Mission Statement

The Office of Multicultural and Minority Affairs of UNC Pembroke strives to provide programs and services

that support the academic mission of the University by enhancing the educational, personal, cultural and

social development of diverse and ethnic minority student populations. As an agent of change, the Office

of Multicultural and Minority Affairs seeks to value cultural diversity in order to promote an empowered

society.

DI

VE

RS

E

CO

MM

UN

IT

IE

S

OF

I

NT

ER

ES

T

Volume 3, Issue 3

Fall 2007

Greetings from OMMA and

DCCOI

The Office of Multicultural and

Minority Affairs’ (OMMA)

Diversity Committee for Commu-

nities of Interest (DCCOI) wel-

comes everyone to the Fall issue

of its diversity newsletter,

UNISON. Our hope is that the

information and stories outlined

in this session will be beneficial

to you.

DCCOI and OMMA began the

2007 academic year with some

very exciting and informative

events and programs. One of the

premier programs was the

“Laying To Rest The N Word

and other derogatory terms” in

September. We are working on

sponsoring sessions/lectures that

address ethnically diverse atti-

tudes on culturally diverse cam-

puses, cultural sensitivity work-

shops, and our second group ses-

sions addressing specific topics of

cultures. Visit the OMMA web-

site at http://www.uncp.edu/oma

for upcoming news, events, ser-

vices, past newsletters, etc.

DCCOI believes that diversity

should be seen as a tool that im-

pacts every aspect of one’s life.

The committee strives to promote

and sustain a cohesive and

inclusive environment among the Univer-

sity and our community that truly values

and embraces diversity, groups, cultures,

differences, and perspectives within the

framework of the academic environment.

We would like to remind each of you that

we are available to assist you in your di-

versity efforts.

Finally, DCCOI is always looking for in-

terested individuals who want to be

“change agents” and proponents of diver-

sity. We welcome new members to the

committee, which meets on the last

Wednesday of every month 3:30 p.m. in

the Multicultural Center. For additional

information, contact Robert L. Canida II,

Director of OMMA and Chair of DCCOI

at 910.521.6508 or canida@uncp.edu.

□□□□□□□□

Message from the Director

In This Issue:

Greetings from the Director 1

4th Annual Harmony Walk 2

Mr. Porter goes to Washington 3

Fulbright Scholar on campus 4

Hispanic culture at UNCP 5

Clocks around the world 5

Hispanic student’s art on loan 6

Upcoming Events/Programs 6

2

Music was provided by the Voices

of Serenity gospel choir.

Greeters included OMMA Direc-

tor Robert L. Canida, II, Assistant

Vice Chancellor for Student Devel-

opment Dr. Tom Corti, SGA Presi-

dent Dwight Humphrey and Am-

bassador for the Pembroke Area

Chamber of Commerce Betsy May-

nor. Vice President of UNCP’s

NAACP DaTwon Canty offered the

prayer.

Harmony Walk reminds the UNCP community to work together

By Lesley Covington, Newsletter

Coordinator

UNCP’s 4th annual Harmony Walk

was held Sept. 20 at 3 p.m. in the

Givens Performing Arts Center be-

cause of rain. In years past the cere-

mony began at the Amphitheater be-

side the Water Feature.

This year’s guest speaker was Mar-

shall Pitts, former mayor of Fayette-

ville and practicing attorney. The

city’s first black mayor, Pitts empha-

sized the importance of keeping an

open mind to different cultures.

He said people have a way of sepa-

rating themselves from differing cul-

tures.

“That’s a mistake,” Pitts said.

Dr. Chisepo Mphaisha, a native of

South Africa and Fulbright Scholar

at UNCP, offered greetings to the

assembled crowd.

Dr. Mphaisha used the rainbow as

an illustration of how people of var-

ied colors may combine their efforts

to create something beautiful. He

also used human fingers as an illus-

tration of how things of varied

lengths can work toward a common

goal.

“Although diversified, they always

work in unity,” Dr. Mphaisha said.

(See related article in this edition of

UNISON for more details about Dr.

Mphaisha.)

