Diversity Awareness Week at Radford

Radford University is home to a wealth of experiences, perceptions and voices. That diversity will be brought to the fore during the Fall 2014 Diversity Awareness and Celebration Week, scheduled from Oct. 13 through Oct. 16.

"Our diversity awareness celebration is about all the diversity we have at RU," said Brooke Chang, director of the Office of Diversity and Equity. "We celebrate our diverse population, our international population and all of the student, faculty and staff who care about diversity issues."

Events throughout the week will touch on a wide range of issues, such as race relations, ethnic diversity, gender equity, Appalachian stereotypes, international relations, LGBT rights, faith and belief, and disability.

A full list of events can be found on the Office of Diversity and Equity website.

Throughout this week, the Colleges of Science and Technology, Education & Human Development and Graduate and Professional Studies; Departments of Criminal Justice, Psychology, Political Science, History, Mathematics, Sociology, Philosophy and Religion, Music and Theater; School of Teacher Education and Leadership; Appalachian Studies Program; Student Government Association; and Office of Diversity and Equity will feature panels on these diversity topics.

"These events will give the campus opportunities to dialogue, to talk with one another about the variety of topics and issues that interest us all," Chang said.

To begin the week, RU will welcome Ash Beckham, a national speaker on LGBT rights who made waves when a speech on her reclamation of the word "gay" became a viral Internet sensation. Beckham's presentation will take place in Bondurant Auditorium on Monday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. and is open to the RU community and local public.

Also on Monday is "Negotiating Family Life: Equality is Hard to Achieve," a panel discussion featuring two special guests: Miriam Liss and Mindy Erchull, respectively professor and associate professor of psychology at the University of Mary Washington. The pair of visiting scholars will join Hilary Lips, chair of the RU Department of Psychology and director of the Center for Gender Studies, to explore issues relating to family life and equity. The panel will take place in Heth 022 at 4 p.m.

In an interdisciplinary effort to start conversations about diversity and equity, the Department of Theatre and Cinema will premiere their production of "Clybourne Park," the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning play about the challenges of race and gentrification in Chicago. A panel discussion on "Reflection on Diversity: Race, Disability, and Beyond" will take place immediately following the theater performance on Thursday evening, October 16.  For a full schedule of performances, visit the Department of Theatre and Cinema website.