Category Archives: Social Activism

2018 Entrance is a Wake Up Call

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Happy New Year. Frigid cannot begin to describe what we experienced the first week of 2018 along with snow accumulations and hazardous driving conditions. Last week was noted at times to be colder than Alaska. This was conducive to staying inside and getting some rest and relaxation after the holidays.  Now you are geared up and ready for the spring semester. For several this means securing internships, summer research opportunities or taking advantage of learning beyond the classroom.

 Kendrick Peterson Class of 2020

Congratulations to the Kendrick Peterson, a second-year political science major and Building Bridges mentee, on his selection to participate in Harvard’s Kennedy School of Public Policy Conference.  This is the primary focus of Building Bridges to nurture the academic pipeline. Please visit our website: MSPS.ND.Edu to see other MSPS constituents who have and will be doing outstanding work in preparation for either graduate/professional school or in pursuit of their career goals.

 Bree Newsome

Walk the Walk Week begins on January 15, 2018. We are very excited about our MLK Study of Race Series for the spring semester.  Multicultural Student Programs and Services will host Ms. Bree Newsome on Tuesday, January 16, 2018. Ms Newsome is an American filmmaker, musician, speaker, and activist from Charlotte, North Carolina. She is best known for her act of civil disobedience on June 27, 2015, when she was arrested for removing the Confederate flag from the South Carolina state house grounds.  The office will sponsor a student workshop titled, “Mindful Protest” at 4:00 p.m. in 138 DeBartolo. Ms. Newsome will address the community at 7:00 p.m. “Tearing Hate from the Sky” in 101 DeBartolo. Thank you to our co-sponsors the Center for Social Concerns and Department of Africana Studies.  We will also have tickets available for DPAC’s production – The Mountaintop on Friday, January 19 at 7:30 p.m. They will be distributed on a first come first serve basis.  Contact Sue Pawlicki at msps@nd.edu to reserve your space. Tickets must be picked up by Friday noon.

Black History Month is rapidly approaching. There are a plethora of activities planned from African International Weekend to the Black Cultural Arts Council’s Coffee House. During Coffee House an outstanding first year male and female will receive BCAC’s Thurgood Marshall Scholarship. First Year students, how involved have you been with this club? You could be one of the fortunate recipients of this book award.  On February 19th, MSPS will hold our third MSPS Study of Race speaker in collaboration with the Student Union Board. The February Interrace Forum is considering an excursion. So stay tuned for  further announcements.

Enjoy your last week of Christmas Break and place the stated events on your calendar for things to do.

Safe Travels.

Iris Outlaw `90 MSA

Director

Spring and Awards Culminate the 2016 – 2017 Academic Year

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With the arrival of spring, the robins returned to Notre Dame.  High school prospects visited the campus and undergraduates basked in the sunshine between the days of liquid sunshine.  During the end of the academic year, we saw bookstore basketball games, awards ceremonies, and students partaking in academic conferences on and off-campus.

Congratulations to the 2016- 2017 Student Leadership Awards winners. The announcements at the April 10th event acknowledged the following MSPS leaders: Ms. Jessica Pedroza for her work giving a voice to the voiceless – Irish Clover and Rev. A. Leonard Collin C.S.C. Leadership Awards and Xitaly Estrada recognized as one of the outstanding Student Leaders. I would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the rectors, who supervised the winning halls, Elaine DeBassie – Farley Hall and Eric Styles- Carroll Hall. Both were humbled and mentioned their students did all the work.

 

Thank you to the student leaders for the 2016 – 2017 academic year. Your efforts in leading your respective clubs has not gone unnoticed. Your signature events continued to enrich and educate the Notre Dame community.  We applaud the efforts of the formal and informal leaders, who rose to address controversial issues and topics. You represented student activism and how it is implemented at Notre Dame from forums to demonstrations.  Seeking opportunities to hear opposing views and voice yours is paramount in the collegiate experience and one of the purposes of institutions of higher education is intellectual engagement.

MSPS is an advocate for providing leadership development opportunities for students. It is important to enhance your leadership skills. Taking advantage of professional conferences from ACC Student Leadership Conference to the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity is a beginning. The Multicultural Pre-Medical Society sent a cohort to the Student National Medical Association Conference in Atlanta, Georgia over Easter Break. The MPMS representatives attended Pre-Med track sessions focused on preparedness for the medical school application process. Student Activities Office took several ND students to the 2017 ACC Student Leadership Conference.  MSPS took Carrera Brown, Adriana Cantos, Yuko Inoue to NCORE in Fort Worth, Texas. Their reports will be featured on the MSPS website throughout the summer.

Lastly, take time to enjoy your summer break. Get some R & R, if you are attending summer school stop by in July to meet our new assistant director for Diversity Education, Outreach and Assessment, Paige Jackson.

Peace,

Ms. Iris Outlaw `90 MSA

Director, MSPS

A Reflection for Christmas Break & Rejuvenation

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Interfaith prayer service

Interfaith Prayer Service – November 14, 2016 – Matt Cashore, photographer

The last final for the semester has been taken, bags packed and now you are on your way home, to friends, relatives or wherever the next four weeks will take you. B-R-E-A-T-H-E.  It seems like forever since you could just be, sit in solitude and ponder how you feel, what has occurred over the past five months. How have you evolved? Or are you the same person who stepped on campus in August?  If you are, why hasn’t there been a change? Or should there have been one?

Advent began four Sundays prior to Christmas. During Advent Season, we are called to pray and reflect. Our community has been fractured by many issues, we are called to be one and the “keepers and protectors” of our sisters and brothers.  How this is to be accomplished is the challenge. Often, it is believed that the powers that be should be the driving force to rectify the ills. In reality, everyone is charged to address the inequities, disenfranchisement and establishing an environment where every community member is felt valued, appreciated, safe and welcome.

Fr. John began the call acknowledging the divide that emerged in our community because of the contiguous election year. He stated we must work toward the common good which includes having critical dialogue that respects the dignity of all persons. During this time, I ask for each of you to determine your strategy to contribute to his request.

The 2017 Spring Semester begins on the National Holiday celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  The interfaith prayer service will be in the Main Building at 11:00 p.m Monday, January 16. The second Walk The Walk Week begins the week of January 22.  Multicultural Student Programs and Services will host RAPtivist Aisha Fukushima on January 23 and co-sponsor Citizen author Claudia Rankine on January 26. RAptism is a global hip hop project highlighting how culture contributes to the universal efforts for freedom and justice by challenging apathy with awareness, ignorance with intelligence, and oppression with expression. These of two of several events occurring for more information and listing of other activities check the 2017 Walk the Walk Week site.  Both speakers compliment the fall Solidarity for Racial Justice campaign. MSPS’ Spring 2017 MLK Study of Race speakers will continue the discussion of social activism and the various forms it can take from the kneeling of Colin Kaepernick to demonstrations on college campuses and in high schools. Information will be shared on the MSPS website and Facebook page, as well as in our weekly announcements.  Feel free to contact the office either by calling or email for more information. We hope you will take advantage of these opportunities to have the critical dialogues that Fr. Jenkins referenced during the November 14 interfaith prayer service.

Have a blessed Christmas and Happy New Year.

Peace,

Iris L. Outlaw

Iris L. Outlaw `90 MSA

Director