Luminosity - Vol II, Issue 3

September/October 2022

LUMINOSITY SHINING A LIGHT ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION AT OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY

I N

T H I S

I S S U E :

Deliberative Dialogue Moderator Training

Know Your IX

13 Black Towns motorcycle tour Indigenous Peoples Day

Volume 2, Issue 3 September/October 2022

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FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT Dear Stars,

Over the summer, we dreamed up a way to more prominently display the words and actions that are near and dear to our office and to our community.

So, we have a new graphic you’ll notice on our social media and our first ODEI t-shirt! It’s reflective of what we hope all of our community members think about and take action around to support all stars and to strengthen our community!

For example, you’ll notice learning as one of the words and it is our hope that each of us commits to our own learning about ourselves and others as it relates to creating an equitable, inclusive, and accessible campus.

We will be identifying multiple opportunities for our campus community members to secure a t-shirt, so stay tuned.

We look forward to living out each of these words with you!

Sincerely, Talia Carroll, Ph.D. (she/her) Vice President for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

and the entire ODEI Team

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Volume 2, Issue 3 September/October 2022

DEI@OCU

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN

Deliberative Dialogue Moderator Training with Erin Oeth & Dr. Carroll

Are you looking for ways to engage other perspectives? Is your community riled in tension around divisive issues? Are you curious about exactly how to have those conversations? Join VP Carroll and facilitator Erin Oeth, M. Ed. to learn how to moderate dialogue and deliberation, to clarify the issues, examine concerns, and develop strategies for healthy and productive conversations! By learning the format and flow of deliberation and moderation skills, participants will then have the tools to get communities thriving, speaking with each other in respectful ways, and moving forward together. Ms. Oeth has a background in religious studies as well as philosophy and years of experience in equipping community leaders to navigate conflict, address important issues, and bridge divides with others in democratic processes. Our event will be Friday, September 23 from 1-5pm in the Meinders School of Business Gardner Conference Room. Lunch is provided and registration is extremely limited! Register here or email dei@okcu.edu for more info!

Erin Oeth holds her M. Ed. in Higher Education & Student Affairs from the University of South Carolina.

OCU Sponsors the Asian Night Market Festival 2022 On Saturday, August 20, the OCU Offices of Admissions, Advancement, and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion sponsored the annual Asian Night Market Festival organized and hosted by the Asian District Cultural Association of Oklahoma City for the very first time! This festival brings together vendors, businesses, performers, artists, authors, and chefs from all corners of the city for one giant celebration of the Asian diaspora all along Classen Boulevard - right in OCU's own backyard! This year, over 30,000 attendees experienced an evening of food and festivities, OKC's Asian District is located along Classen Blvd. from NW 23rd St. to NW 30th St..

including stopping by the OCU table! Current students, former alumni, and future Stars were able to pick up some branded giveaways as well as meet and engage with VP Carroll from DEI and Jessica Coronis and Grace Helton from Admissions. We are excited for next year and can't wait to be a part of this unique event again!

Inclusion on Purpose Group with VPs Carroll & Croslin In September, VP for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Talia Carroll and VP for Human Resources Joey Croslin are co-facilitating a group discussing Ruchika Tulshyan's Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work. Featured in publications from The Washington Post to Brené Brown's Dare to Lead podcast, the book explores how leaders and organizations can foster meaningful actions of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace by centering the experiences of women of color. By bringing her own experience of growing up in an exceptionally diverse environment to entering the exceptionally uniform corporate environment, Tulshyan provides a guide for progressing our culture forward. The reading group will begin meeting in October. Registration information is coming soon!

Available wherever books are sold.

Volume 2, Issue 3 September/October 2022

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Know Your IX

By Dr. Kristi Pendleton (she/hers) CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATOR

We all can make a difference concerning issues of campus safety – specifically issues defined as sexual violence. Title IX ("Title Nine") defines prohibitive behavior and directs colleges and universities how to address acts of sex-based discrimination for all involved parties. So, what is Title IX and why is it important to me?

