Inclusive Excellence and Diversity Education

COVID-19 cases are on the rise in many parts of the country. Since 2020, We have tragically lost over 16,000 Kentuckians.

Be COVID aware. Help stop the spread of COVID. The BA.5 subvariant is now the dominant subvariant, as reported by NPR on July 12, 2022.

Campaign graphic and text created by the World Health Organization.

Ageism is the word used to describe the stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination against ourselves or other people, based on age.

Policies and laws can address age-related discrimination and inequality and protect the human rights of everyone, everywhere.

Join the movement: bit.ly/combatageism. Institutions can help create

Tile graphic of black and white close-up portrait of a person joyfully smiling with their eyes closed. They have shoulder-length hair and a flower hairband on their forehead.

Hello summer! June 21st marked the first day of meteorological summer.

Today’s quote is from Maxine Hong Kingston: “In a time of destruction, create something.”

Maxine Hong Kingston is a second generation Chinese American poet, memoirist, and fiction writer. She was born in Stockton, California and attended the University of California Berkeley.

Information adapted from The Poetry Foundation.

Casa Abierta: Latinx Open House on Saturday, June 11, 2022. From 12 pm Noon to 5 pm at the University of Kentucky Cornerstone Building.

Come learn about UK admissions, scholarships, academic programs, resources, and interact with faculty and staff!

There will be snacks, giveaways, and a resource fair. Fun for the whole family!

IEDE is at NCORE this week, the Annual National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education. We are thrilled to assist in representing the University of Kentucky.

Side profile view of a ceramic coffee-style mug. Text on the mug reads: Today is a great day for adventure. Logo of the Portland, Oregon skyline. IEDE logo.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workshop - Saturday, June 11

UK HR Health and Wellness, in partnership with Mind Body Studio's Dr. John Patterson, MD, MSPH, FAAFP offers Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. MBSR will help you with managing stress-related chronic conditions, relaxing your body, quieting your mind, opening your heart and give you the tools to improve mindfulness day-to-day.
This half-day online workshop will provide you with a toolkit to help you manage stress and learn relaxation techniques for a more positive, mindful life. The cost is $25.

Register on the Dashboard at ukhr.uky.edu/wellness/BeWell/mbsrWorkshop

Several more exciting activities are planned for the next few weeks! Check the calendar below.

It's time for (re)Discover Your Spark! This week, we are focusing on playfulness. You can enjoy Meditation Monday today, and tomorrow (Tuesday) will include sand volleyball and Untangle Tuesday. During all of May 9-27, we'll have on-demand offerings too, like our Becoming Wildly Resilient podcast and MoveWell Fitness blog. For more information, visit www.uky.edu/hr/spark !

Accessibility can be defined as a proactive solution to providing equal access for all.

A 2020 report from the Return on Disability Group, stated that 90% of companies claim to prioritize diversity, while only 4% consider disability in those initiatives.

We want to bring attention to the importance of emphasizing accessibility (A) in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) missions. This post highlights a few resources that discuss accessibility, and provide examples in action.

Swipe to see our staff’s current reading, watching, listening, and following recommendations!

Dr. Rae Loftis Recommendations:

A central theme in all of Dr. Loftis’s recommendations is that they center and celebrate LGBTQA people, histories, and existences. From light-hearted to heart-warming, any of these titles are sure to offer a space for affirmation, celebration, or reflection.

Read:
•"The House in the Cerulean Sea" by T.J. Klune (2020)
•"We Will Not Cancel Us: And Other Dreams of Transformative Justice" by adrienne maree brown (2020)
Watch:
• Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
• My Name is Pauli Murray on Amazon Prime (2021)
Listen: The Man Enough podcast with Alok, "The Urgent Need for Compassion". (2021)

Looking for additional accounts to follow to stay up to date about ways to support trans and q***r people? Dr. Loftis recommends following Chris Mosier, an advocate for trans and q***r people and the 1st trans athlete on the men’s Team USA.

Follow: Chris Mosier on Instagram (), 1st trans athlete to make the men's Team USA.

