Past Events
April 19, 2013 | 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Articulations of Humanity in Black Religious Life | Wake Forest University
In partnership with WFU School of Divinity, Humanities Institute, Department of Religion, and Office of the Chaplain
On April 19, Wake Forest University’s School of Divinity, The Humanities Institute, the Department of Religion, and the Office of the Chaplain, will host a symposium bringing together emerging and senior scholars for a dialogue on issues related to African American religious experience as part of the larger quest to live a complex humanity. The invited speakers will discuss the impact of religion on the human condition through topics such as the arts, literature, politics, post-race discourse, embodiment, gender, sexuality, poverty, and Hip Hop culture. Registration details coming soon.
April 6, 2013 | 9:00 AM
El Buen Camino – The Good Path 5 K Race | Wake Forest University Reynolda Campus
In partnership with the Institute for Public Engagement and El Buen Pastor Latino Community
In addition to its literal meaning, el buen caminoevokes the idea of remembering and reflecting on life experiences, striving for dreams and new opportunities, defining challenges and committing to meet the challenges. For the families of El Buen Pastor it also means doing this in community and supporting one another. Our hope is that this 5k run will bring together communities from across Winston-Salem and inspire all participants to choose the good way…to follow the good path. Race benefits El Buen Pastor Church and El Buen Pastor Latino Community Services. Register today! $20 early bird special.
March 27, 2013 | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Big Tent Project | ZSR Library Front Lawn
In partnership with WFU Art Department and Student Leaders
Interested in what others have to say about cultural difference, acceptance and building an inclusive community? Engage in this innovative approach to intercultural conversation under the creatively designed and suitably named, “Big Tent.” Students and campus groups will use collaborative art projects to express their ideas about diversity and inclusion among a small group of their peers. The tent will also be set up at schools and other venues as part of a year-long outreach program led by Professor David Finn.
March 26, 2013 | 8:00 PM
Tuesday Night Trivia | Shorty’s
In partnership with Student Union
Every Tuesday at 8pm the Tuesday Trivia Committee coordinates trivia in Shorty’s! This Tuesday Trivia will be themed around “Faces of Courage” and the advancements made in the area of diversity and inclusion on campus. Come out and compete with your fellow Deacs to win great prizes, gift cards and (of course) bragging rights! Check out the Tuesday Trivia Facebook Page for updates, team scores and photos: http://www.facebook.com/StudentUnionTuesdayTrivia.
Contact Lucas Swenson for more information (swenld11@wfu.edu)
March 9 – 16, 2013
Civil Rights Bus Tour | Alternative Spring Break Trip
In partnership with Campus Life, Office of Service & Social Action, Office of Multicultural Affairs, Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Whether you’re an activist for social justice or just want to learn more, the Civil Rights Bus Tour allows students the opportunity to walk where history was made and heroes were revealed. The journey begins at the International Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina, and continues throughout the southern United States. Through meaningful service projects and distinguished guest speakers, students deep dive into learning about racism, socioeconomic disparities and how the Civil Rights Movement serves as a catalyst for evolving social movements today, including LGBT communities and immigrant populations. Complete your application today – due February 19.
March 19, 2013 | 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Diversity and Inclusion Symposium | Wake Forest University
In partnership with WFU Schools of Business, Office of Personal and Career Development and North Carolina Diversity and Inclusion Partners
Higher education administrators and business leaders often say, students must learn that respecting others, embracing diversity, and valuing difference are keys to influencing individuals, groups, organizations, and systems that are unlike their own. This event brings together diversity and inclusion professionals from academia and fortune 500 companies to answer the simple question, “Why should I care about diversity and inclusion in the 21st century?” Information and registration details available here.
March 21, 2013 | 6:00 PM
Celebration of Latino Heritage | The Barn
In partnership with Office of Multicultural Affairs, Latin America and Latino Studies, Romance Languages Department, American Ethnic Studies, Organization of Latin American Students, Student Activities Fee, and Awakenings
Celebration of Latino Heritage highlights the vibrant Latin culture and history of Wake Forest. The event will honor Wake Forest’s first Latino graduates, Carlos Alberto Perez (’65) and Peter Bondy (’67). These two incredible men, who through their attendance at Wake Forest, helped usher in a culture of inclusion. The event will feature a variety of Latino traditions, including dance, poetry and authentic cuisine. Wake Forest’s Salsa Club and Can-I-Poet will be featured performers as well as Ballet Folklorico – a Mexican dance group with incredible flare and style. Join us for this incredible occasion.