9 Things About Title IX Title IX is not just about sports.

Title IX is a landmark piece of civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination based on sex in any educational program or activity. It is about equity and access. It encompasses acts of sexual violence such as sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, and domestic violence. Title IX address any acts of discrimination for parenting/pregnant students or acts based on gender.

Title IX does not apply to female students only. The 37 words that comprise Title IX do not state that female students cannot be discriminated against. Title IX states and protects any person that faces sex-based discrimination.

This includes females, males, gender nonconforming students, faculty, and staff of the campus community.

Title IX is not just for students.

Title IX covers the entire campus community – students, faculty, and staff. This includes incidents of student to student, student to staff, student to faculty, faculty/staff to student, and even third-party vendors.

Silence does not mean consent.

Consent is approval and permission to engage in sexual activity demonstrated by clear actions or words. Consent is freely given and can be withdrawn at any time. Consent is asking every time.

Consent is informed and mutually understood by all involved parties.

Consent cannot be given if that party is incapacitated by drugs and/or alcohol.

OCU will be proactive to ensure that our campus is free of sex discrimination. Title IX requires universities to take immediate steps to stop the discrimination, investigate the incident, provide supportive measures, and prevent its reoccurrence. OCU will not discourage students from continuing their education or activity. You have a right to remain on campus and have all opportunities available to you.

Dr. Pendleton has been with OCU since 2019. Her office is Room 233 on the second floor of the University Center

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Volume 2, Issue 3 September/October 2022

OCU has established procedures to address complaints of sex discrimination. If a student needs to report an incident that may fall under the scope of Title IX, the university has detailed procedures to respond to reports. The Civil Rights Investigator will promptly reach out to the complainant to share process information, on and off campus resources, and to schedule a meeting to discuss supportive measures and begin an investigation.

This contact happens regardless if a police report is made. OCU is not required to wait to conduct their investigation for the conclusion of any criminal process. If a formal hearing option is pursued, OCU utilizes the “preponderance of the evidence standard (more likely than not)” to determine if a policy violation occurred.

OCU must take immediate action to ensure a complainant can continue their education safely. OCU may implement reasonable supportive measures during the investigation process to ensure parties are able to continue their education in a safe manner. OCU offers a variety of supportive measure on a case by case basis as warranted.

Retaliation is not permitted against someone who reports an incident of sex-based discrimination.

OCU strictly prohibits any form of retaliation for any party or witness participating in the investigation process. Any reports of retaliation will be investigated as a new complaint according to the process detailed in the Nondiscrimination Policy.

Title IX investigation and records are kept private. Information will not be shared with the general campus community concerning a Title IX report. Only the direct parties and their designated advisor will receive information concerning the investigation, hearing process, and outcomes. If appropriate, restrictions and or outcomes will be shared with the proper OCU officials. Confidential reporters will not share identifiable information with the Title IX Coordinator or the Civil Rights Investigator.

If you need to report an incident of sexual violence concerning yourself or another person of the campus community, please reach out by utilizing the following reporting measures:

Confidential Reporting University Counseling: 405-208-7901​ Student Health Center: 405-208-5090​

Pastoral Counseling: 405-208-5484​

Reporting to the University Online Reporting Form Campus Conduct Hotline: 866-943-5787 Email: titleix@okcu.edu or kapendelton@okcu.edu Title IX Coordinator: 405-208-5075 or jcroslin@okcu.edu OCU Police: 405-208-5001 (non-emergency) 405-208-5911 (emergency)

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Volume 2, Issue 3 September/October 2022

Thoughts on National Coming Out Day from a Bisexual Cis-Woman

By Abbykate Waugh (she/hers)

The original logo for NCOD was designed by renowned queer artist, Keith Haring.

