Welcome to VOICES, a monthly newsletter from the Office of Diversity & Inclusion. Our office works closely with academic and administrative departments to further our efforts to create an affirming and respectful climate for all members of our community. We are a stronger community when we can listen and learn from those around us who may have different religious and political views, cultural perspectives, or philosophical thoughts. You are invited to view our website at http://www.wm.edu/diversity for additional information on the programs and services offered by the office. We look forward to working together to advance a culture of inclusive excellence at William & Mary. If you have upcoming programs or events you would like to share, please send it to Bobbi Jo Stevens at bcstevens@wm.edu by the 20th of each month.
- Chon Glover
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W&M's Reconciliation
More than a decade ago, William & Mary began the tough work of reconciling the institution and community with its history regarding the exploitation of African-American and Native peoples through the eras of slavery, Jim Crow and segregation. This work has taken many forms: the Lemon Project examines W&M's history, while the Memorial to the Enslaved will recognize the history of forced labor at the university; the Task Force on Race & Race Relations worked to improve the current environment, while the American Indian Resource Center provides support to Native communities and scholars.
William & Mary is deeply committed to this path of reconciliation through its administration and governance, historical research and scholarship, development of policy and procedure; and diversity and inclusion efforts.
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William & Mary Land Acknowledgement
William & Mary acknowledges the Indigenous peoples who are the original inhabitants of the lands our campus is on today – the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway), Chickahominy, Eastern Chickahominy, Mattaponi, Monacan, Nansemond, Nottoway, Pamunkey, Patawomeck, Upper Mattaponi, and Rappahannock tribes – and pay our respect to their tribal members past and present.
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EVENTS | Office of Diversity & Inclusion | NOV 2020
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Courageous Conversations:
The Election
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Diversity Recognition,
Nominate a Colleague!
The Office of Diversity & Inclusion welcomes campus community members to nominate a colleague to be recognized for a diversity-related program or project that furthers our commitment to inclusive excellence. To nominate a member of faculty/staff, please complete this form:
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5th Annual Diversity & Inclusion Symposium - Thank You!
The Office of Diversity & Inclusion thanks everyone who attended and assisted with the production of our 5th Annual Diversity & Inclusion Symposium. We were honored to have James Rothrock, Dr. Tyrone Howard, and Sahaj Kohli as our three keynote speakers. While we focused on the theme of "What Do You Stand For?", centering the conversations on accessibility, anti-racism, and advocacy, we hope the William & Mary community continues these conversation's beyond last month's symposium to continue fostering a community of equity, inclusion, and belonging.
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Introducing the
D&I Leadership Council!
The purpose of the D&I Leadership Council is to bring together representatives of the different schools at William & Mary to focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The council meets weekly to discuss, communicate and create collaboration on this year's university DEI plan.
Click on the members of the D&I Leadership Council for more information:
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William & Mary's 5 Schools
School of Business
VIMS
School of Education
School of Law
School of Arts & Sciences
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Native American Heritage Month |
The first American Indian Day was celebrated in May 1916 in New York. The event culminated an effort by Red Fox James, a member of the Blackfeet Nation who rode across the nation on horseback seeking approval from 24 state governments to have a day to honor American Indians. More than seven decades later, then-President George H.W. Bush in 1990 signed a joint congressional resolution designating the month of November “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Similar proclamations have been issued every year since 1994 to recognize what is now called "American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month."
Virginia is home to 11 state-recognized Indian tribes: the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway), Chickahominy, Eastern Chickahominy, Mattaponi, Monacan, Nansemond, Nottoway, Pamunkey, Patawomeck, Rappahannock, and the Upper Mattaponi. The Chickahominy, Eastern Chickahominy, Upper Mattaponi, Rappahannock, Monacan and Nansemond tribes are were federally recognized in 2017. In the United States, 574 Indian tribes have been federally recognized as of 2020.
Information taken from the Commonwealth of Virginia Website, US Census Bureau, and Voices of America (VOA)
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VOICES Interview: Spotlighting Dr. Danielle Moretti-Langholtz,
Director of the American Indian Resource Center
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Dr. Danielle Moretti-Langholtz
Dr. Danielle Moretti-Langholtz is a Senior Lecturer of Anthropology, Curator of Native American Art at the Muscarelle Museum of Art, the Administrator for the Native Studies minor and the Director of the American Indian Resource Center (AIRC) at William & Mary. Prior to serving in these roles at William & Mary, Dr. Moretti-Langholtz worked at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. She grew up in New York, where she loved visiting various museums and learning about diverse Native cultures and this ultimately led to her becoming an anthropologist, completing a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Oklahoma. When her husband received an offer to join the Department of Psychology at William & Mary, her family moved to Williamsburg. It was at William & Mary with faculty support from the Department of Anthropology that she was able to establish the American Indian Resource Center (AIRC) in 1998.
The goals of AIRC have been to increase inclusion, build communication, and research the history of Native Americans. Through her role as Director, Dr. Moretti-Langholtz has worked to bring more inclusion through grants and research projects that aim to include Indigenous tribes and community members, bringing more understanding to the history of Indigenous peoples whose land is now where William & Mary is located. Some of her efforts include working with W & M archaeologist Martin Gallivan on the Werowocomoco research project, to establish a Native advisory board called the Virginia Indian Advisory Board, to enhance the civic engagement of the project.
