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Media Relations
Kansas State University
9 Anderson Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6415
media@k-state.edu

Information provided by K-State Media Relations, K-State's news service, may be reproduced without permission. The marks and names of Kansas State University are protected trademarks and may not be used in any commercial or private endeavor without the approval of the university.

Sources: Doug Benson, 785-532-1926, bensonml@k-state.edu;
and Candi Hironaka, 532-6085, cpitts@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Katie Mayes, 785-532-6415, kmayes@k-state.edu

Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008

K-STATE, MANHATTAN TO CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF PURSUING CULTURAL HARMONY

MANHATTAN -- The message that discrimination affects everyone is the focus of the 2008 Community Cultural Harmony Week, an event that has been teaching the local community about diversity for the last two decades.

The week of celebration, Sept. 21-26, is full of activities including inspirational speakers, film presentations and panel discussions. This year's theme is "Twenty Years and Still Moving Forward."

Community Cultural Harmony Week was founded in 1988 by Kansas State University graduate student Barbara Baker in response to an incident that took place in an Aggieville club where Puerto Rican students were discriminated against by the club's staff.

"Community Cultural Harmony Week calls attention to some of the issues faced by all of us when people of color are targeted for discrimination, and offers a starting point for those struggling to understand what diversity really means," said Doug Benson, K-State professor of modern languages and co-chair of the event. "Since its founding, the event has aimed to promote understanding, inclusion and harmony during and beyond just the week."

Candice Hironaka, associate director of K-State's School of Leadership Studies and co-chair of the week, said that over the years the weeklong celebration has become more inclusive. Originally, it was called Racial Ethnic Harmony Week, but was renamed Community Cultural Harmony Week in response to the oppression of other groups that fell outside traditional categories of discrimination.

"Communities who care about all their citizens are stronger and more committed to equity," she said. "We continue to make progress in this journey, but the path continues to be challenging. The key is having every community member dedicated to learning and growing themselves -- these valuable lessons begin with each of us."

Community Cultural Harmony Week brings together people from several of K-State's colleges and departments, as well as campus and community organizations, the city of Manhattan, the Manhattan-Ogden School District and other local groups. More information on the week is available at http://www.k-state.edu/cchw

The week's activities, all open to the public, include:

Sunday, Sept. 21

* 2 p.m., Community Cultural Harmony Week Rally, Triangle Park, Aggieville. A drumming program from Roots of Rhythm will kick things off, followed by the Peace and Harmony Walk up Anderson Avenue to St. Isidore's Catholic Student Center and back, a speech by event founder and K-State alumna Barbara Baker, and presentations from community leaders.

* 8 p.m., K-State's Movies on the Grass presents "Darwin's Nightmare," Coffman Commons, in front of Hale Library. Pre-events start at 7 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 22

* 3:30 p.m., Ian Bautista, president of the United Neighborhood Centers of America and K-State alum, will present "Access to Education, Families, Schools and Communities -- Creating Connections," Bluemont Hall, room to be announced.

* 7:30 p.m., Bautista will deliver the lecture "Immigration, Misperceptions and the American Dream: All Alive and Well in 2008," K-State Student Union's Forum Hall.

* 8:30 p.m., the film "Anyone and Everyone," Forum Hall.

Tuesday, Sept. 23

* 1:30 p.m., Mahnaz Shabbir, president of Shabbir Advisors, will present the lecture "Muslims in the Media" as part of Media Professionals Day. A panel discussion will follow. For additional information, contact Gloria Freeland at 532-0721 or gfreela@k-state.edu. Union's Little Theater.

* 7 p.m., the film "Children of the Camps," about the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, Forum Hall.

Wednesday, Sept. 24

* Noon, Student Panel on Diversity, moderated by Rebeca Paz. Union courtyard.

* 7:30 p.m., Kansas poet laureate Denise Low-Weso, Haskell Indian Nations University, will have a poetry reading and commentary, Forum Hall.

Thursday, Sept. 25

* Noon, a dialogue on religion, "Promoting Harmony through Education," featuring representatives from different faith groups, Union courtyard.

* 1:30 p.m., Jeremy Deckard, public information officer for the Kansas Human Rights Commission, will hold the workshop "Diversity: Food for Thought," Manhattan City Hall, City Commission Room, 1101 Poyntz Ave.

* 3:30 p.m., John Esposito, founding director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, will present "The U. S. and the Muslim World: Letter to the Next President," Forum Hall.

* 7 p.m., recognition of scholarships and Community Cultural Harmony Week banquet, Union Ballroom, with keynote speaker Barbara J. Love, professor of social justice education, University of Massachusetts-Amherst and director of the Akar Institute. Reservations and prepayment for the banquet required by Friday, Sept. 19, by contacting K-State Greek affairs at 785-532-5546 or greekaffairs@k-state.edu.

Friday, Sept. 26

* 10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m., diversity workshops by Barbara J. Love, Hemisphere Room, Hale Library. Additional sessions are being scheduled for the afternoon and can be found at http://www.k-state.edu/cchw

* Noon, Ron Prince, K-State head football coach, and Susan M. Scott, director of the K-State School of Leadership Studies, will present the seminar "The Blind Side: A Discussion of Modern Leadership," based on the Michael Lewis book, Room 212, Union.

* 1 p.m. "Body Politics for Women: Expressions of Self and Healing for the Soul" theater workshop with Barbara Baker, 8 Nichols Hall, based on Barbara Love's view of how individuals can interrupt oppression in their lives.