Linda Kim Recommendations:

Linda’s recommendations center on fantastical stories that contain meaningful content. She picked these pieces in particular to highlight underrepresented stories that have made their way to a mainstream platform.

Read: “The Bane Chronicles” by Cassandra Clare (2014)
Watch:
• Turning Red (2022)
• Lovecraft Country (2020)
Listen: The Incredible True Story album by Logic (2015)
Follow: Ariana Debose (), 2022 Oscar winner for supporting actress in West Side Story.

UK HealthCare Celebrates 60 Years of Service to the Commonwealth Sixty years ago yesterday, UK Chandler Hospital – then known as University Hospital – officially opened its doors and admitted its first patient.

Happy Earth Day! Earth Day 2022 “Invest In Our Planet,” is focused on accelerating solutions to combat our greatest threat, climate change, and to activate everyone – governments, citizens, and businesses – to do their part.

The goal of EDO’s campaign is to push aside the barriers erected by the fossil fuel economy and their co-conspirators – old technologies of centuries past – and redirect attention to creating a 21st century economy that brings back the health of our planet, protects our species, and provides opportunities for all.

Adapted from EARTHDAY.ORG (EDO).

“This year’s Day of Silence theme is My Silence, My Action.”

The Gay, Le***an & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) Day of Silence is a national student-led demonstration where LGBTQ students and across the country—and the world—take a vow of silence to protest the harmful effects of harassment and discrimination of LGBTQ people in schools.

Every April, students go through the school day without speaking, ending the day with Breaking the Silence rallies and events to share their experiences and bring attention to ways their schools and communities can become more inclusive.

This year, individuals are choosing silence as a reclamation of the forced erasure of LGBTQ* youth.

Adapted from the GLSEN.

To find more information, visit www.glsen.org/day-of-silence.

Join a University of Kentucky Alumni Book Club!

The book clubs will connect through private forums where all participants can discuss the current books and network with each other.

Find more info here: https://www.pbc.guru/uky/

Join a University of Kentucky Alumni Book Club Join one of our virtual communities to connect with fellow University of Kentucky alumni and friends and enjoy reading lifelong learning, personal growth, professional development and other books. Scroll down for more information. Participation is free!

"Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me
'Eat in the kitchen,'..I, too, am America."

Excerpt from “I, Too” by Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes was a major poet and central figure in the Harlem Renaissance who captured Black life and its frustrations and joys in his poetry. 
Born in Joplin, Missouri in 1902, it was the writer’s many years in Harlem that would come to characterize his work.

Hughes focused squarely on the lives of working-class Black Americans, delicately dismantling clichés and arriving at a genuine portrayal of the people he knew best. His poem, "I, Too," is considered one of his most notable works. Hughes uses metaphor to defy the notion of second-class citizenship and to underscore the narrator’s vision of full citizenship for African Americans.

But Hughes’s body of work, steeped as it was in stories of everyday life, was not without its critics. Some thought his approach, especially his use of the fictional character Jesse B. Semple (a.k.a. “Simple”), portrayed an unattractive view of Black American life. However, many believe Hughes brought the stories of those he encountered in Harlem to life through his work.

Learn more: https://s.si.edu/38ARTqA

📸 Langston Hughes: Underwood Archives/Getty Images; Harlem River, V-South-Track on left, Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Anthony Angel Collection, LC-DIG-ppmsca-69458

Happy Passover!

The eight-day Jewish holiday of Passover is celebrated in the early spring, from the 15th through the 23rd of the Hebrew month of Nissan, April 15 - 23, 2022. The Seder meal is held on the first two nights (the 15th & 16th).

Passover (Pesach) commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. Pesach is observed by avoiding leaven, and highlighted by the Seder meals that include four cups of wine, eating matzah and bitter herbs, and retelling the story of the Exodus.

Adapted from Chabad.org.

Happy 50th anniversary to the Muslim Student Association here at UK!

