VOICES
September 2020
Welcome to VOICES, a monthly newsletter from the Office of Diversity & Inclusion. Our office works closely with academic and administrative departments to further our efforts to create an affirming and respectful climate for all members of our community. We are a stronger community when we can listen and learn from those around us who may have different religious and political views, cultural perspectives, or philosophical thoughts. You are invited to view our website at http://www.wm.edu/diversity for additional information on the programs and services offered by the office. We look forward to working together to advance a culture of inclusive excellence at William & Mary. If you have upcoming programs or events you would like to share, please send it to Bobbi Jo Stevens at bcstevens@wm.edu by the 20th of each month.
      - Chon Glover
The Lemon Project Information Session

Join The Lemon Project team for a conversation about our research, community engagement efforts, and work with William & Mary students. While W&M is on the vanguard of the movement of universities studying slavery and its legacies, we are just beginning the long process of remembering, acknowledging, and bringing to the forefront the contributions and experiences of African Americans on this campus and in the community from 1693 to the present day. William & Mary benefited from the labor of enslaved people for more years than it hasn’t, so the work of healing and reconciliation toward a genuinely inclusive campus community will not happen overnight. Let's have a conversation about this work. RSVP at https://events.wm.edu/event/view/lemonproject/118349 
September 10, 2020
6:30pm - 7:30pm
Welcome to the
Office of Diversity & Inclusion
Bobbi Jo Stevens
Administrative Coordinator
A Williamsburg resident for 30 years she enjoys living in this beautiful town and is proud to be part of William & Mary. As an administrative assistant, she’s worked locally at McCardle Realty, Colonial Williamsburg, and National Center for State Courts. She looks forward to working with you.
Milka Mered
Diversity & Inclusion Fellow for Curricular and University Affairs
A 2020 graduate of William & Mary, Milka majored in Public Policy and minored in Ed Studies, where much of her work focused on creating inclusive environment for BIPOC students at William & Mary. As a Fellow, Milka would like to expand on those interests through the Office of Diversity & Inclusion. She hopes to start conversations on re-envisioning school cultures, multicultural programming and curricular development, and faculty & staff support to better empower marginalized and underrepresented communities.
Haarika Reddy
Diversity & Inclusion Extern
A William & Mary JD candidate from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is a former higher-education professional who is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion work.
DIVERSITY RECOGNITION
NOMINATE A COLLEAGUE!

The Office of Diversity & Inclusion welcomes campus community members to nominate a colleague to be recognized for a diversity-related program or project that furthers our commitment to inclusive excellence. To nominate a member of faculty/staff, please complete this form D&I 2020 Diversity Recognition
Thursday, September 10th
11am - 12pm
How Disability Drives Innovation: An Intersectional and Global Perspective

The Reves Center for International Studies, in cooperation with the William & Mary Law School, presents Haben Girma, who will deliver the 2020 McSwain-Walker Lecture--
How Disability Drives Innovation: An Intersectional and Global Perspective.

The first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, Haben Girma advocates for equal opportunities for people with disabilities. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change. She received the Helen Keller Achievement Award, and a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Chancellor Angela Merkel have all honored Haben. Haben believes disability is an opportunity for innovation. She travels the world teaching the benefits of choosing inclusion. She’s also the author of the highly acclaimed book,
Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law. Register Today
September 21, 2020
5pm - 6pm
September
Religious Holidays
Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month

7        Labor Day
19-20 Rosh Hashanah
22      Mabon / Autumn Equinox
28      Yom Kippur
29      Ahura

A Monthly List of Terms that Educate on Identity, Inclusion, and More.