February 28, 2013 | 7:00 p.m.
Deliberative Dialogues on Inclusion | Benson University Center
In partnership with WFU Political Science Department, Institute for Public Engagement
During the Spring 2012 semester several hundred students, faculty, and staff engaged in a deliberative dialogue that asked them to imagine “a different campus culture.” The discussion was framed around how to best “live our values” and asked whether we should be a more civically engaged campus, a more intellectually engaged campus, or a more inclusive campus. It was the issue of inclusion that generated the greatest concern and greatest desire for continued discussion. Participants recognized that the university was making progress on creating a more diverse campus community but that the move from being a diverse campus to an inclusive one was still a work in progress.
This dialogue is designed to continue that discussion. It is all the more fitting that we have it this semester as we conclude a year of celebration of the 50th Anniversary of integration at Wake Forest. Fifty years ago a few students, faculty, and staff had the courage to challenge the status quo and begin the process of making Wake Forest an institution open to all. We can continue that legacy by considering together, not only the progress we’ve made, but the work left to be done. Registration and the issue guide for the event here: http://college.wfu.edu/politics/diversityandinclusion/
February 12, 2013 | 5:00 p.m.
Helena Maria Viramontes presents “In the Openness of Others: Sensual Practices, Cultural Specificity, and a Movement Towards Tolerance” | Kulynych Auditorium, Byrum Welcome Center
In partnership with the Humanities Institute
A teacher and mentor to countless young writers, Helena María Viramontes is currently Professor of Creative Writing in the Department of English at Cornell University. Her most recent novel, Their Dogs Came with Them, (2007), focuses on the dispossessed, the working poor, the homeless, and the undocumented of East Los Angeles, where Viramontes was born and raised. Her work strives to recreate the visceral sense of a world virtually unknown to mainstream letters and to transform readers through relentlessly compassionate storytelling.
Viramontes became co-coordinator of the Los Angeles Latino Writers Association and literary editor of XhistmeArte Magazine and helped found Southern California Latino Writers and Filmmakers. She was named a USA Ford Fellow in Literature for 2007 by United States Artists, she has also received the John Dos Passos Prize for Literature, a Sundance Institute Fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and the Luis Leal Award.
February 13, 2013 | 7:00 p.m.
Lecture by Dr. Bob Zellner, “The Wrong Side of Murder Creek” | ZSR Auditorium
In partnership with Office of Multicultural Affairs and SAF
Bob Zellner became an unlikely civil rights activist. Yet today, he is well known as one of the most influential white southerners of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, in part for organizing “The Freedom Rides” of 1961. Raised in southern Alabama, with a father and grandfather active in the Ku Klux Klan, Zellner was a field secretary for SNCC, arrested 18 times in seven states, charged with everything from criminal anarchy to “inciting the black population to acts of war and violence,” all in the attempt to register voters and bring about change and equality.
Now a PhD. in history, with a focus on the southern civil rights movement, Zellner keeps the stories of the movement alive. In his memoir, The Wrong Side of Murder Creek: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement, Zellner reveals the sometimes horrific, always interesting, story of the commitment to racial justice. His larger-than-life story based on his book is slated to become an independent film produced by Spike Lee called Son of the South, due in theaters in 2013.
February 1 – 2 & 6 – 10, 2013 | 7:30 p.m.
VOX! Productions | Ring Theater, Wake Forest University
In partnership with the WFU Theater Department, LGBTQ Center
VOX is a high-energy performance exploration of our big mouths, slippery tongues and full-throated tales created by students under the direction of internationally acclaimed performer, Tim Miller. Miller will shape VOX from the performers’ memories, diverse stories and images of the history of their individual voices during an intensive rehearsal period, building on his many short term workshop residencies at Wake Forest over the last ten years. Open wide and dive in! Visit the WFU Theater Department for details and tickets purchases.