Dr. Moretti-Langholtz has been involved in various projects relating to indigenous history and scholarship. Such projects include research on the Brafferton Indian School, undertaken in conjunction with her former student Buck Woodard, that resulted in an exhibition and publication breaking new ground on the historic school and the Native students who attend the Brafferton in the eighteenth century. In addition to the Brafferton Research, Dr. Moretti-Langholtz advocated for the creation of an indigenous Tribal Liaison for William & Mary. The position is currently held by Dr. Ashley Atkins Spivey (Pamunkey). Dr. Moretti-Langholtz works closely with Dr. Spivey on a number of inititatives including the recent Land Acknowledgement statement for W&M, and strengthening relations with the Native American community within Virginia and across the country.
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Photos of installation taken at the Sadler Center by Laura Fogerty of the Muscarelle Museum of Art.
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Veteran's Day, November 11th |
Veterans Day is a U.S. legal holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars, and Veterans Day 2020 occurs on Wednesday, November 11. In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I, then known as “the Great War.” Commemorated in many countries as Armistice Day the following year, November 11th became a federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became known as Veterans Day.
The Veterans Day National Ceremony is held each year on November 11th at Arlington National Cemetery. The ceremony commences precisely at 11:00 a.m. with a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns and continues inside the Memorial Amphitheater with a parade of colors by veterans' organizations and remarks from dignitaries. The ceremony is intended to honor and thank all who served in the United States Armed Forces.
Information taken from: the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and The History Channel
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VOICES Interview: Honoring Veterans at William & Mary
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Robin Hollenbeck,
Human Resources
Robin Hollenbeck is the Recruitment and Talent Coordinator for Human Resources at William & Mary. Before she worked in Human Resources and other business administrative roles, she was a member of the United States Air Force.
Hollenbeck’s journey did not initially start in the Air Force. Her dream was to be a nurse. She went to nursing school after she was inspired by the flight nurses who helped her grandmother as she battled a brain tumor. However, Hollenbeck soon realized that nursing school was not the route she wanted to take, and after two years, she dropped out and joined the United States Air Force. Joining the Air Force later led her to receive a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Project Management.
Hollenbeck joined the Air Force in 2000, where she served as a Computer Systems, Implementation, and Planning Specialist, managing various responsibilities from coordinating airplane landing systems to telephone systems for hospitals. After 9/11, her responsibilities expanded even more, as she served in three different positions as a police officer, mobility manager, and crew chief, where she worked 18-hour days for months straight.
Upon being honorably discharged from the Air Force, Hollenbeck explored the medical field again where she worked at a hospital before starting a family. During this time, she managed responsibilities at a progressive care unit in the hospital’s ICU, where she worked closely with cardiologists and neurologists, administering IVs for patients and learning telemetry to read codes on EKGs.
Hollenbeck’s dedication to service has transcended beyond the United States Air Force and other parts of her career into her current work. She received her certification to be a veteran recruiter; a role that has allowed her to help other veterans transition to civilian life by assisting them with translating their military work experience to their resumes. She has also worked with women veterans in the past during her time at the Virginia Department of Veteran Affairs in Richmond.
At William & Mary, Hollenbeck currently serves as the Vice President of Staff Assembly, a member of the Internal Communications Squad, the D&I Advisory Committee, Policy Committee for the University, Constitutional ByLaws, and the President’s Council, among other involvements. As Hollenbeck continues her work at William & Mary, she hopes to connect with other veterans and be more acquainted with the larger veteran community on campus.
The Office of Diversity & Inclusion thanks you, Robin Hollenbeck and all military and veteran students, faculty, and staff for your service to the United States and to the William & Mary community.
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Charlie Foster,
Office of Student Veteran Engagement
Charlie Foster is the inaugural Director of the Office of Student Veteran Engagement (OSVE) at William & Mary. He is also a veteran who served as a Combat Correspondent for the United States Marine Corps, where he worked as a journalist for the military branch. Prior to enlisting, Foster had been in college for two years. However, after 9/11, he dropped out and joined the military. Going into the military was a brave step for Foster, as he left his hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama for the first time and was exposed to a whole new environment filled with people coming from a variety of backgrounds. His experience in the Marine Corps not only exposed him to other people’s realities, but gave him first-hand knowledge of what it meant to serve.
Foster worked in various areas including the Pentagon and the American Forces Network (AFN). Fleet Week, one of the many events that Foster covered, is a yearly event held at different areas around the country for the United States Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps. Covering events such as this was important to him, because they created opportunities for the general public to better understand the perspectives of military personnel. His own personal experiences with transitioning out of the military motivated him to play a more direct role in helping other veterans transition to civilian life. When Foster went back to school to finish college, many people, including professors and other students, did not understand his experience or needs as a student veteran. This inspired him to get a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration so he could positively impact other student veterans and facilitate their transition to higher education.
