Happy November! I am sure that many of us in the past week have donned our best costumes for Halloween, but the festivities give way in November to a number of key cultural and religious observances that serve to celebrate and honor those who have passed, including Dia De Los Muertos and All Souls Day. The theme of remembrance is especially resonant given that November 11th is also Veteran’s Day in the United States.
Native American Heritage Month serves as yet another outlet to remember the traditional custodians of the lands that we call home. In Charlottesville, the Indigenous populations, who still live and thrive in the area included the Monacan and Powhatan Peoples. In Washington D.C. a number of nations and peoples thrived in what later became the nation’s capital, including the Pamunkey, and the Rappahannocks. You may have attended events in which organizers took a moment to give a land acknowledgement. We think it’s only fitting to do so in this message as well using language loosely borrowed from the School of Education and Human Development.
We would like to acknowledge that the land we live and work on today has long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst native and indigenous people, specifically the Monacan and Powhatan Peoples. We pay respects to the elders past and present. We reflect on injustices committed to these communities. We honor their stories, and uplift their descendants, past, present, and emerging.
Best,
Upcoming Commemorations and Observances
Resources
Collaborative Planning Tools – Creative Engagements for meetings and work groups
Native Land Digital – Interactive map of Indigenous Nations around the world
A Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgement – How to for creating a land acknowledgments
Resources for Transgender People – Organizations, helplines, and data about Trans issues
Notes and Takeaways from Faculty Forum on Political Climate
Upcoming Events and Trainings
Wednesday 11.2 – 11.6
Widely recognized as a premier regional film festival the Virginia Film Festival is entering its 35th year. Each year the committee selects films that help to open dialogue and to explore cultures, identities, and ways of life different than ones own. Below is a selection of films that celebrate and elevate Diversity and Inclusion.
- Powerlands, 11.4, 6:00pm
- Descendant, 11.5., 11:00am
- Refuge, 11.5., 5:00pm
- Portraits from a Fire, 11.5 6:30pm
- Mama’s Boy, 11.6, 11:00am
- Concerned Citizen, 11.6, 1:45pm
- Imagining the Indian, 11.6, 2:30pm
- The Lives Between the Lines, 11.6, 2:00pm
- Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power, 11.6, 4:30pm
DSAS Presents Diwali
Saturday, 11.5, 6:00pm EST
The Darden South Asia Society (DSAS) is excited to celebrate Diwali with you on Saturday, November 5th. The celebrations will kick off at 6PM in PepsiCo Forum, Cafe 67, South Lounge, and Patio. Come join us in celebrating this festival with delicious South Asian food, drinks, music, and performances!
Global Value Chains and the Future of Work (In Person or Virtual)
Saturday, 11.5, 10:00am – 11:00am EST
Will robots displace workers? Does automation mean the end of work as we know it? While much of the discussion about the future of work centers on technological innovations, changes in the way work is organized may ultimately prove more consequential for the well-being of workers, particularly in developing countries. This talk explores the causes and consequences of changes in the world of work through a focus on global supply chains.
FGLI Celebration Breakfast
Wednesday, 11.9, 9:30am -10:00am EST
Rachel Sorrells and Vashti Barran, who lead Darden’s First Gen and Low Income (FGLI) student initiative, are hosting a first coffee for our FGLI students. They want to extend an invite to all FGLI faculty and allies who may also want to attend in support of our FGLI students.
We hope you’ll consider joining for first coffee and breakfast from Guajiro’s Miami Eatery.
The Holocaust: Reflections from the UVA Classroom
Thursday, 11.10, 3:00pm -4:00pm EST
Two leading University of Virginia experts on Holocaust research and education, James Loeffler, the Jay Berkowitz Professor of Jewish History and the Ida and Nathan Kolodiz Director of Jewish Studies, and Victoria Barnett, the Frank Talbott, Jr. Distinguished Visiting Professor of Holocaust Studies, will discuss their research of and experiences teaching about the Holocaust.