February 5, 2013 | 7:00 PM
E. Patrick Johnson Presents Pouring Tea: Black Gay Men of the South | Ring Theater, Wake Forest University
In partnership with the LGBTQ Center, Office of Multicultural Affairs and the WFU Theater Department
Pouring Tea is based on the oral histories collected in Johnson’s book, Sweet Tea: Black Gay Men of the South–An Oral History, published by the University of North Carolina Press. The oral histories are from black gay men who were born, raised, and continue to live in the South and range in age from 19 to 93. This performance covers the following topics: coming of age in the South, religion, sex, transgenderism, love stories, and coming out. Johnson embodies these and others’ stories in the show. A book signing and reception will follow the performance, with copies of Sweet Tea available for purchase. Sponsored by the LGBTQ Center, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the University Theatre, and SAF.
January 19 – 21, 2013 | 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration | Winston-Salem State University
In partnership with Office of Multicultural Affairs, Winston-Salem State University
Each year, the WFU Office of Multicultural Affairs and Winston-Salem State University collaborate to host a major celebration in honor of the memory and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Harry Belafonte, an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist will deliver the keynote address at the annual ‘Building the Dream Award’ ceremony. Other events include a regional basketball invitational and gospel fest; past featured artists have included Donald Lawrence, Martha Munizzi, Byron Cage, and Kim Burrell.
January 21, 2013
Martin Luther King Day National Day of Service | Wake Forest University
In partnership with Campus Life
The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday and Day of Service promotes Dr. King’s ideals about serving others, equality and non-violence. On Monday, January 21, 2013, please join us for a Read-In event at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. The Read-In promotes literacy and service to children ages 4-10. Each child will be given at least one donated age appropriate book and one new civil rights themed book to keep. Please help us make this a day on instead of a day off.
December 7 – 9 & 14 – 16, 2012 | 8 p.m.
Black Nativity | Arts Council Theater, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
In partnership with North Carolina Black Repertory Theater Company
Written by Langston Hughes, this soulful Christmas musical illuminates the birth of Christ through toe-tapping gospel music, African inspired dance, brilliant costuming, beautiful narrative and a talented cast. Celebrating its 12th anniversary, the show has become a hit among all ages and ethnicities over the years.
December 4, 2012 | 7 p.m.
Lighting of the Quad | Hearn Plaza
In partnership with Student Union and Student Life
Lighting of the Quad is a Wake Forest tradition where students of all backgrounds can join together to celebrate the holiday season. The event includes a special guest speaker, a cappella performances, student speakers and the lighting of the Quad.
November 30, 2012 | 7 – 9 p.m.
“To Kill A Mockingbird” Screening | Pugh Auditorium
In partnership with Student Union Film Series
Come enjoy this special screening of “To Kill A Mockingbird” and the timeless story of how Atticus Finch, a lawyer in the Depression-era South, defends a black man wrongly accused of rape, and his kids against prejudice.
November 29, 2012 | 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
“To Kill A Mockingbird” Q&A with Mary Badham, “Scout Finch” | Admissions Welcome Center: Kulynych Auditorium
In partnership with Student Union
An instant best-seller and later Academy Award winning film, “To Kill A Mockingbird” is considered one of the greatest novels of the 20th century. Mary Badham, the actress chosen to play “Scout” – the character through which audiences explore Civil Rights and racism in the segregated southern United States of the 1930s – joins us at Wake Forest for a Q&A and discussion of social justice.