National Coming Out Day is an annual 2SLGBTQIA+ awareness day observed on October 11 to support members of the community to "come out of the closet" and live their lives openly. NCOD was inaugurated by psychologist Robert Eichberg and political activist Jean O'Leary in 1988, the midst of the AIDS Epidemic. The movement was to celebrate coming out as a good thing even as many prejudiced pieces of legislation were introduced and put into practice. By 1990, NCOD was observed in all 50 states. At its core, NCOD is a celebration in direct contrast to the homophobia and transphobia 2SLGBTQIA+ folx encounter and for a long time, I did not question that narrative.

In 2001, Teenage Abbykate was adamant that coming out was essential to the full Queer Experience. The act of saying “I’m gay” or “I’m bisexual” or “I’m fill-in-the-blank” was the webbing that bound all the members of the Alphabet Mafia together especially when we said those words to people who may not have been ready to hear them. It was a wild time of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" so telling felt monumental in its importance.

My own coming out to my heteronormative parents felt like an act of pride and righteousness and maybe even defiance in the face of my white, suburbanite, upper-middle-class upbringing. When I really look back, however, it was a definite non-event. They already knew (I mean, I was 16 and taping Queer as Folk off the TV like it was my actual job). But the act of saying it out loud to them still made me feel so strong and connected to other queer folks, standing on the shoulders of people who had done so before and before and before all the way through history that I couldn’t imagine anyone not wanting to come out.

In 2022, my thoughts regarding the whole concept of coming out have evolved along with my perspective as an adult, my vocabulary, and my thoughts about sexuality and gender. For example, previously I said “the full Queer Experience” when I should have been saying “my Queer Experience” because every queer person’s choice to come out or not come out is unique and valid. I also now realize that my extremely privileged upbringing in a physically, mentally, and emotionally safe environment informed my coming out experience. I also now question coming out as a necessity. On one side, I still believe that visibility is a powerful force for queer folx to find one another, but on the other, I definitely believe that queer people do not owe coming out to anyone including other queer people especially when doing so would endanger them or cause them harm. Additionally, the language surrounding coming out makes it sound like all queer people are inherently hiding something from society when that's clearly not remotely the case.

Today and going forward, I am committed to building the narrative around inviting folx in instead of folx coming out (which centers the emotional labor onto heterosexual people to do the work of becoming more inclusive) while still showing up as a visible, vocal advocate for my vibrant, growing community.

Abbykate Waugh (above) serves as the Sr. Administrative Assistant for the ODEI and currently identifies as a demiromantic bisexual cis-woman.

The bisexual flag (above) was designed

by Michael Page and was unveiled at BiCafe's first anniversary party on December 5, 1998.

Volume 2, Issue 3 September/October 2022

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INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY

October 10 is Indigenous Peoples Day in Oklahoma City and in more than 130 cities and 13 other states plus the District of Columbia where it is observed either instead of or in addition to the federal observation of Columbus Day. Columbus Day started as a holiday celebrating 15th-century explorer in 1792 and was put into US legislation in 1937.

Indigenous Peoples Day is a holiday that recognizes, celebrates, and honors Native culture and traditions and was first officially observed in OKC in 2018.

The First Americans Museum Oklahoma opened in September 2021.

From the earliest Indigenous tribes to those relocated to "Indian Territory" in the 1800s, more than 39 nations have made Oklahoma their home. Now at the unique First Americans Museum Oklahoma in southeastern Oklahoma City, visitors can experience the collective histories, cultural diversities, and many contributions of each of them. This place serves as a starting point to explore other tribal museums, cultural centers, and historical sites throughout the entire state.

The FAM Oklahoma will be celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day October 10, 2022 from 10am-5pm with live public educational programs and performances as well as offering food, crafts, and other familyfriendly entertainment including dance demonstrations and a stickball tournament.

Admission is free and no tickets are required to attend IPD events all day long! The full schedule of events can be found at famok.org/ipd. OCU is honored to once again sponsor this event in our community!