Darden Military Association Darden Poppy Fundraiser for Ukraine/ Moment of Silence
Thursday, 11.10, 11:11am EST
Join the Darden Military Association in a moment of silence in honor of Veteran’s Day, and in their first annual Poppy Fundraiser (All about the poppy | Royal British Legion). The DMA has strategically placed poppy boxes in PepsiCo Forum, Café 67, and at the information desk in front of the mailboxes. Funds raised will go to the Come Back Alive Ukrainian Charity (About the Foundation – Come Back Alive (savelife.in.ua), which enables the Ukrainian military to purchase lifesaving military/medical equipment and training for its troops. Please contact Michael DeLong for further information, or instructions on how to donate.
Higher Education & The Shifting Legal Landscape of DEI
Tuesday, 11.15, 10:00am – 11:30am EST
Join us for an important conversation highlighting the challenges and opportunities ahead with the shifting legal landscape around “DEI” in higher education policy and practice. Art Coleman is Managing Partner and co-founder of EducationCounsel LLC. He provides policy, strategic, and legal counseling services to national non-profit organizations, school districts, state agencies, and postsecondary institutions throughout the country, where he addresses issues associated with: student access, diversity, inclusion, expression, and success; faculty diversity, inclusion and expression; and institutional accountability and accreditation.
Let’s Talk about Burnout: Empowering Strategies for You and Your Team
Wednesday, 11.16, 12:00pm -1:00pm EST
In most workplaces, the feeling of over-extension is a norm of everyday professional life, especially in higher education and healthcare, where burnout is a known buzzword. We may find ourselves participating unknowingly in a competition of busyness, where ultimately, no one or no team wins. Learning Objectives: 1. Recognize the driving dimensions and stages of burnout. 2. Learn empowering strategies to wisely deploy limited energy. 3. Learn how to talk about burnout and initiate meaningful change.
I Felt That; Microaggression and Its Impact
Thursday, 11.17, 12:30pm – 1:45pm EST
This presentation will provide an overview and definition of the concept of microaggressions. Additionally, this presentation will provide examples of three distinct types of microaggressions and the impact it has on individuals. This workshop will also provide participants with an approach on how to defend themselves from microaggressions using the R.A.V.E.N. method. This method is useful in confronting microaggressions in different scenarios and situations. If you have any questions, please contact Sly Mata at gdh2ny@virginia.edu. Offered by UVA’s Division for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Tuesday, 11.29, 12:30 – 1:45pm EST
Join us for an introduction to implicit bias. In this session we will seek to understand a particular type of bias commonly referred to as implicit bias. We will engage and consider ways we can become more aware of our own biases (where they come from and how to notice them) and learn specific approaches we can take as individuals to mitigate negative implicit biases we may notice.
Psychological Safety: Creating Sanctuaries of Collaboration and Innovation
Wednesday, 11.9, 1:00pm -2:00pm EST
In this one-hour workshop, you will examine your own values, assumptions, and behaviors to see the current state clearly through a psychological safety lens, and identify next steps to transform yourself, your team, and your organization by increasing levels of psychological safety.
What We’re Reading/Watching/Listening To
What Inclusive Leaders Do Differently
Dr. Quinetta Robinson offers strategies for developing an inclusive mindset and practicing leadership behaviors for creating more inclusive work environments. By incorporating inclusive leadership into daily activities and interactions, we can foster workplaces in which everyone feels enabled to be their best selves.
Why the Supreme Court Might End Affirmative Action
Sabrina Tavernise and Adam Liptak trace the historical precedents of the Supreme Court case around affirmative action and report on the strategies and arguments both sides use in making their case.
It’s Time We Talk About Mental Health in Business Classrooms
Strategies to help educators introduce and manage crucial conversation about mental health and wellness.
Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi’s FX comedy drama follows the lives of a group of 4 young friends living in rural Oklahoma. The production is the first to feature all indigenous writers and directors along with an almost entirely indigenous cast and production team.