November 28, 2012 | All day
Honoring Our History and Celebrating American Indian Culture | Reynolda Campus
Click to view the gallery on Flickr
In partnership with Native American Student Association, Office of Multicultural Affairs, Religion Department, Museum of Anthropology, Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity
Wake Forest will proudly honor several distinguished American Indian Alumni – Dr. James G. Jones (’55, MD ’59), Lonnie Revels (’58), Lucretia Hicks ( ’10, MAM ’11) on November 28, 2012. Dr. Jones and Mr. Revels broke cultural barriers in the 1950’s as the first American Indian graduates and subsequently, helped usher in a culture of inclusion with their attendance at Wake Forest. Dr. Jones would continue the charge as he became the first American Indian student to integrate the Wake Forest School of Medicine. Ms. Hicks carried forth their efforts and helped bring attention to Wake’s growing American Indian student population with the founding of the Native American Student Association in 2008. Faculty, staff and students are invited to an awards luncheon, an American Indian themed tour of the Reynolda Campus and a Celebration of American Indian Cultures to commemorate the legacy of these remarkable leaders.
November 12, 2012 | noon – 2 p.m.
Staff Rewards and Recognition Luncheon | Bridger Field House
In partnership with Human Resources
This event provides an opportunity to recognize staff members who have reached service milestones and includes inductees to the Thirty Year Club. We will also introduce the Faces of Courage Award for those individuals that have made significant contributions to diversity and inclusion in administration at Wake Forest. Additionally, two employees selected as Staff Employees of the Year will be announced.
November 10, 2012 | 10 a.m.
The Warrior’s Return: Outreach to Veterans and Active Duty Military | Reynolda House Museum of American Art
In partnership with Reynolda House Museum of American Art; Admission is free for Museum members and Wake Forest students, faculty, and staff
Odysseus fought a ten-year struggle in the Trojan War and labored just as strenuously to return home. Similarly, our nation has been at war for more than a decade, and our soldiers have faced enormous challenges returning home, many of them psychological. The Museum is working with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Veterans Advocacy Law Organization (VALOR) at the Wake Forest University School of Law to provide resources for veterans. VALOR will offer a workshop to assist veterans with legal issues including power of attorney and living wills. Art activities and tours of the Romare Bearden exhibition will be offered to veterans and their families.
November 8, 2012 | 8 p.m.
Fast Break: Being Transgender in Division I Athletics; A Conversation with Kye Allums | Annenberg Forum
In partnership with LGBTQ Center and Wake Forest Athletics
Kye Allums made history as the first transgender basketball player to play openly on a Division I women’s basketball team. Since then, he has been devoted to making a difference in the world as a passionate advocate for transgender rights. Kye will speak about what it means to be transgender as well as his experiences in NCAA Division I athletics.
October 18, 25 & November 1, 8, 2012 | Ends at 8 p.m.
Epic Thursdays | Reynolda House Museum of American Art
In partnership with Reynolda House Museum of American Art; Admission is free for Museum members and Wake Forest students, faculty, and staff
Evening programs will include music, refreshments, live performances, and collage workshops each night, along with admission to Romare Bearden: A Black Odyssey
October 18 – 20, 2012 | 7 p.m. (Friday Keynote Address)
Conference on Minorities in Islam | Wake Forest University
In partnership with the Humanities Institute, The Provost’s Office of Global Affairs, the Middle East and South Asia Studies Program, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, The Carswell Fund of the Department of Philosophy, the Department of Political Science’s C.H. Richards Fund, and the Center for International Studies.
This two-day conference examines the experience of Muslims as minorities and marginalized groups in an ever-changing, increasingly global world. It draws on the incredible number of local scholars working on this topic and taps into heightened interest on the subject, as we witness a growing and increasingly diverse Muslim population in the United States and North Carolina. Visit http://college.wfu.edu/mimmconference/ for registration information.
October 13, 2012 | 9:30 p.m.
Romare Beardon: A Black Odyssey Exhibit Opening | Reynolda House Museum of American Art
In partnership with Reynolda House Museum of American Art; Admission free for Wake Forest students, faculty, and staff
Romare Bearden: A Black Odyssey kicks off its national tour at Reynolda House Museum of American Art on October 13, 2012. A Black Odyssey, based on characters and episodes in Homer’s Greek epic The Odyssey, simultaneously expands our view of the Bearden canon of collages, water colors and his influence as an artist. To stress the universality of Homer’s epic, Bearden made all of the Homeric gods, mortals, heroes, and villains black. This choice asserts that all viewers can relate to the central themes of the story—themes of longing, struggle, and perseverance.
