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Tuesday June 15th

Diversity And Multicultural Affairs

Wilson Library overlooks Polk Place on March 1, 2021.

University Libraries launches Reckoning Initiative to advance anti-racism work

By Jennifer Tran | May. 31

Elaine Westbrooks, vice provost for University Libraries and University librarian, said that prior to the pandemic, the Libraries held an exhibition examining the historical role of science in creating concepts of race, as well as other exhibitions meant to demonstrate active commitment to the equity and inclusion work stated in the Libraries' framework. “You should belong,” Westbrooks said. “You’ve earned the right to be here, and we want to ensure that you belong, you’re represented and you’re treated equitably.”

Column: Our second diversity audit is up. Here’s what we plan to do better.

By Brittany McGee and Heidi Pérez-Moreno | May. 17

University Desk Senior Writer Maydha Devarajan will be the DTH's Elevate editor for the 2021-22 school year. Photo courtesy of Hanna Wondmagegn.

Column: Meet the DTH's next elevate editor

By Maydha Devarajan | May. 4

Rising junior Clay Morris will be the DTH's 2021-22 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer.

Column: Meet the DTH's next diversity, equity and inclusion officer

By Clay Morris | May. 3

A group of students work on school work together outside of the student union on Tuesday, Apr. 27, 2021.

Column: UNC has a diversity problem

By Aditi Kharod | Apr. 27

Dr. Leah Cox, the current Vice President of Inclusion and Institutional Equity at Towson University became the fourth and final candidate to host an open forum as part of the selection process for UNC's new Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer.

Fourth candidate for vice provost for equity and inclusion presents platform

By Charlotte Geier | Apr. 7

Screenshot from “Anti-Blackness and Alliance: A Series on Asian-Black Race Relations”, a year-long series co-hosted by the Asian American Center and Carolina Asia Center on Tuesday, March 31, 2021.

Asian American Center and Carolina Asia Center host event on improving race relations

By Kaitlyn Dang | Apr. 6

The AAC and Carolina Asia Center intend to introduce a wide variety of speakers, academics and activists in this series to discuss the complex interracial connections and discourse between Asian American and Black communities.

UNC fourth-year dual degree medical and public health student Bao-Tran “BT” Parker poses for a FaceTime portrait from her home in Durham on March 30, 2021. Parker was one of the six students to start the petition for an increase in AAPI representation within UNC CAPS.

CAPS does not have any AAPI counselors. These students seek to change that.

By Praveena Somasundaram | Apr. 6

AAPI community members have the lowest help-seeking rate of any racial or ethnic group according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Studies over the past 20 years have shown the importance of cultural competence in mental health services — something the petition aims to address.

Virginia Hardy, the current vice chancellor of student affairs at East Carolina University, is the third of four candidates for UNC’s next vice provost for equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer.

Third finalist for UNC chief diversity officer presents in open forum

By Anne Tate | Mar. 30

Virginia Hardy, who earned her undergraduate degree in education at UNC, spoke about her main goals, including relationship building on and off campus, effective and frequent communication, setting expectations, and improving education, acknowledgement and accountability.

Poet Rajiv Mohabir speaks at an event on Wednesday, March 24, 2021, hosted by the UNC Asian American Center in celebration of Holi.

Rajiv Mohabir reads century-old poetry, now translated, to mark Holi

By Noah Robert Houser | Mar. 29

"Rajiv Mohabir sharing these poems educated more people about what Holi is and the history behind it," Shivam Bhargava said. "It's very easy to celebrate Holi without understanding the cultural and religious significance behind it, but Rajiv's poems add historical and cultural context to the celebration so that more people know what they are celebrating."

Cecil Howard, the first of four finalists for the position of UNC's vice provost for equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer, held a forum on his goals to promote diversity at Carolina. Howard currently serves as associate vice president and chief diversity officer of the University of South Florida system.

UNC's search for chief diversity officer kicks off with presentation from first finalist

By Hannah Rosenberger | Mar. 23

On Tuesday, the first forum for finalist candidates in UNC's search for the next vice provost for equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer featured Cecil Howard. Howard discussed his goals if selected for the position in the forum, which was open to the campus community.

The former Freedmen's School site, as pictured on Oct. 21 2020, is the location of a truth plaque that will be implemented soon by the Town of Carrboro.

Carrboro roundtable discussion series provides a space for business owners of color

By Charlotte Easley | Mar. 21

There are over 60 establishments in Carrboro owned by people of color. These roundtable discussions are a way to determine essential resources and services for these local businesses.

Dr. Larry Chavis, director of the UNC American Indian Center, poses for a portrait in Chapel Hill on Monday, Mar. 1, 2021. Chavis, who is a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, notes the importance of belonging and of doing so "on your own terms."

'See that we exist': American Indian Center faces lack of University support

By Samuel Garzon | Mar. 16

Members of the American Indian Center share how a lack of financial support from the University has impacted the center's ability to fulfill its purpose on campus — supporting American Indian students at UNC.

Ruffin Residence Hall on North Campus on February 22, 2021. Ruffin Residence Hall was originally named after Thomas Ruffin, but the University decided to rename it after his son, Thomas Ruffin Jr., in 2020.

Campaign launched to remove all Confederate statues from courthouse grounds

By Charles Vanderford | Mar. 9

As part of the campaign, NC CRED will create and maintain a website to provide information on confederate monuments in the state, work in coalitions to empower local communities to remove monuments through legislation and compile an accurate history of these monuments.

Heidi Kim, an associate English professor and director of the UNC Asian American Center, poses for a portrait in the center on Monday, Mar. 8, 2021. "I've lived through multiple waves of anti-Asian American violence," says Kim. "You start to realize there's an underlying racism that's always there."

Advocates respond to recent rise in violence against Asian American community

By Praveena Somasundaram | Mar. 9

Though violence against Asian Americans has risen particularly in major U.S. cities, community members say anti-Asian racism is not new — and that there is much work that needs to be done to address it.

Author Kelly Starling Lyons is 2021's Piedmont Laureate, a program co-sponsored by the City of Raleigh Arts Commission, Durham Arts Council, Orange County Arts Commission and United Arts Council of Raleigh & Wake County. Photo courtesy of Melissa R. Campbell.

2021 Piedmont Laureate aims to increase representation in children's literature

By Macon Porterfield | Feb. 23

"After 17 years as a writer, Lyons has published over 15 children’s books with people of color serving main character roles."

A mural of Elizabeth Cotten at 111 North Merritt Mill Road in Carrboro on Feb. 11, 2021

Students and faculty reflect on erasure of Black history in education

By Charity Cohen | Feb. 11

This Black History Month, students consider the erasure of Black history lessons in schools. “When I think about the way that African American history is cramped and restricted to a few figures and those figures, in turn, are often sanitized, they’re reduced to a few selected stories to represent their lives," UNC professor Glenn Hinson said.

Alec White, a first-year at the time, fills out a course evaluation for the Fall 2017 semester. The Committee on Community and Diversity discussed the impact of COVID-19 on faculty teaching evaluations and the upcoming faculty nomination process over Zoom on Friday, Jan. 8, 2021.