Through his role as director, he serves as an advisor for student veterans and ensures that they are connected with the appropriate resources, from their first arrival to graduation and beyond, to ensure their transition into higher education is as smooth as possible. He also hopes to continue bridging the gap between veterans and the public by partnering with all offices, programs, and groups on campus.
When asked about how we as civilians could be a more inclusive place for veterans, Foster stated that the best way that we as a community can create a more supportive environment for veterans is the same way we can support everyone—get to know student veterans, help them feel welcome, tell them they belong with our words and our actions.
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion thanks Charlie Foster and all military and veteran students, faculty, and staff for your service to the United States and to the William & Mary community.
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William & Mary Community News: |
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A Monthly List of Terms that Educate on Identity, Inclusion, and More:
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Transgender Day of Remembrance - Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998.
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Native American/American Indian - terms used to refer to peoples living within what is now the United States prior to European contact. American Indian has a specific legal context because the branch of law, Federal Indian Law, uses this terminology. American Indian is also used by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget through the U.S. Census Bureau. Whenever possible, it is best to use the name of an individual’s particular Indigenous community or nation of people.
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Federal recognition - in reference to Native American tribes, the “legal acknowledgement” of the sovereign and separate political status of tribal nations by the U.S. Federal government. It establishes a political and legal relationship between an Indian tribe and the U.S., which carries particular rights and responsibilities for both parties, potentially entitling tribes to certain federal resources that trigger the operation of an entire body of Federal law.
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Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act - federally recognized the Chickahominy, Eastern Chickahominy, Upper Mattaponi, Rappahannock, Monacan and Nansemond tribes as sovereign nations. Prior to that, Pamunkey Indians were granted federal recognition in 2016. Move
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Diversity Happenings is a student-focused weekly bulletin from the Center for Student Diversity of announcements & information about student activities, events, and items of interest related to diversity. The email is sent on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month. Subscribe here
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November/December
Religious Holidays
Native American Heritage Month
Thanksgiving
Veteran's Day (Nov 11)
Transgender Day of Remembrance (Nov 20)
International Day of Person's with Disabilities
(Dec 3)
Nov
1 Feast of All Saints
2 Feast of All Souls
14 Diwali
29- Dec 24 Advent
30 Guru Nanak's Birthday
Dec
8 Bodhi Day
10-18 Chanukah
25/Jan 7 Christmas
26-Jan 1 Kwanzaa
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WMSURE Faces the Future
Participation in undergraduate research is considered a high impact learning experience because of the transformative influence it has on students. Studies show that students who participate in undergraduate research are more likely to move into graduate programs, have greater clarity about their career interests, enhanced written, oral communication, and critical thinking skills, access to important networks, and overall greater confidence. Yet, minority students are underrepresented in undergraduate research, thereby missing out on these critical academic, personal, and career development opportunities. Professors Iyabo Osiapem and
Katherine Barko-Alva, newly appointed Co-Directors of the William and Mary Scholars Undergraduate Research Experience (WMSURE), are working to close this disparity gap in undergraduate research.
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Center For Student Diversity:
Brown Table Talk
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Brown Table Talk is a new initiative through the Center for Student Diversity for Women of Color on campus. It is a space for women to speak their truth and share their experiences. An exchange of dialogue within a JUDGEMENT FREE ZONE.
This is a student lead discussion, but faculty, staff, administrators, and alumnae are invited to join in the conversation and include additional perspectives to each topic.
Zoom ID: 945 3965 9479 | Nov 12 (Manifestation)
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm EST
Contact: Shené V. Owens
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UPCOMING EVENTS | NOV / DEC 2020
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In June 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the language of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination based on gender also applies to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This landmark ruling came five years after the Court ruled that the United States Constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry. Both of these rulings have had and will continue to have a profound impact on the American workplace and the American way of life.
On November 12 at noon, a panel of scholars will discuss the hard-fought battles waged by so many in the 20th century that laid a foundation for these 21st century rulings, as well as the challenges the future holds for LGBTQ+ workers. Please join us for this next event presented by the Mason Diversity & Inclusion Committee as part of the Perspectives series.
Panelists include: Leisa Meyer, Ph.D., Director of American Studies, Ian Lekus, Ph.D., LGBT Thematic Specialist, Amnesty International USA, Jerry “Jay” Watkins, Ph.D., Lecturer in History at William & Mary, and Moderated by James Boswell, Adjunct Professor of Business Law and Executive Partner at William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business. Register Here
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In 2019, a team of fisheries biologists from VIMS, led by Professor Mary Fabrizio, traveled to Nepal to study the country's freshwater fishes. Join us as Professor Fabrizio provides a first-hand account of the expedition — from extreme heat to wild rhinoceros encounters — and what they hope to discover with the information they gathered. Register here
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Join us as we support and learn from three female scientists who are graduate students at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Each student will give a five-minute talk followed by time for questions. Register here
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Join the Staff Assembly to discuss and process current pressing issues. Use this safe space as your opportunity to connect with your colleagues, share out, listen and ask questions. We are here to help and support you. Interactive Water Cooler Sessions are the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Register here
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