Dear Darden Community,

Welcome to November!   This month marks the celebration of Native American Heritage Month in the United States.  This celebration aims to raise awareness of the indigenous peoples of the United States, and creates an opportunity to learn more about the cultures, traditions, and rich long history of Native Americans in North America.  For Charlottesville in particular the original custodians of the land, were the Monacan Nation.   Learn more through UVA’s Division of Diversity Equity and Inclusion.

This month also marks the observation of Veteran’s Day honoring those who have served in the United States Armed Forces on November 11th, and November 8th is the annual celebration of First Generation College students.  While on the surface it may seem that these celebrations are disparate and singular to one group, we think it’s important to always remember that our community not only includes Native and Indigenous Peoples, Veterans, and First Generation college students, but also sees these identities intersecting which is worthy of celebration in and of itself. The National Museum of the American Indian captures this sentiment perfectly in their new exhibit on Native Americans in the Armed Forces.

Last but not least, we also want to wish a Happy Diwali to all those who will be observing this Thursday!

Happy November, continue to be curious, continue to be kind.

-The Darden Diversity Team

 

Resources of Interest This Month

Interactive Indigenous Territories, Languages, and Treaties Map

Guide to Indigenous Land and Territorial Acknowledgements for Cultural Institutions

The Ancient Origins of Diwali, India’s Biggest Holiday

 

Additional Events of Interest

White Power On Trial: August 12 & Social Media

Monday, 11.1, 6:00pm -7:00pm EST

Please join us for a live recording of the Democracy in Danger podcast hosted by Siva Vaidhyanathan (Director, Deliberative Media Lab/UVA Media Studies) and Will Hitchcock (UVA History). Podcast guests will include Aniko Bodroghkozy (UVA Media Studies) and Jessie Daniels (CUNY Hunter College, Sociology), who will present an analysis of the issues on trial in the Unite the Right lawsuit Sines vs. Kessler in relation to social media, the KKK Act and the levers that are effective in combating extremism in online platforms.

 

Building a More Inclusive Community: Indigenous Americans – We’re Still Here

Wednesdays, 11.3 – 12.1, 5:30pm – 7:00pm EST

In this fourth edition of The Center’s “Building a More Inclusive Community” speaker series, the focus is on Native People’s of America and their cultures—past, present, and future. Many of us are unaware of the rich history of the hundreds of sovereign nations indigenous to North America. Learn more about Native American Peoples, how they have influenced our country, and how all of us can be culturally sensitive and respectful when talking about Indigenous Americans and the issues they currently face.

All presentations are ONLINE

 

Kadencia

Saturday, 11.13, 7:30pm EST

Bringing the rhythmic sounds of Afro-Puerto Rican music to PVCC with a hearty brass section and percussion galore, Kadencia delivers heavy-hitting original music in Puerto Rico’s traditional forms such as bomba and plena and other Latin forms like salsa.

 

Down with the Confederacy! Lessons from Black Activists

Tuesday, 11.16, 2:00pm -3:15pm EST

Please join us for a live recording of the Democracy in Danger podcast hosted by Siva Vaidhyanathan (Director, Deliberative Media Lab/UVA Media Studies) and Will Hitchcock (UVA History). Podcast guests will include Aniko Bodroghkozy (UVA Media Studies) and Jessie Daniels (CUNY Hunter College, Sociology), who will present an analysis of the issues on trial in the Unite the Right lawsuit Sines vs. Kessler in relation to social media, the KKK Act and the levers that are effective in combating extremism in online platforms.

 

John R. Lewis Case Competition

**Applications due – Friday, 11.19

By bringing together current business leaders and top students from across the country, the John R. Lewis Racial Justice Case Competition (JLCC) goes beyond short-term solutions and brings lasting change. The JLCC is the first of its kind student-run case competition focused on racial justice, that provides students the opportunity to understand the history of systemic racism in the US and provide bold, innovative, and actionable recommendations for companies actively looking to address issues of racial inequality both inside and outside their organizations. In the second year of the competition, we have expanded the leadership team to include students from prominent universities across the country to organize the event and host the semifinals.

 

2021 Graduate and Postdoctoral Scholars Fall Festival

Thursday, 11.18, 12:00pm -1:30pm

The Fall Festival (formerly known as the Winter Social) will provide students with an opportunity to learn about the various cultures at UVA including the Asian community, Indigenous community, African American community and the Latin community. We will celebrate these cultures in an effort to build community with all of the graduate and postdoctoral scholars that identify with these communities.

 

Belonging Book Club Series: Americanah

Friday, 11.19, 2:00pm -3:00pm

Americanah is a 2013 Novel by the Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for which Adichie won the 2013 U.S. National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction. Americanah tells the story of a young Nigerian woman, Ifemelu, who immigrates to the United States to attend university.

 

Racism and The Economy: Focus on Financial Services

Tuesday, 11.16 12:00pm -2:00pm EST

Racism forms the foundation of inequality in our society, and it threatens our economy and limits economic opportunity for people of color. All 12 District Banks of the Federal Reserve System are partnering to highlight the implications of racism in the United States and identify solutions. The Reserve Banks will host a series of virtual events to examine the ways in which structural racism manifests in America and advance actions to dismantle structural racism. This keynote discussion will feature Camille Busette, Bill Bynum and Terri Friedline.

 

Notable Dates/ Observances

Native American Heritage Month

Diwali – November 4, 2021

First Generation College Celebration – November 8, 2021

Veteran’s Day – November 11, 2021

Transgender Day of Remembrance- November 20, 2021

Hanukkah – Begins November 28, 2021

 

What We’re Reading/Watching/Listening to This Week

How Sharing Our Stories Builds Inclusion

Battling the Resource Curse: Sustainable Development in Latin America

Wisdom from the Top – PepsiCo:  Indra Nooyi

BIPOC or POC? Equity or Equality The Debate Over Language on the Left