About 10 clubs and organizations

turned out for the event. The top

three winners of the banner competi-

tion were United Ministries in first

place, the National Council of Negro

Women in second and Phi Mu Alpha

fraternity in third.

Photos courtesy of Robert Canida, II

United Ministries won first place in the Harmony Walk banner competition.

The National Council of Negro Women took second place in the banner competition.

3

ence and a way to gain the experi-

ence of lobbying on the Hill for the

causes that we are fighting for on

our campus,” Porter said. “The

overall purpose of the conference

was to train all 40 of us to be

strong leaders in our various com-

munities for gay rights. There were

40 of us and we became great

friends.”

Each student came from a cam-

pus with a differing approach to

the question of gay rights.

“Some of the people there were

not allowed to even have a gay-

straight alliance,” Porter said.

UNCP’s Ten Percent Society is

an organization with a fair-minded

outlook, according to Porter,

where students discuss how “we’re

human too and we need our rights

protected. It lets them (people in

the community) know that there

are gay people in their backyard.”

Porter is advocating for a variety

of activities at UNCP: drag fashion

shows and gay forums, where dis-

cussions about the rights of minor-

ity sexual orientations may take

place and questions may be asked

by straight people of gay people.

“This would provide a safe place

for gay students instead of living

in fear,” Porter said.

He met former NBA player John

By Lesley Covington, Newsletter

Coordinator

Junior Jamel Porter went to the

Historically Black Colleges and Uni-

versities’ Claim Your Truth Summit

in Washington, D.C., representing

UNCP and The 10% Society as its

president. The conference was spon-

sored by the Human Rights Cam-

paign and lasted from Sept. 12 to

Sept. 15.

“My favorite part, being a political

science major, was lobby day. We

actually lobbied for two bills that

were coming to the House and Sen-

ate” Porter said. We thanked the

Senate for voting for the Hate

Crimes Bill. It gives funds to local

police departments if a hate crime

occurs so they can investigate the

crimes sufficiently. It’s a safety net.

It’s a stepping stone,” he added.

Porter said he also lobbied before

the House of Representatives for the

Equal Non-Discriminatory Act

(ENDA) “to protect gay, lesbian, bi-

and trans-gender people from being

fired (from their jobs) because of

their sexual orientation.” I did have

that fear myself because I am gay,”

he said.

Porter said the group traveled to

Congressional Hill to meet with rep-

resentatives and senators of their dis-

tricts.

“It was part of the overall confer-

Amaechi who came out last winter

in his book “Man in the Middle”

published by ESPN Books. He also

met lesbian poet, out since 1998,

Staceyann Chin.

“I’m gonna see if I can get her on

campus,” Porter said.

Porter found the experience in

Washington, D.C. , rewarding and

eye-opening.

“It was a wonderful experience

and it was too short,” Porter said.

“(I learned) that the power of me

telling my story can empower oth-

ers on campus. Our student vote

does count for something. We do

influence the government by the

people we put in power.”

UNCP student represents UNCP in Washington, D.C., on gay rights

Photo courtesy of Robert L. Canida, II

4

By Lesley Covington, Newsletter

Coordinator

The Pembroke community has a

new resident within its midst. As of

August, a Fulbright Scholar joined

the Political Science and Public Ad-

ministration program and will contin-

ue professorial work until May.

“My first responsibility is to partici-

pate in teaching,” Dr. Chisepo

Mphaisha said. “For the spring se-

mester I have been asked to develop

two courses—comparative Public

Administration, comparing the ad-

ministrative systems in the United

States and South Africa, and Govern-

ment and Politics in South Africa.”

The spring courses will be open to

anyone attending UNCP, according to

Dr. Mphaisha.

Dr. Mphaisha is a native of South

Africa. He spent his childhood years

in the countryside near Cape Town at

the lower tip of the African continent

until he started school at a nearby

missionary school sponsored by the

Salvation Army.

South Africa is a multiethnic coun-

try.

“It was hard to settle on one official

language,” Dr. Mphaisha said, ex-

plaining the decision-making process

by which South Africa chose Eng-

lish as its primary language.

