The Pioneer Room was full the afternoon of April 12th for the third presentation of the “Diversity Speaks!” series. The lecture series is put on by the Office of Inclusion & Diversity Excellence.
Students and community members were invited to hear FHSU Junior, Patrick D. Roscoe speak over microaggressions. A microaggression is the casual degradation of any marginalized group. This term was coined by Harvard University professor Chester M. Pierce in 1970 to describe insults and dismissals he regularly witnessed non-black Americans inflict on African Americans. Roscoe paid homage to the late Pierce during his presentation, who died last September.
Roscoe, currently majoring in Leadership Studies, gave his speech to the FHSU community, but said it’s broader than just this campus. “The use of microaggressions isn’t just an FHSU problem. It happens everywhere,” said Roscoe, “it’s time that we bring awareness here in order to make sure that we are preparing our students for their futures wherever they may go.”
The presentation went hand-in-hand with the photo project that was displayed in the union from April 10 to the 14th featuring FHSU students who held signs up displaying the microaggressions, used towards them. The presentation is part of Embrace Diversity Month.
At the end of the presentation, the floor was opened up for questions and comments where students and faculty members took part in great discussion. Roscoe also stayed after to answer questions to those who chose not to speak during the event.
For closing statements, Roscoe suggests students get more involved around campus. “I want students to take part in conversations that they wouldn’t normally take part in,” He said.
Roscoe continued in saying, “Diversity is an issue at FHSU, we lack in it in so many ways.”
He then called FHSU “our home” and said “I believe everyone would agree that we want any individual who steps foot on our campus to feel welcomed, loved, and to have a sense of belonging no matter who they are or how long they are here to stay.”
Roscoe encourages those to use the hashtags, #FHSUtacklesmicroaggressions, #diversityspeaks, and #UatFHSU to raise awareness of the topic.
For more information on the Office of Inclusion and Diversity Excellence, you can contact Ulises Gonzalez or Kathy Hernandez, or visit their facebook page at facebook.com/fhsuide
For TMN, I’m Jordan Hester.