Newsletter: April 2022

Greetings! The Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging has several upcoming events we would like to share with you. Our team has been working with collaborators across campus and in the community to bring you some stellar opportunities to learn and grow on a variety of topics.

“Land Acknowledgement” Conversation – April 5 at 6:00pm - Zoom

Our institution is hosting a "Land Acknowledgment" Conversation on April 5th at 6pm. Register at the link above. This event is important because of the participation of the Vice-Chair of the Kaw Nation, James Pepper Henry. He is also the Director of the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma. Not only will you hear from your Native constituents at KU and in the Lawrence community, but you will hear from one of the main tribes that called this place home before being forcibly removed.
 
Sponsored by: Sponsored by: KU Native American Initiatives, KU Native Faculty Staff Council, KU Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, KU School of Social Welfare, and USD 497 NASS.

 
KU FNSA Powwow & Indigenous Cultures Festival – April 9

You are invited to the KU FNSA Powwow & Indigenous Cultures Festival. The Indigenous Cultures Festival, in its fifth year, is a free community event on the day of the FNSA Powwow that has activities such as Indigenous films, educational workshops, and children’s activities focused on Indigenous cultures and history. The Annual Powwow, in its 33rd year, hosted by KU's First Nations Student Association, is a celebration of diverse Native American cultures in our community through dancing, singing, and honoring the traditions of our Indigenous ancestors.

International Jayhawk Festival – April 19 from 3 – 6pm

The Sixth Annual International Jayhawk Festival will be held on Tuesday, April 19 from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Burge Union. The event is an opportunity for all Jayhawks to celebrate our global community and international engagement. The event will include free t-shirts, food, performances, activities and a study abroad fair. All are welcome. 
 

Liberation Conversation with Alok V. Menon – April 19 at 6:30pm

Join us, on April 19th for an evening of readings and conversation with writer, artist, and performer, Alok Vaid-Menon (they/them) as we explore what it means for us to truly live in our joy and liberation. They will be reading excerpts from their book, Beyond the Gender Binary followed by a Q&A with the audience. First 25 students to arrive will receive a copy of their book Beyond the Gender Binary.  Masks are strongly encouraged and recommended for this event. 

Alok is a a Queer writer, artist, and performer whose work explores themes of trauma, belonging, and the human condition. They are the author of several works including Femme in Public, Your Wound/My Garden, Beyond the Gender Binary, and creator of #DeGenderFashion: a movement to de-gender fashion and beauty industries.
 
Sponsored by: Office of Multicultural Affairs, Department of Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Spencer Museum of Art, Academic Success, Student Union Activities, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging.

   
Homonormativity in the City – April 25 at 1pm - Zoom

What is homonormativity and how does it displace queer diversity in Atlanta, Georgia? In this talk Dr. Rachael Cofield (they/them) tell the story of Midtown, tracing its transformation from the 1980s to the present, from a queer and hip enclave to a sanitized, corporatized, homonormatively gay space. Dr. Cofield will explain the role of the neighborhood, its impact on queer lives, and how people who cannot live there view Midtown in the present moment. Join DEIB and SGD in learning about the homonorm, gentrification, and queer daily life in the city.
 

The Body is Not an Apology with Sonya Renee Taylor – April 27 at 1:00pm

Sonya Renee Taylor (she/her) is the Founder and Radical Executive Officer of The Body is Not An Apology, a digital media and education company promoting radical self-love and body empowerment as the foundational tool for social justice and global transformation. Sonya’s work as a highly sought-after award-winning Performance Poet, activist, and transformational leader continues to have global reach. Sonya is a former National and International poetry slam champion, author of two books, including The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love (Berrett-Koehler Feb 2018), educator and thought leader who has enlightened and inspired organizations, audiences and individuals from board rooms to prisons, universities to homeless shelters, elementary schools to some of the biggest stages in the world.   

Talk and Q&A followed by book giveaway (in-person only).

Sponsored by: the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, the Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity, and the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

DEIB is committed to providing access to all of our events. Please contact MytriceAllen@ku.edu to request accommodations. Two weeks’ notice is preferred. We hope to see you at any or all of these events. 

-    The DEIB Team