Dr. Mphaisha said he speaks

“essentially two” languages, English

and Nyanja.

“I haven’t been in one place,” he

said, describing a life full of change.

“I went to the University of Pitts-

burgh. This was about 30 years ago.”

He earned his Masters in Public

Administration and his Ph.D. from

the Graduate School of Public and

International Affairs at the Universi-

ty of Pittsburgh and his Bachelor of

the Arts (Merit) at the University of

Zambia.

Dr. Mphaisha’s latest post has been

as professor of Public Administra-

tion in the School of Government at

the University of the Western Cape

for 12 years. He taught in the De-

partment of Political and Adminis-

trative Studies at the University of

Zambia for over twenty years

prior to that post. He speaks well

of the Pembroke community.

“At first impression I felt at

home,” he said. “Pembroke is

quite friendly. People wave at

you in greeting and you wave

back. You don’t have to know

them.”

Compared to Richmond, Va.,

Dr. Mphaisha saw a striking dif-

ference.

“People are so much busy about

themselves,” he said.

Dr. Mpaisha’s duties are not

limited to teaching courses at

UNCP.

“I am expected to participate in

certain programs within the uni-

versity,” he said.

Dr. Kevin Freeman is his liai-

son with the U niversity commu-

nity.

UNCP welcomes Fulbright Scholar

Photo courtesy of Dr. Chisepo Mphaisha

Cape Town and the island of Nelson Mandela’s exile may be seen from Signal Hill.

Flag of South Africa

5

By Lesley Covington, Newsletter

Coordinator

Hispanic month began Sept. 15 at

UNCP and will continue until Oct.

15. Hispanic Day is Oct. 31 from

9:30-noon in the University Center,

according to Dr. Liliana Wendorff,

associate professor and coordinator

for Spanish.

This year’s Hispanic Day will fo-

cus on Spain. There will be an exer-

cise where students describe the per-

sonality and physical traits of people

they know and of people they don’t

know such as Luciano Pavarotti.

“This year what I’m trying to do is

get them to write more,” Dr. Wen-

dorff said. “All Spanish students are

required to attend.”

Since the fall of 2006, Hispanic

Day has been held once per semes-

ter. The ‘Day of the Dead’ in Mexi-

co was the first cultural event stud-

ied in this format. Spain followed in

the spring of ‘07. Argentina is this

fall’s focal point.

“We just like to expose them to all

these countries,” Dr. Wendorff said.

“You can’t study language without

the culture.”

Dr. Wendorff also is the advisor

for the annual trip to Peru.

“They (students) get to live with a

family there and they get to spend

the whole semester there in the

fall,” she said.

The trip is usually limited to the

fall semester, but last year two stu-

dents remained in Peru through the

spring semester, according to Dr.

Wendorff.

UNCP students who travel to Peru

also have the opportunity to interact

one-on-one with Peruvians who are

learning English as a second lan-

guage. According to Dr. Wendorff,

students may tutor their peers at the

local university. It’s a fair exchange

as the students may hone their

Spanish-speaking abilities in the

process.

Dancing is another pastime to

which UNCP students have been

exposed and at which they have

excelled.

“We have been fortunate that

most of the students were very

good dancers to begin with and

they learned the difficult dances of

Peru,” Dr. Wendorff said.

Dr. Wendorff is a native of Peru.

She came to the United States in

the ‘70s.

“I had an American citizenship

because my father was from New

York and my mother was from Pe-

ru,” she said.

Dr. Wendorff has lived in Mary-

land, Pennsylvania, and North Car-

olina and lives in Fayetteville.

Hispanic culture thrives at UNCP

Flag of Argentina

In illustrating and appreciating diversity through time, Morris Cardenas, office assistant for the Office of

Multicultural Affairs, arranged for five clocks (Germany and China clocks are not shown) from various

parts of the globe to adorn the Multicultural Center’s wall. To our surprise, the clocks have engaged many

of the Center’s visitors in much discussion.

6

By Lesley Covington, Newsletter

Coordinator

Some of senior Stephanie Alicea’s

artwork is currently on display in

the OMMA conference room.

