Explore diversity from all angles during Diversity Week

Auburn Montgomery’s Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs will host Diversity Week on April 22-26, with numerous events designed to encourage the community to see diversity from all angles, not solely race and ethnicity. All events are free and open to the public.

Sunday, April 22, 5:30 p.m.
Clifford and Virginia Durr Lecture
Moore Hall Auditorium
An annual lecture on civil liberties in honor of Montgomery Civil Rights’ pioneers Clifford and Virginia Durr. Rev. Robert S. Graetz, a Civil Rights leader and former friend of the Durrs and Rosa Parks, will serve as the keynote lecturer, along with filmmaker Andrew Beck Grace who will preview parts of his new documentary, "The Durrs of Montgomery." The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.aum.edu/durr.

Monday, April 23, Noon - 1:30 p.m.
"Abilities, Not Disabilities Awareness Seminar"
Taylor Center 221
A panel of experts will provide insights into the often-unrecognized abilities of persons diagnosed with physical and/or emotional conditions. They will also discuss positive and people-first language. For more information, contact Tamara Massey-Garrett in the Center for Disability Services at 334-244-3754 or tmassey2@aum.edu.

Monday, April 23, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Opening reception for "Silhouettes in Courage: March to Equality" art exhibit
Goodwyn Hall Gallery
Designed by students in AUM’s Department of Fine Arts, this exhibit features photographs culled from the Jim Peppler Southern Courier Photograph Collection at the Alabama Department of Archives and History and the Library of Congress' Prints and Photographs Division. It highlights the contributions of Rev. Robert S. Graetz, Dr. Gwendolyn M. Patton, Virginia Durr and other pioneers in Montgomery during the Civil Rights movement. The exhibit will run through April 27, with gallery hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The grand opening on April 23 will feature some of the honorees featured in the exhibit. Admission to the gallery is free and open to the public. For planning purposes, guests are asked to please RSVP for the reception by April 20 at 334-244-3904.

Tuesday, April 24, Noon - 1:30 p.m.
"Modern Family: Gay in Alabama"
Taylor Center 221
This educational session will discuss prominent issues affecting gay and lesbian Alabamians, including hate crimes, student rights and appropriate language for discussing issues that impact the gay and lesbian communities. Panelists will include Rep. Patricia Todd, the first openly-gay legislator elected to the Alabama House of Representatives; Sam Wolfe, a Civil Rights attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center; Ralph Young, vice chair of Equality Alabama; and Dr. Paul Hard, AUM associate professor of counselor education. For more information, contact Hard at 334-244-3240 or phard@aum.edu.

Wednesday, April 25, 9:30 a.m. - noon
11th Annual Holocaust Education Program
Physical Education Complex
AUM will host its 11th annual Holocaust Education Program in collaboration with the Jewish Federation of Central Alabama. Activities will include the screening of a film, presentation of high school essay contest winners, stories from Holocaust survivors, and a candlelight memorial for the 11 million victims of the Holocaust. The event is ADA adapted. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Sheila Guidry at 334-244-3268 or sguidry@aum.edu.

Wednesday, April 25, Noon - 1 p.m.
"Please Mind the Gap: Diversity in a Different Light"
Taylor Center 222
AUM students will share highlights of a recent European study abroad trip, emphasizing diversity awareness and the intercultural insights they gained. AUM officials will explain how to identify and finance a study abroad initiative that fits within students’ academic program. For more information, contact Jeff Bates in the School of Business at 334-244-3187 or jbates3@aum.edu.

Wednesday, April 25, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
"Rock the Bells: Hip Hop as an Empirical Frame"
Liberal Arts Building 110
Dr. Denise Davis-Maye, an associate professor of sociology at AUM, will examine hip-hop culture and rap music as a frame for critical analysis of contemporary social, cultural and political forces. The history of hip-hop will be explored, with emphasis placed on the relationship between hip-hop and political, social, economic and aesthetic structures. Urban history and development are also discussed. For more information, contact Davis-Maye at 334-244-3390 or ddavisma@aum.edu.

Thursday, April 26, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
"A Woman Like That" film screening 
Goodwyn Hall 112
A distinctly modern film about a 17th-century Baroque painter, "A Woman Like That" tells the incredible story one of the world's first female artists, Artemisia Gentileschi. Filmed in New York, St. Louis and Kentucky, the film includes rarely seen paintings from private collections and intimate views inside museums in Rome, Florence and Naples. Filmmaker Ellen Weissbrod will be on hand to introduce the film and answer questions following the screening. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Keri Watson, assistant professor of fine art, at 334-244-3927 or kwatson9@aum.edu.

April 9, 2012