Diversity
We Absolutely Matter
Watch this important message from Sam Hyun about the AAPI Community and why the Absolutely Matter.
Higher Education’s DEI Effort: Are colleges and universities performing structural changes or just being performative?
Recently, the country watched Nikole Hannah-Jones engage in a battle with UNC Chapel Hill’s board of trustees over approving tenure for a professorship she was recruited to fulfill. Hannah-Jones is an accomplished, award-winning journalist, whose accolades include a Pulitzer Prize. She completed an application, interviewed for the position, and was appropriately vetted by the department’s […]
Voices of African Americans: The One Thing White People Can Do To Be More Inclusive
In early June, I launched an ambitious podcast, Being the Dot. The goal of Being the Dot was to discuss the challenges African-Americans face who work, play, and pray in White spaces. My hope has been to provide tools that help Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) manage and mitigate race-based stress, in addition to […]
Disrupting Complicity
By: Tara Fuller Complicity (noun): involvement with others in a crime or in another activity that is wrong.* I often reflect on the concept of complicity as it relates to social justice and equity because I believe I can be doing more with the privilege I have and want to inspire others to do more […]
I am Authentic
By: Jared Sampson No one should ever be denied basic human rights because of the color of their skin, religion, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other factor. As a southern, gay, black man; I know all about being prejudged based on not only the color of my skin, but also my sexual […]
Surviving and Thriving in the Wake of Oppression
By: Stacey Pearson-Wharton, CAMPUSPEAK Speaker Over the past few years, I have had the privilege of speaking with students about the impact of implicit and hidden bias within all of us. Recently, students have begun questioning whether microaggressions aimed at them are, in fact, macroaggressions that are intentional, premeditated, or deliberate. Given the rash of […]
Overcoming Adversity: From Foster Care to Yale
Trigger warning: This article includes some of the speaker’s life experiences that are graphic and violent in nature. By: Rodney Walker, CAMPUSPEAK Speaker As a former ward of the State of Illinois, I am privileged to be where I am today. Of the nearly 400,000 youth in foster care, less than a quarter will go on […]
Why We Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
By: Saul Flores, CAMPUSPEAK Speaker Why We Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month From our sandy shores to our brightly colored homes, our heritage is rooted in a diaspora of cultures that are spread across Latin America. We celebrate Hispanic Heritage month to encourage students to remember where they came from, where they are, and where they will […]
Back to School: How to Prepare as an LGBTQ+ Student
By: Jeremy Wallace, CAMPUSPEAK Speaker It’s back to school time again, and for many students, time to head to campus! Attending a college or university is exciting, but can also be overwhelming, and the apprehension and nervousness may be even greater for those students who identify as transgender, gender queer or gender non-conforming. The best […]
Four Tips For College Students For the Back to School Season
It’s that dreaded back to school season. We’re almost there—with the exception of you lovable overachievers going year round or on trimesters—the countdown to the fall semester officially has begun. Many students are probably wondering: How am I going to start off strong? How am I going to juggle classes along with my new relationship and […]
A Letter of Encouragement to my Younger Self
When I was in college, there were moments when I thought I knew who I really was, but I was afraid to embrace the idea that I might be “different” from others, or that I may not be exactly what I thought was expected of me. I was scared to open up and explore my […]
Tips for recruiting and retaining LGBTQ+ students.
When I was in high school, I remember checking out the college and university brochures, trying to decide which campus looked like the best fit for me. Like many prospective students, I looked at the city or town the campus was located in, the overall vibe of the community, what kinds of activities were […]
Building a legacy through leadership and service.
Service is an integral part of leadership. Not only do student leaders have the opportunity to inspire and guide their fellow students. They can also model the importance of serving our communities, and giving to those in need. Someone who modeled this for me was my mother. Here is a story about her: It was […]
5 Secrets of a Go-Getter Girl
As we look forward to ushering in 2017, several goals and aspirations are in the rearview mirror. Some fulfilled dreams, some unfulfilled. Some exceeded goals, some not so much. Some incredible highs, some backbreaking lows. The go-getter girl in us reflects on the happenings of the past year, and she feels rejuvenated and incredibly […]
Living as Your Authentic Self
Once I transitioned from female-to-male eight years ago, I was able to live life as my true authentic self. I am embracing the change and progress I have witnessed, not only in who I am, but also in the world around me. I grew up thinking that I was the only one who felt out […]
Elephants & Onions Interactive Workshop
It is no secret our differences still divide us. The award-winning curriculum of the Elephants and Onions Interactive Workshop has updated content to address your campus’ need for inclusivity. Students leave with a new level of self-awareness and perspective, benefiting your community and beyond. Credit // Author: CAMPUSPEAK Elephants & Onions motivates students to embrace diversity and peel […]
Being black in white spaces
Being black in predominantly white spaces can be complicated for African Americans at different ages and stages in life. The difficulty of the African American student’s college experience can be a particularly complicated time given the growth, learning, and change that are an embedded in this season of life. Specifically, research has shown that students […]
Why our storied past matters: The View From The Mountaintop
Like many young students in America, I learned about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in grade school. Every January, teacher’s lesson plans focused on the life of Dr. King and the ideology of nonviolence. Regardless of the subject, Dr. King’s legacy was integrated into the curriculum. In class, we examined video recordings, still-images, and readings. […]
Hitting the core challenges of culturally-based greek organizations
I have been working with students for years and every semester there is something new they feel they need to get past me. I always love students’ reactions when I tell them that I, too, was in a fraternity and participating in the very things they try to keep secret. I specifically remember one conversation […]
Communicating diversity correctly
by T. Leon Williams 1) Manage emotions and know your biases and misconceptions One of the first steps in dealing with diversity issues is to understand how your emotions, biases and misconceptions interplay. This is an important first step because as emotions rise around the issue, the intervener/moderator/facilitator/student leader/campus community must have a pulse on […]
Elephants and Onions workshop
Motivating students to embrace diversity and peel back the layers of social justice. For many campus communities, diversity is the elephant in the room. As it continues to morph into something bigger, social justice, people need a safe environment to have discussions and learn how it impacts our communities. You might be looking for an […]
Diversity. Success. Health.
The first year of college is huge. Students start their independent lives in a totally new environment, with new people and new decisions to be made. We all could use a little guidance every now and then—and Elaine Penn strives to help guide students to a place that will benefit them the most in college. […]
Yeah… but
How often do you make excuses for your daily actions? Do you often look back on your actions or reactions and think “oops”? Whether it’s making personal decisions or ones within a group setting, it’s time to look at the moments that the little voice in our head says “yeah, but…” As we embark on […]
Improve your intake process and continue to build your organization’s legacy
You want to have the best organization on campus, but are you taking the right steps to make that happen? The Intake Equation is a workshop designed to bring members of black and multicultural groups together to discuss hazing, intake and chapter sustainability. The Intake Equation recognizes that just getting by isn’t enough anymore. Think […]
Elephants and Onions: A Training That Goes Beyond Diversity
Each year, new students come to campuses from every walk of life, and your Student Life community must respond in a progressive and constructive way to every new student. As diversity morphs into something bigger—social justice—you might be struggling for a positive, proactive way to train those students and staff who work on the front […]