Alicea (pronounced Ah-lee-say-

ah) is majoring in fine arts at

UNCP. She plans to pursue a Mas-

ters degree in Art Therapy in New

York after graduation.

“I like working with children and I

like to help people,” Alicea said.

“You can diagnose psychological

problems by looking at someone’s

artwork and it can be therapeutic.”

She was born in North Carolina to

a Dominican mother and a Puerto

Rican father. She was raised in

Rockland, N.Y. The town is 30

minutes outside of New York City,

according to Alicea.

She learned to draw early at her

mother’s side. According to Al-

icea, her mother would doodle dur-

ing telephone conversations and

other activities.

“I guess I liked it and I tried to

mimic her,” Alicea said.

Since those childhood days Al-

icea’s artwork has progressed. She

also has received honors.

“I was in the Art Honors Socie-

ty,” she said, remembering her

high school years.

Her classmates and she worked

on a ceramic tile mural in her

hometown. The most difficult part,

according to Alicea, was molding

the tiles into three-dimensional

shapes.

replaced in contemporary thought with a con-

tinuum model that more accurately portrays

racial reality in the United States today.

Offering a fresh approach, Silent Racism is an

essential resource for thinking about racism in

the twenty-first century.

Visit Barbara’s website at

www.SilentRaicsm.com to learn more this top-

ic. Her book, Silent Racism: How Well-

Meaning White People Perpetuate the Racial

Divide is available on campus at the bookstore.

February 27, 2008

African Footprint

Givens Performing Arts Center (GPAC)

10am matinee (February 28)

7pm

Richard Loring's vision, will amaze. It came to

fruition by listening to the hypnotic heartbeat

of the African drum, the soulful saxophone and

the haunting pennywhistle, melds Afro- and

Euro-centric music and dance – Kwela-jive,

traditional gumboot, tap, contemporary ballet,

hip-hop pantsula – into an ‘explosive stampede

of song and dance’ that tells the vibrant and

diverse history of South Africa.

With over 3,500 performances worldwide,

African Footprint will be in Pembroke, NC.

Hispanic artist shares her talent with peers

Photo by Lesley Covington

October 31

Hispanic Day, Argentina

UC Lounge, 9:30-noon

Spanish students and UNCP instructors teach

the ropes of Argentinian living. If you’re

ready for distinctive music, samples of au-

thentic cuisine and learning in a fun environ-

ment, attend Hispanic Day.

November 5

Birds of a Different Feather (lecture)

Multicultural Center, Room 129

Dr. David Oxendine, an Associate Professor

in UNC Pembroke's School of Education and

a member of the Diversity Committee will

speak about the attitudes and beliefs at ethni-

cally diverse universities. His study explored

the question of whether an ethnically diverse

university campus promotes ethnically di-

verse attitudes and beliefs as described by

intergroup contact theory.

January 17

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Celebration

Program University Center - Candlelight Vigil

(7 pm)

Mary Livermore Library - MLK Program (7:30

pm)

OMMA, NAACP. NCNW, and the Center for

Leadership and Service invite everyone to

join us as we come together to honor and pay

tribute to Dr. King, a true humanitarian.

The tribute will begin at 7pm in front of the

James B. Chavis University Center with a

candlelight vigil, followed by a program at

the Library with guest speaker, Mark Vick-

ers of Journey to a Hate Free Millennium.

February 4, 2008

Barbara Trepagnier, author

Silent Racism

Thomas Assembly Room

3pm

Silent Racism: How Well-Meaning White

People Perpetuate the Racial Divide.

Dr. Barbara Trepagnier, Professor of Sociol-

ogy from Texas State University, talks

about silent racism—the negative thoughts

and beliefs about African Americans and

other people of color held by “non racist”

whites. Barbara’s research shows that all

individuals harbor some racist thoughts and

feelings, and that this subtle form of racism,

more than the racial hatred of bigots, pro-

duces institutional racism and causes racial

inequality. The oppositional categories of

racist/not racist are outdated, and should be