The Sixteenth Annual
2009-2010 Cultural Awareness Series
“Culture Through the Arts”
Over the past sixteen years, the Cultural Awareness Series has grown more successful and has become highly anticipated, due in large part to your continued support. We invite you to join us for another exciting year. The speakers and performances scheduled for this year’s Cultural Awareness Series aim to promote greater understanding of, and appreciation for, diversity in race, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender identity, socioeconomic status, religion, age, opinion, and culture.
The James Farmer Multicultural Center strives to honor the late Dr. James L. Farmer and keep his legacy alive. Dr. Farmer was a dynamic civil rights leader and advocate for social change, and we hope that the Cultural Awareness Series helps members of the Mary Washington family and surrounding community appreciate all aspects of diversity.
This year’s selected theme is “Culture through the Arts.” The James Farmer Multicultural Center believes that by educating about culture through the various forms of art, individuals will be able to see culture through a fresh lens. Abby Willowroot said it best when she stated, “Art speaks the soul of its culture.” By highlighting the uniqueness of culture through such media as poetry, theatre, music, food, literature, and dance, the James Farmer Multicultural Center hopes to help students grasp new and meaningful concepts about culture.
As the world becomes increasingly globalized, we hope that the programs in the Cultural Awareness Series open minds among all individuals to appreciate our differences and commonalities. We hope, too, that they will encourage dialogue about these topics.
The programs in the series are collaborative partnerships. Thanks to the offices acknowledged in this brochure, we are able to sponsor this inspiring line-up of authors, performers, pioneers, and activists. We thank you in advance for considering this invitation to join us in celebrating diversity.
Latino Identities Month Keynote Performance:
Platanos and Collard Greens
Date: Friday, Sept. 18, 2009
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Dodd Auditorium
Platanos and Collard Greens tells the tale of an interracial relationship between a college-aged Latina woman and African-American man. Using spoken word and hip-hop, this story thoughtfully exposes and deconstructs contemporary prejudices and stereotypes in a humorous and satirical fashion. Both critically acclaimed and embraced by audiences, Platanos and Collard Greens is sure to provide much food for thought.
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GLBTTQQIAAP Celebration Week Keynote Performance:
Emily White
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009
Time: 8 p.m.
Place: The Underground, Lee Hall
Drifting into and out of meter and rhyme with incredible musical poise, Emily White possesses a captivating acoustic resolve that drives gripping lyrics of freedom through truth. Emily trades currencies of heartbreak and wit, passion and laughter, and fuses musical influences and styles seamlessly. Raised on Southern sincerity and Midwestern grit, Emily brings a new voice to the Northeastern indie folk scene. www.myspace.com/emilywhite,
Jewish Cultural Week Keynote Speaker:
Lesléa Newman
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009
Time: 8 p.m.
Place: Lee Hall, 411A
Lesléa Newman is the author of 57 books for adults and children, including the novel, The Reluctant Daughter, the short story collection, A Letter to Harvey Milk, the poetry collections Still Life with Buddy, Nobody’s Mother and Signs of Love, the children's novel, Hachiko Waits, and the picture book Heather Has Two Mommies. Her literary awards include creative writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Artists Foundation, a Parents' Choice Silver Medal, and the James Baldwin Award for Cultural Achievement. Nine of her books have been Lambda Literary Award finalists, and she has received four Pushcart Prize nominations. Ms. Newman is the current Poet Laureate of Northampton, Massachusetts.
Asian Cultural Week Keynote Speaker:
Linda Fang
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Lee Hall, 411A
Similar to the stories she tells, Linda Fang’s career as a storyteller started with a story. Years ago in Shanghai, China, a teacher who wanted to help a ten-year old girl overcome her shyness handed her a book and said, “Go and read the story, my child. Come back tomorrow and see if you can tell it to me.” That incident launched Linda Fang’s career as a storyteller. She began telling stories, went on to win storytelling competitions, and eventually became a professional storyteller who delights hundreds of children and adults every day. Enriched by her experience of growing up in China, Linda tells stories she collects from Chinese folktales, historical anecdotes, oral traditions, and Chinese opera. Her captivating storytelling style is seen in her unusual ability to engage her audiences at various levels, to draw them into the stories, and keep them there. Instead of hearing a story, the listeners are ushered in the magic world to witness the story unfold. Traveling across the country, as well as abroad, Linda unveils the culture, traditions and beauty of China, a country that never ceases to be mysterious yet fascinating
Asian Cultural Week
Taste of Asia
Date: Friday, Nov. 13, 2009
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center
Cost: $3 general admission, $1 UMW student admission or one canned good item for donation
A celebration of Asian culture, Taste of Asia is one of the more well-known events at the University of Mary Washington. Held during Asian Cultural Week in November, Taste of Asia educates the community about the different aspects of Asian society and the different cultures and lifestyles represented therein. Complete with a fashion show, dance performances, and a variety of ethnic food, the event provides an inviting and festive atmosphere. The Asian Student Association works closely with other student organizations and local businesses to plan the much anticipated program.
Human Rights Film Festival
Date: Nov. 16 -19, 2009
Time: 6 p.m.
