians would be the targets of American humor: first out of the fear of their difference, then out of the familiarity with their peculiarities. Some scholars have attributed this to the idea that making fun of a minority is part of the process by which that minority is incorporated into the identity mosaic of the United States. This talk surveys the contributions of Italian Americans to U.S. American humor in theater, literature, television, and stand-up comedy and others explanations as to why Italian Americans have not developed a public tradition of humor that rivals those of other racial and ethnic groups.

Come to a highly interactive (and fun!) workshop to discover how our own normative assumptions can impact cross cultural communication. This is a co-curricular workshop that is part of our Intercultural Competency Program. To stay posted of future Global Bruin events, please join our group here.

Join us for a question-and-answer session with a panel of LGBTQ+ students to discuss the challenges of being a queer student, the importance of allyship, and the steps you can take to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community on campus and beyond.

Real Talk facilitates open and safe dialogue focusing on, but not limited to diversity, equity, and inclusion with the slogan, “If you are bold enough to bring it up, then we are bold enough to talk about it.” 

Real Talk facilitates open and safe dialogue focusing on, but not limited to diversity, equity, and inclusion with the slogan, “If you are bold enough to bring it up, then we are bold enough to talk about it.” 

Benjamin B. Schwartz, Vanderbilt University, Philosophy Department.

Can the classroom be a space for humor? And if so, can humor in the classroom be a force for good? In stories about successful African American teachers, humor often falls by the wayside. Nonetheless, humor has been an essential part of how many African American teachers have worked to combat racism and help students to achieve their transformative potential. This presentation will explore ideas around humor and teaching in literature by African American teacher-authors such as Anna Julia Cooper, Ralph Ellison, Frances E.W. Harper, and bell hooks in order to better understand how humor functions as a pedagogical tool that helps minoritized teachers and students to survive, thrive, and fight injustice in the classroom.

Moon Festival, a.k.a. Mid-Autumn Festival, is the second largest traditional festival in Chinese culture. There will be a presentation about the customs and traditions of the festival and opportunity to taste the popular moon cakes (festival pastry). Come to join us in enjoying and learning about this significant Chinese festival! 

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15% Off for Belmont faculty, staff and students using code ibffculture23 

1:00 p.m. – Salsa Dancing

Come out to learn more about the Hispanic and Latinx culture through dance! A brief intro about salsa dance will be provided and the bulk of the time will be interactive dance lessons for you to try this fun piece of Hispanic and Latinx culture.

This event is part of our celebration of Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month and will include community food trucks, a student-curated music playlist, and Dominoes and Loteria!

Lessons will be provided by Luis Alejandro Rivera, who serves as Director of Dance at the Global Education Center, artistic director of the Center’s Helios World Dance Ensemble, and artistic coordinator for Global's satellite studio in South Nashville. Alejandro has a BA in Industrial Management/Human Resources, with a Minor in Education. He is from Hatillo, Puerto Rico where he trained in Musical Theater, Jazz, Hip Hop, Modern, Latin, Ballroom and Ballet, from four Academies: Compañía Baile Moderno in San Germán, PR by Janice Santana, and Elmer Pérez; Western Ballet Theater in Mayagüez, PR by Nana and Mumy Badrena; Ballet Jazz de Mayagüez in Mayagüez, PR by Doris Ocasio; and School for the Performing Arts in San Juan, PR by Waldo González. Mr. Rivera was the director and founder of the first College Dance Team to receive full university tuition scholarship out of all 11 state universities in Puerto Rico. He was chosen out of 50 teachers at W.A.L.K.S. (private magnet school in Mayagüez, PR) to provide dance workshops in private and public schools as well as organizations and other groups of kids and adults in Danbury, Connecticut. Alejandro has taught children from 4 year olds to adults over 85 years old. Alejandro opened his own performing arts studio, named Imagination Performing Arts Studio, in Mayagüez, PR, where students had the opportunity to create their own musicals and the teachers were their guides to explore their talents throughout the class. Mr. Rivera has worked as a Healthcare Training Manager for 7 years providing training techniques and skills to several healthcare companies in Nashville. In fall, 2018, he decided to dedicate himself completely to the arts and continues to make a difference in the lives of every person he encounters through the power of dance.

Inspiring scholar, mentor, and Civil Rights pioneer, Ira De Augustine Reid moved Harverford College closer to its values of understanding, inclusion and reform.

15% Off for Belmont faculty, staff and students using code ibffculture23 

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Belmont’s Diverse Community of Faculty and Staff (BDCFS) will host its Family Reunion on campus at the recently opened Slim & Husky’s. 

The distribution landscape with studios and streamers as we know it may be up for one of its most significant overhauls in decades. With impending strikes still in force, content creators in the film and TV industries may need to strategize on how to best navigate a new era of getting a deal. Join top industry executives as they share insider perspectives on where the industry is going and tips on how to re-tool your strategy.

15% Off for Belmont faculty, staff and students using code ibffculture23 

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The Freedom Plaza Fountain honors the enslaved people who toiled on the original Belmont estate. Belmont is a unique community committed to letting hope abound, radically championing all people and respecting the sacrifices, labor and resilience of those who came before us. The Lights at the Fountain ceremony takes a moment out of the year to read the known names of enslaved persons and light a candle to reflect on the multitude of untold stories. All campus is encouraged to attend. 

Presented by Belmont’s Diverse Community of Faculty and Staff  

The true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific discoveries, when women’s ideas were dismissed until men claimed credit for them.

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The true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific discoveries, when women’s ideas were dismissed until men claimed credit for them. This is a ticketed event. 

• Final Showing: Sunday, Oct. 1 at 2:00 p.m. 

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