MSA aims to do three main things: build brotherhood and sisterhood, learn and teach about Islam, and serve the community all while having fun. To find out more about them, visit their IG page or ukymsa.com/about.

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
-George Eliot

Mary Ann Evans, known by her pen name ‘George Eliot,’ was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She used a male pen name to ensure her works were taken seriously in an era when female authors were usually associated with romantic novels.

Adapted from BBC.

Don't forget to check out the last Free Cooking Class for the spring series! 🧑‍🍳

Tomorrow from 4-6 PM:

Learn how to make an easy meal on a budget TOMORROW (4/12) at our Nutrition Cents Cooking Class! Led by the Food Connection and our Registered Dietitian, this class is FREE to students! RSVP by using the link in our bio to secure your spot! 🍽️

Criminal justice reform addresses structural issues in criminal justice systems, such as racial profiling, police brutality, and mass incarceration.

Here are some resources to learn more and get involved:

Throughout March for Women’s History Month, the University of Kentucky spotlighted Women Making History.

On this Wildcat Wednesday, UK celebrated Chimene Ntakarutimana, an alumna from the UK College of Arts and Sciences and Lewis Honors College, from Lexington.

Read more at:
https://uknow.uky.edu/professional-news/wildcat-wednesday-uk-alumna-marshall-scholar-changing-how-world-views-immigration

‘Wildcat Wednesday’: UK Alumna, Marshall Scholar Is Changing How the World Views Immigration On this Wildcat Wednesday, UK celebrates Chimene Ntakarutimana, an alumna from the UK College of Arts and Sciences and Lewis Honors College, from Lexington.

Held annually on March 31, International Transgender Day of Visibility is a time to celebrate transgender and non-binary people around the globe.

As we celebrate the visibility and resilience of transgender and non-binary people, it is important to raise awareness around the violence and discrimination that many transgender and non-binary people, especially trans women of color and Black trans women, still face.

Adapted from the Human Rights Organization.

In light of 2022’s Women’s History Month theme, we want to share some resources that highlight and outline guidance on various topics related to women’s healing:

•‘The Road to Resilience’ Brochure
•‘Grounding Techniques’
•Healing TREE (Trauma Resources, Education & Entertainment) website
•Wellspring Women’s Counseling website

Scan the QR codes to access the links for each resource, and find more information!

Check out this article on the Feb. 26, 2022 Global Mental Health Hack-A-Thon, where University of Kentucky students and the Kentucky community proposed solutions to this global health challenge:

https://uknow.uky.edu/student-news/uk-students-shine-mental-health-hack-thon

UK Students Shine in Mental Health Hack-A-Thon The top five teams, all featuring UK students, each won cash prizes of $1,000 and a spot in the Fall 2022 Von Allmen Center Entrepreneurs’ Bootcamp 1.0 to further develop their ideas.

March 25 is the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The United Nations designated this year's theme as “Stories of Courage: Resistance to Slavery and Unity against Racism.” Explore events and resources at:

https://www.un.org/en/events/slaveryremembranceday/2022/events.shtml

Check out this post from the VIP Center:

ALOK, they/them, is an internationally acclaimed writer, performer, and public speaker.

Their work explores themes of trauma, belonging, and the human condition.

“Some gender non-conforming people are non-binary, and some are men and women. It depends on each persons’s experience. Two people can look similar and be completely different genders. Gender is not what people look like to other people; it is what we know ourselves to be. No one else should be able to tell you who you are; that’s for you to decide.” Alok Vaid-Menon, Beyond the Gender Binary

🙌 We'll be listening!

Tune in to our newest episode with the Director of the UK Martin Luther King Center, Ja’Mahl McDaniel, as he discusses impact and belonging on campus.

The last Spring session of the Unconscious Bias series runs April 12-14, 2022. We are offering a new time, 9:00 am, to begin the sessions.

Register on myUK Learning. 🖥

Have some questions about the Unconscious Bias Initiative?

Here are a few frequently asked questions and their answers.

For more FAQ’s, visit: https://iede.uky.edu/ubi