Rebekah Crozier | Contributing Writer
The Office of Diversity and Intercultural Initiatives is hosting several exciting events in the next few weeks. One of these events is a conversation with bestselling author Beverly Daniel Tatum, which is scheduled to occur on Oct. 28 at 4 p.m.
Tatum holds a B.A. degree in psychology from Wesleyan University, an M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from University of Michigan and an M.A. in Religious Studies from Hartford Seminary. Her bestselling book, “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race,” was published in 1997 with a second edition released in 2017 for its 20th anniversary.
Denise Gregory, the Assistant Provost for Diversity & Intercultural Initiatives at Samford, is the coordinator of the event with Beverly Tatum. She explained that the event with Tatum will be hosted by Samford’s Office of Diversity and Intercultural Initiatives in collaboration with the University of Alabama at Huntsville and the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Department of Psychology. Gregory said Tatum’s talk will focus on important topics that are necessary to the state of the world today.
“Dr. Tatum’s talk will be a one-on-one conversation with topics of racial identity development, race and education, strategies for creating inclusive campus environments, and higher education leadership,” Gregory said.
She said she also believes the conversation will be an important one for Samford students and faculty to hear.
“We hope each person attending will gain additional knowledge and an understanding of race and how it impacts all of us,” Gregory said.
Along with the conversation featuring Tatum, the Office of Diversity and Intercultural Initiatives will host a virtual discussion with Latasha Morrison on Oct. 29 at 12:30 p.m.. Morrison is the author of “Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation,” which provides biblical methods for racial harmony. The Office of Diversity is also hosting a virtual roundtable discussion about race with Samford’s Greek Life, BSU, ACE, and SGA on Nov. 10.
The objective of all these events is to further educate the students, faculty and administration of Samford about important social issues in the world today and how to approach these issues on campus.
The Office of Diversity and Intercultural Initiatives at Samford is dedicated to making sure every student on campus feels heard and accepted. All students are encouraged to register to attend these events.
