The Chancellor’s Diversity Initiative provides several programs and services to involve Mizzou and the local community in helping to build a diverse, safe and inclusive culture on and off campus. Some of these include:
- The annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration — Sponsored by the MLK Jr. committee, this year’s theme is “Share the Dream, Live the Reality,” and features writer, actor and television producer Larry Wilmore. The event, to be held Jan. 25 at the Missouri Theatre at 203 S. Ninth St., is free and open to the pubic. A reception begins at 6 p.m., with Wilmore’s presentation at 7 p.m.
Also at the celebration, Ty Christian, a 1977 graduate of Mizzou, will present the university with a replica of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial that was dedicated in October in Washington, D.C., by President Barack Obama. Christian served as chief marketing strategist on the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation. In 2004, he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Arts and Science.
- Leadership in Diversity series — Held each semester, the seminars showcase deans and other leaders on campus discussing diversity. The series kicked off last fall with a presentation by Robert Churchill, dean of the School of Medicine. This spring’s seminar will be conducted by Daniel Clay, dean of the College of Education, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. March 15 in S107 Memorial Union.
- Mizzou Inclusive Excellence Awards — The awards go to students, faculty, staff and groups at MU who encourage, embrace and celebrate differences, and help foster a better campus climate. The deadline for nominations is Jan. 29. The awards will be presented Feb. 29 at the Reynolds Alumni Center.
- Mizzou Diversity Summit — This is a two-day event planned for students, faculty, staff and administrators to network, interact, ask questions and share campus efforts in the area of diversity. The next summit is planned for fall 2012. Highlights from the 2010 summit can be found on its website.
- Diversity in Action series — The monthly research-based seminars feature one of the more than 145 faculty on campus who work in a diversity-related area or conduct diversity-related research. Mignonette Chiu, postdoctoral fellow in Women’s and Gender Studies, will present the next brown-bag seminar Feb. 8. The series is open to both MU and the greater Columbia community.
- You in Mizzou — The program is designed to give MU students, faculty and staff opportunities to learn about a variety of hot-topic issues as well as challenge participants to respectfully discuss their differences and discover their similarities in a safe environment. Although the dialogues are popular among undergraduate students, the sessions are free and open to the public. The next program, “48 Years of the Civil Rights Act: Equal Rights or Equal Opportunities,” will occur at 7 p.m. Feb. 1 in S203 Memorial Union.