Volume 2, Issue 3 September/October 2022

4th Annual 13 Black Towns Motorcycle Tour

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Between 1865 and 1920, emancipated folx settled over 50 towns throughout what is now Oklahoma - more than any other state! Throughout the early part of the 20th century, these towns flourished and grew. They had their own hotels, hospitals and doctor's offices, lawyers, schools and colleges, and restaurants as well as things like phone companies and newspapers. These bustling towns supported thousands of families and acres of farmland before The Great Depression forced folx to relocate and therefore decimated the local populations. But! 13 of the original towns still exist today: Langston, Boley, Clearview, Lima, Tatums, Grayson, Vernon, Red Bird, Rentiesville, Summit, Taft, and Tullahassee.

Starting in 2019, an activist called Derrick E.D. Smith, Jr., decided to combine his love for motorcycling with his deep connections to this nearly lost history and the 13 Black Towns Tour & Festival was born! This year's ride was broken into three legs: The Green Leg, the Red Leg, and the Black Leg. Starting with the Green Leg, participants began in Langston on September 1 and continued southeast to Boley, Clearview, and Grayson ending in Rentiesville. The Red Leg began the next day and travelled north to Tullahassee then south through Red Bird, Taft, and Summit.

The last day, September 3, the longest leg of the tour, the Black Leg took folx from Vernon east through Lima and Brooksville before turning sharply south to the Festival in Tatums. All told, participants covered over 400 miles across the state!

The mission of this ride is to revitalize Historically All-Black Towns through education, entertainment, and tourism while funding their economic and community agendas along the way in order to promote and preserve the legacy of Black Towns nationwide. For more information on how you can get involved, email ybm@blacktowns.solutions or find them on Instagram @youngblackmayor.

Volume 2, Issue 3 September/October 2022

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RECOMMENDATIONS Premiering October 1 at the New York Film Festival, Till tells the story of Mamie TillMobley, an American educator, and her fight for justice after the brutal lynching death of her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till, in 1955 while he was visiting his cousins in Mississippi. Writer/Director Chinonye Chukwu based her screenplay on one she previously co-wrote with Keith Beauchamp whose extensive research over 27 years helped the US Department of Justice reopen the Till case in 2004. By witnessing Mamie's poignant journey of grief turned to action, we experience the power of a mother's love.

Danielle Deadwyler's unflinching performance is a marvel to behold.

TILL opens nationwide Oct 14

Though marketed and drawn for children, Tyler Feder's Bodies Are Cool is a celebration of all kinds of bodies and a nice reminder for adults of how we can talk about our own bodies and model radical self-love and body acceptance. With a joyful abandon, this book highlights every kind of body you can think of - every skin tone, shape, disability, and hair type is included! In the park, at a party, or at the pool, every human is allowed and welcome. The message received by readers (of any age) is that bodies ARE indeed cool: "My body, your body, every different kind of body! All of them are good bodies!"

Bodies Are Cool is available wherever books are sold.

CALENDAR

17th Annual Fiestas de las Americas

Oct 01

Down Syndrome Festival & 5K

Each year, the Down Syndrome Association of Central Oklahoma (DSACO) holds its annual Down Syndrome Festival & 5K run to raise awareness for Oklahomans with Down Syndrome and their families and to raise funds for resources such as cooking classes, support groups, and even scholarships.

Registration opens at 7am at the Myriad Botanical Gardens with the 5K beginning at 8:20am. The festival begins at 10am. For more information or to register a team, visit dsfestivaland5k.com.

Celebrate Oklahoma's rich multicultural heritage during Hispanic Heritage Month at the Fiestas de las Americas Parade & Street Festival!

Join vendors, performers, food trucks, and 20,000 attendees at Calle Dos Cinco (25th Street) in Historic Capitol Hill starting at 12pm. The festival is also to raise awareness and support for the Calle Dos Cinco nonprofit organization that focuses on economic, educational, and cultural development within the Capitol Hill district of OKC. Visit fiestasok.com for all the details!