October 11, 2012 | Wait Chapel
State of the Student Body Address | Wait Chapel
In partnership with Student Government and Student Union
Student Government President Trè Easton, will also deliver the inaugural State of the Student Body address during this week to discuss the current condition of the student experience and outline a strategic vision inspired by the students from the 1960s civil rights movement at WFU for student movements going forward.
September 29, 2012 | 9:45 – 10:15 a.m.
Family Weekend: Diversity and Inclusion with Dr. Barbee Myers Oakes | Pugh Auditorium
In partnership with Student Union
Parents and students are invited to learn firsthand about diversity and inclusion at Wake Forest from Dr. Barbee Myers Oakes, Assistant Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and the Faces of Courage events planned to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Integration.
September 21, 2012 | 3 p.m.
Film Premiere: Faces of Courage: Wake Forest’s Impetus to Desegregate
Conversation with Ed Reynolds and 1960s Student Leaders & Administrators | Brendle Recital Hall
Click to view the gallery on Flickr
In partnership with Office of the President, Office of the Provost, Alumni Relations, Student Union, History Department
In the 1950s and 1960s, many of Wake Forest’s peer universities faced court-ordered integration. Wake Forest, as a private institution, was not under federal mandate. The process of desegregation was prompted primarily via student petitioning and protest. Find out how and why we were the major first private university in the South to integrate from those directly involved in the decision. Special guests include Ed Reynolds, the first student to integrate Wake Forest and others who sparked the movement to bring him here. Read more about Reynolds’ return »
September 14, 2012 | 5:30-8 p.m.
World Cultural Festival | Manchester Plaza
Click to view the gallery on Flickr
In partnership with the Office of Multicultural Affairs
Enjoy the vibrancy of cultures from all over the world during this celebration that involves music, dance performances, international foods, information, games, and prizes.
See a video on YouTube »
September 15, 2012 | noon–7 p.m.
Fiesta! Downtown Celebration | 4th Street, Winston-Salem, NC
In partnership with the Hispanic League of Winston-Salem
Each year the Hispanic League of Winston-Salem organizes Fiesta!, the Triad’s most well-known Hispanic festival. Begun in 1992, Fiesta! is held each September and draws close to 20,000 people to downtown Winston-Salem to celebrate the diversity within our Hispanic community. Come lounge at the Wake Forest booth and enjoy the Latin food, music, dancing, arts & crafts, beer garden, children’s area and overall multicultural experience.
September 10, 2012 | 6:30 p.m.
Lecture: Melissa Harris-Perry | Wait Chapel
Click to view the gallery on Flickr
In partnership with New Student Orientation Committee, Political Science Department, and Dean of the College
Wake Forest alumna, public intellectual and now host of her own self-entitled show on MSNBC, Melissa Harris-Perry will share thoughtful commentary on the topic of civic engagement among emerging adults in light of the upcoming 2012 election, as well as important moments in WFU history. Read more about her visit »
August 26, 2012 | 1:30 PM
“The Making of A Demon Deacon” | Wait Chapel
In partnership with New Student Orientation Committee and Office of Academic Advising
Can you imagine a time when dancing was not allowed on campus? Or, when women had to wear pants? How does the spirit of Pro Humanitate connect with inclusion? Find out the answers to these questions and more from those who are faces of courage and still shaping their own Wake Forest journeys. Featuring: Provost Emeritus Ed Wilson (’43), Jenny Puckett (’71), Herman Eure (PhD ’74), and Provost Rogan Kersh (’86).
April 27, 2012 | 1 PM
Faces of Courage Celebration | Byrum Welcome Center
Click here to view the gallery on Flickr
In partnership with the offices of the President, Provost and Student Life
The University will kick off a year-long commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the historic decision to integrate with a celebration. Speakers will address how courage played an instrumental role in our progress and illuminate its importance in positioning Wake Forest graduates for future leadership.
Speakers include: Edwin G. Wilson (’43), provost emeritus; Nathan O. Hatch, president; Barbee Myers Oakes (’80, MA ’81), assistant provost for Diversity and Inclusion
Share Your Story
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Planning Committee
Meet the people behind the celebration »