By Magnolia Landa-Posas, University of Colorado Student Government Director of Diversity and Inclusion
Everyday we struggle to get caught up with work, homework, quizzes, exams and the never-ending to-do lists that keep us up late and on the constant run. However, despite the fact that doing well in school is important and earning money to avoid starving to death is also important, I want to encourage you to stand still for a minute and reflect on how despite the fact that we are all CU-Boulder students on this campus our experiences vary immensely from one another. In part, because we all have different majors, we鈥檙e all involved in different activities and groups, we all hang out in different spaces, but also because we all come from different social, cultural and economical backgrounds. With all these differences it is easy to see why our campus has an abundance of academic diversity but it can also make it hard to realize that diversity as a whole, in terms of race, gender, sex, ethnicity and ability on campus, is still lacking.
Fifty years ago, in 1964, the Civil Rights Act was implemented in the United States of America. Since then, we have witnessed social progress in many areas but definitely not all. Therefore, I encourage you attend the Diversity and Inclusion Summit next week which will discuss civil rights in the past and civil rights today and engage in dialogues that will explore how as a collegiate community we can move forward toward a more equitable community.
Throughout the two day Summit (Nov. 11-12) there will be speakers from our community, from different parts of the nation, and even from different parts of the world. Guests will include Carlotta Walls LaNier the youngest of the 鈥淟ittle Rock Nine鈥� members to integrate Central High School, Kate Fagan a CU alumna and current ESPN columnist, and Leymah Gbowee a Liberian peace activist, just to name a few.听
I understand you may be busy and tired, but I encourage you to come out and participate in a least one presentation of the Diversity and Inclusion Summit. We can never be too busy to create radical social change for a more equitable future for ALL.
For more information on the Diversity and Inclusion Summit visit .
Landa-Posas is a 3rd听year double major in Integrative Physiology and Ethnic Studies with a minor in Education. She serves as Co-Chair of CU United Mexican American Students (UMAS), a member of the Student Outreach & Retention Center for Equity (SORCE), and is a Daniels Fund Scholar.