Oct 5-30

Rocky Horror: Live! at Lyric Theatre

Back by popular, enthusiastic demand, Lyric Theatre OKC is bringing back its rendition of The Rocky Horror Show!

Whether you are a Rocky Horror virgin or the film is a part of your soul, join Janet, Brad, and the incomparable Dr. Frank-N-Furter for "a night you will remember for a very - long - time!"

This production contains strobe lighting, theatrical fog, and sudden, loud noises. There are also ASLinterpreted performances! To get your tickets, visit lyrictheatreokc.com!

SEPT Labor 05

Day

Red Earth Parade & FallFest Powwow

Oct 15

Sept 24

Volume 2, Issue 3 September/October 2022

Described as America's most unique, the annual Red Earth Parade will kickoff an entire day of celebration with an explosion of tribal culture featuring dancers, tribal leaders, and many Nativeowned businesses from all across the country. This also coincides with a Youth Powwow and Arts & Crafts Market to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day at the Myriad Gardens. Admission is free and all are welcome!

SEPT 22 First Day

of Fall

OCT 17-18

Fall Break

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Volume 2, Issue 3 September/October 2022

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HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES SEPT 23

MABON

OCT 4

YOM KIPPUR

OCT 24

SEPT 25-27

ROSH HASHANAH

OCT 8

MAWLID

OCT 27

DIWALI

BAHA'U'LLAH'S BIRTHDAY

September HISPANIC HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

October

2SLGBTQIA+ HISTORY MONTH

NAME A STAR IN OUR GALAXY Have you experienced someone doing intentional DEI work?

WE WANT TO CELEBRATE THEM!

Use the QR Code or visit our Linktree!

CONTACT US DEI@OKCU.EDU

405-208-5030

LINKTR.EE/OKCUDIVERSITY

Volume 2, Issue 3 September/October 2022

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OUR FOCI IN THE ODEI Education.

As an educational institution, we continually aim to center education and learning as an important and critical component of the OCU experience – for students, staff and faculty. What are you doing to engage in your own education and learning related to DEI?

Policy Change.

We acknowledge that policies can deeply influence the experiences of those in our community.

Policies centered in equity and that thoughtfully incorporate inclusive language are necessary as they signal our commitment to equity and inclusiveness not in word only, but action, through expectation of policies being followed. We encourage our campus community members to take time to review policies and ensure that what’s written aligns with our mission and core values as a university.

Belonging & Community.

Belonging and feeling like a true member of community is important!

Our connections and experiences are vital to our success as OCU Stars. What does it mean for you to experience belonging? How do you create or build community in your sphere of influence?

We desire for our OCU community and supporters to think of intentional ways they are considering education, policy change, and belonging & community in their everyday experiences throughout our in-person and virtual spaces.

What are your individual needs? We want to identify opportunities for us to connect intentionally and continue to build upon what makes OCU great.

What will you do to commit to our foci? Want to share your commitments?

Email us at dei@okcu.edu so we can support you in your efforts.

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Resource

Pantry of Hope OPEN FRIDAYS 3pm-4pm

4th floor of Clara E. Jones Administration Building

Drop your donations of food or clothing at the Pantry on Fridays or anytime at the OCU Mailroom!

Do you or someone you know need further assistance? Staff can also share information about SNAP benefits!

email any questions or concerns to resourcepantry@okcu.edu

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Oklahoma City University would like to acknowledge that we gather on land indigenous to the Osage, Caddo, Kiowa, Comanche and Wichita tribal nations, and that lands extending throughout the state were originally inhabited by many tribes, including those that were forcibly relocated to Indian Territory under harmful federal policies.

We acknowledge that the 39 sovereign tribal nations inhabiting what is now Oklahoma originate from all four corners of the North American continent, and that indigenousness is hemispheric in scope. We honor the land and the people who have stewarded it since time immemorial, and we commit to continuing to learn how to be better stewards of the land we inhabit for future generations.