  • Anti-Blackness - opposed to or hostile toward black people
  • BIPOC - Black, Indigenous, People of Color
  • BIWOC - Black, Indigenous, Womxn of Color
  • Equity is the state, quality or ideal of being just, impartial and fair
  • Gaslighting - is a form of emotional abuse or psychological manipulation involving distorting the truth in order to confuse or instill doubt in another person to the point they question their sanity or reality
  • Tone Policing - A tactic used by those who have privilege to silence those who don’t by focusing on the tone of what is being said, rather than the actual content
  • Systemic/Structural Racism - is a form of racism that is embedded as normal practice within society or an organization
  • White Centering - the centering of white people, white values, white norms and white feelings over everything and everyone else. The belief, whether conscious or not, that whiteness is “normal” and BIPOC are “other”
  • White Feminism - is a term used to describe and criticize feminist theories focusing solely on the experience of white women, failing to acknowledge and integrate the notion of intersectionality in the struggle for equality
  • White Fragility - the tendency among members of the dominant white cultural group to have a defensive, wounded, angry, or dismissive response to evidence of racism
  • White Silence - occurs when people with white privilege stay complicity silent when it comes to issues of race
  • White Superiority - the erroneous, violent and racist idea that people with white/white-passing skin are more superior to, and therefore deserve to dominate, people with brown or black skin
  • Womxn - a definition of women that explicitly includes not only cis-gender women, but also trans women and femme/feminine-identifying genderqueer and non-binary people

Glossary Terms Taken from the Me and White Supremacy Workbook, Merriam-Webster Dictionaries, Dictionary.com & Wikipedia.org
No Transition, No Justice Symposium

The Center for Comparative Legal Studies and Post-Conflict Peace Building, the W.C. Jefferson Chapter of The Black Law Students Association, and the Reves Center for International Studies are co-hosting an all-day symposium in September. It is titled "No Transition, No Justice: How the Absence of Transitional Justice Following the Civil War Has Led to Ongoing Racial Injustice in the United States."
There is no admission charge to attend this virtual event. Please visit the website below to register and reserve a seat. You will receive a follow-up email the week of the Symposium with log-in links.
September 18, 2020
9am - 5pm
ADA accommodation statement - Accuracy check 

Student Accessibility Services (SAS) offers the following statement for your syllabi. Please verify the phone number in your statement is updated:
William & Mary accommodates students with disabilities in accordance with federal laws and university policy. Any student who feels they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a learning, psychiatric, physical, or chronic health diagnosis should contact Student Accessibility Services staff at 757-221-2512 or at sas@wm.edu to determine if accommodations are warranted and to obtain an official letter of accommodation. For more information, please see www.wm.edu/sas.
“The African American Experience at William & Mary” Discussion: A Lemon’s Legacies Porch Talk

Join The Lemon Project team, in conjunction with Williamsburg Regional Library, as we lead a discussion ofThe African American Experience at William & Mary: A Historical Overview from The Lemon Project Report of the First Eight Years, pages 38-57. In April 2018, The Lemon Project released a report on our first eight years. This report includes an overview of the history of African Americans at William & Mary. Read the overview and come with questions as we have a conversation about this important history.
September 22, 2020
7pm - 8pm
Personal Branding: Embrace Your Authentic Self to Stand Out and Thrive (Webinar)
Personal Branding is becoming an essential part of professional success. This is not only true if you are looking for a new job, or looking to switch careers, it is also important within the workplace to make sure you get the promotion you want, achieve greater visibility for increased responsibilities, or to make sure your daily efforts and accomplishments are noticed. By having a strong personal brand, you enhance your visibility, build your credibility, gain recognition, and stand out from the crowd to move your career forward.
In her webinar Ilhiana Rojas Saldana will share how to embrace your authentic self to create a powerful Personal Brand, and how to elevate your voice to deliver an impactful and memorable presence.
September 29, 2020
12:00pm EDT

Diversity and the Job Search Panel: Latinx

Join us for a joint diversity panel series presented by the Cohen Career Center and the Center for Student Diversity. Professionals, employers, and alumni from diverse populations will share their expertise, advise, and answer questions about their experience in the workplace and the job search process.

This panel will focus on the LatinX population. RSVP in TribeCareers for link to event and panelist info. 

September 22, 2020
5:30pm - 6:30pm