Place: Lee Hall, 411A
JFMC is proud to be hosting a viewing of selections from the International Human Rights Watch Traveling Film Festival. This festival has become a leading force in the promotion and production of human rights fiction, documentaries, and animated films. Bold filmmakers showcase stories that underline the host of issues that pose a threat to basic human rights the world over. Click here for a complete list of films. Some film material may not be suitable for individuals under the age of eighteen, parental discretion is advised.
MLK Celebration
Kwanzaa
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center
Kwanzaa was established by Dr. Maulana Karenga and first celebrated on December 26, 1966. It was created in order to enhance the value of unity throughout the African and African-American communities as a non-religious, week-long holiday celebrating and honoring African culture and heritage throughout the world. Traditionally celebrated December 26 to January 1, Kwanzaa consists of seven days of celebration, featuring activities such as candle-lighting, pouring of libations, and culminating in a feast and gift giving.
MLK Celebration Keynote Speaker
T.J. Leyden
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Dodd Auditorium
Life began to unravel for Leyden when his parents got divorced, and he began listening to punk rock and venting his rage by slam-dancing and fighting at weekend concerts. His violent behavior attracted the attention of local skinheads, and soon he started his own skinhead group in Redlands, California, at the age of fifteen. At twenty-one, Leyden joined the Marines and his role as a leading recruiter, organizer and propagandist for the white supremacist movement increased. In all, he spent more than fifteen years as a leader in the neo-Nazi movement.
Today, Leyden has turned away from the hatred that defined his life for so long. He is one of the few known former skinheads who have left the movement and retained his own name. He worked for more than five years for the Simon Wiesenthal Center teaching on the culture of hate and the importance in fighting back against it. He was invited by former President Clinton to be a featured speaker at the White House Conference on Hate, and has offered training at the Pentagon, the FBI, military bases, and numerous law enforcement agencies. He has spoken to more than 650,000 students. He has also testified against individuals on trial for hate crimes. Leyden is committed to being a fierce advocate for the importance of appreciating the differences in all people.
Islamic Cultural Awareness Week
Islamic Cultural Banquet
Date: Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center
Coordinated by the Islamic Student Association, the Islamic Cultural Banquet serves as the perfect ending to the highly educational and exciting Islam Awareness Week. Traditional foods and fellowship are the two main ingredients for this feast. All are welcome!
Black History Month
Step Show Competition
Date: Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010
Time: 7 p.m.; Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Place: Dodd Auditorium
Cost: $ 7 general admission; $5 UMW admission
The origins of stepping can be traced to the early 1900’s, when routines were developed and performed by African-American fraternities and sororities. Currently, the form of dance that utilizes the entire body to perform complex rhythmic beats and sounds is enjoyed by individuals worldwide. Join area fraternities, sororities, and high school teams as each performs versions of this dance in a high energy and extremely entertaining competition.
Black History Month Keynote Performance:
Adilah Barnes: I Am That I Am: Woman, Black
Date: Friday, Feb. 19, 2010
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Dodd Auditorium
The one-woman play, I Am That I Am: Woman, Black, takes audiences on a historical journey through the lives of seven renowned women: Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Mary McLeod Bethune, Zora Neale Hurston, Lorraine Hansberry, Angela Davis, and Maya Angelou. Barnes’ portrayal of these seven exceptional women depicts the periods of time from slavery to the present in an effort to educate and entertain audiences worldwide.
Adilah Barnes is best known to television audiences for her five-year run as Anne Marie on ABC’s Rosanne. She has also appeared in numerous television programs including, Cold Case, Gilmore Girls, and Mad About You. Her film credits include Murder by Numbers with Sandra Bullock and Erin Brockovich with Julia Roberts.
Barnes earned her B.A. in theatre arts from UC Santa Cruz in 1972, and later served on the UCSC Alumni Council for a seven-year term beginning in 1998. She is also cofounder of the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival, an annual multicultural event that showcases female artists in dance, music, theatrical performances, spoken word and comedy. Now in its fourteenth year, the festival has produced more than 400 artists globally.
Women’s History Month Keynote Performance:
36:24:36
Date: Friday, March 26, 2010
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center
Ann Malinowski created 36:24:36 in collaboration with other women to address her own struggles with an eating disorder and the media’s negative toll on female body image. The production features the real-life stories of addiction, self-loathing, binging, purging and restriction that each of these women has faced. Malinowski challenges the viewers to redefine what they think is beautiful by “taking responsibility for your actions and finding a sense of worth and purpose in the world.”
Passover
Date: Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Faculty/Staff Dining, Seacobeck Hall
Passover is the Jewish celebration that honors the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. The eight day celebration takes place in early spring and includes various rituals that involve food and the unification of family.
20th Annual Multicultural Fair
Date: Saturday, April 10, 2010
Time: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Place: Ball Circle
The Multicultural Fair generally attracts 4,000 to 5,000 people each year, and exemplifies the University of Mary Washington's commitment to enhancing multicultural awareness. Typically held in early April, the Fair provides an entire day devoted to multicultural entertainment, children's activities, international and American food, and ethnic craft vendors. Each year Multicultural Student Affairs and the James Farmer Multicultural Center work closely with UMW student organizations, faculty and staff in planning festivities. The University also partners with the greater Fredericksburg community, which plays an integral role in successfully implementing the Fair.