Musical Monday
Happy Monday everyone and welcome to week 4 of our Culture and Diversity Celebration!! Thank you to everyone who has engaged and participated this month and we look forward to you joining us this week, which will be a bit of a catch-all! We will be exploring topics such as diversity and inclusion, women around the world, #blackhistorymonth, and more!
To kick off our last Musical Monday of the month it’s time to turn your speakers up or pop your headphones in! We are highlighting some amazing music from the American singer-song writer, rapper, actress, and record producer Janelle Monáe. She speaks out for people of color, minority groups, and LGBTQ+ people through her music and art. Monáe’s song “Q.U.E.E.N.” is an acronym of “Queer, Untouchables, Emigrants, Excommunicated, and Negroid” and is an expression of her thoughts ranging from sexualty to empowerment of oppressed people. |
Our next featured artist is British singer-songwriter, rapper, Stormzy: Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. Through his music he addresses issues important to him, often regarding politics or supporting young people of color.
Being an advocate of diversity and creating opportunities for people of color, he has created a scholarship at the University of Cambridge called the “Stormzy Scholarship for Black UK Students” which covers the full cost of university for two students. "There are so many young black kids all over the country who have the level of academic excellence to study at a university such as Cambridge - however we are still under represented at leading universities. We, as a minority, have so many examples of black students who have excelled at every level of education throughout the years. I hope this scholarship serves as a small reminder that if young black students wish to study at one of the best universities in the world, then the opportunity is yours for the taking - and if funding is one of the barriers, then we can work towards breaking that barrier down."- Stormzy Check out what he has to say about the song we are sharing today: “Being students at school, I think it’s important that you guys understand how powerful you are. Despite the colour of your skin, despite where you come from, despite your religion, despite whatever it is that you feel may be holding you back: you are a superhero.” - Stormzy |
This week, as we all begin to officially jump into the “Holiday Season” with Halloween, we are going to try and explore a bit of the culture behind the holidays. Music tends to play a big part in many holidays celebrated around the world. Click the link below to hop around the map and see where the holiday music takes you!
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/listen-classic-holiday-music-around-world-180947991/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/listen-classic-holiday-music-around-world-180947991/
Talk About It Tuesday
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For your first conversation starter of the day, we are going to be talking about stereotypes, and why they are harmful. Stereotyping plays a huge role in everyone’s life and is a massive part of everyday culture. Stereotypes have invaded the media, art, and even our own thoughts. While we all might know some stereotypes are just wrong, we might think others are innocent enough or all in “good fun.” However, anytime you apply a single trait or characteristic to an entire group of people, you risk damage.
What stereotypes have you encountered, internalized, or even believed about other people? |
Many indigenous or native cultures have suffered from the harmful effects of stereotypes throughout history. As has been a common theme throughout this month, in order to stop damaging behavior or thought we need to educate ourselves and learn from each other.
So now, instead of talking, we encourage you to listen, learn, and be considerate of other people and cultures. Lets learn from each other and grow together! |
In our last week, we will be exploring some holidays, how they are affected by culture, and how they affect culture. However, understanding the history and deeper significance behind holidays is also incredibly important. What exactly is being celebrated, and why?
Many holidays don’t come without conflict, and Australia Day is certainly no exception. But why are people upset about it? Again, take some time to listen, learn, and gain insight from another’s perspective. Then talk about it! How would you feel if you were in their position? How would you compromise? Could you compromise? Find someone and open up the discussion! |
Women Take Over World-Wide Wednesday
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This Wednesday is for the women! That’s right, today will be all about women of the world, how they influence culture, and how culture affects them. Women can be drivers of cultural change, but can also suffer under the weight of cultural norms, and societal views of women. That is why they play an important part of Culture and Diversity, and should be celebrated!
To start the day, as we have many days before, we will learn something new. The term “intersectional feminisit” is thrown around all the time. But what does it mean? And why is it important to understand? |
To celebrate women and #blackhistorymonth, check out the amazing and inspiring Nichelle Nichols! Women of Color: Live long and prosper! |
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Watching countless videos of the amazing women of the world, their hardships, and their accomplishments, makes it difficult to choose which one to share with you today. However, this video takes us on an inspiring journey through struggles unique to women and how women have overcome them and empowered themselves.
Women are an integral part of community and culture. Empowering women builds up that community and culture. As we have said throughout the month: we all have something to share with the world, and we all have something to learn. “All” includes women. Period. |
We have seen some amazing women around the world today, but we want to highlight some amazing women a bit closer to home. Here at the University of Glasgow there is a new group: the Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative. They are working to empower women in veterinary medicine who want to be leaders in the field, to influence policy, and to shape decisions made in our profession!
Be sure to check them out and learn about how women can be a bigger part of veterinary medicine around the world!
https://www.facebook.com/WVLDIglasgow/about
Think About It Thursday
Words can hurt more than we give them credit for, and it is easy to hurt someone, even if you don’t mean to. However, if you take the time to think about how what you say makes others feel, you might be able to avoid this pain.
If you listen to other people’s perspective and why they feel the way they do, you are already a step close to understanding those around you and to being more sensitive to others pain.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-54546967
If you listen to other people’s perspective and why they feel the way they do, you are already a step close to understanding those around you and to being more sensitive to others pain.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-54546967
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Today on Think About It Thursday, we are going to be thinking about the effects that our actions, words, or even possession have on others, and how they make others feel.
Remember to take this opportunity to reflect on your own actions and think about what they mean to people around you. First up we are going to learn about “microaggressions.” Microaggression has become a major buzzword as of late, but what does it mean and why is it important to people? |
Next up we are going to try and understand “implicit bias.” Yet another common buzzword, but what does it mean?
We are all conditioned to have implicit biases, and we all should work towards overcoming them. What are some of your implicit biases, and how have they affected your actions, the way you’ve thought of someone, or the way you’ve treated someone? |
Foodie Friday
What better way to wrap up an amazing month of celebrating than with food!
As we have learned throughout the month, food plays a huge influence and significance in culture. Pasta Grannies is a youtube channel that travels through Italy and visits Italian grannies to preserve and share their traditions and recipes. |
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Cooking isn’t the same for everyone. There are several things that can be easily taken for granted in the kitchen: accessibility, tool use, and even representation in the media. Cooking can be challenging to a lot of people, but imagine never seeing anyone like yourself on mainstream media able to cook well. Would overcoming the challenge of cooking feel less attainable?
We hope this video both makes people think about the difficulties of cooking with a disability, as well as increase visibility of successful cooks from all walks of life! |
In our final video we continue to think about inclusion in the kitchen. This video is part of a series of videos created for people with learning disabilities to make cooking more accessible.
One of the big things to pay attention to in this video is that the chefs in the kitchen are men and women with learning disabilities. This is so important; it is important for others to see someone that they can identify with in a position of importance or ability. Seeing someone that you feel a connection with do things that you want to do makes those things seem all the more attainable! We see this as an issue not just for people with learning disabilities, but also for people with physical disabilities, for people of a different race, for people of a different sexual orientation. The importance of increasing this exposure cannot be stressed enough, particularly for the youth of tomorrow. |
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Thank You...
Thank you so much for everyone who has joined us on our journey around the world, celebrating culture and diversity! We hope that this journey has been fun, that you have learned something, and that you have started to reflect on yourself and think about the effect you might have on other people.
If you want to keep exploring, be sure to check out UNESCO’s “Exploring World Heritage From Home” where you can continue your cultural journey.
We all have something to share with the world, and even more to learn from it. Keep sharing, keep learning!
https://en.unesco.org/covid19/cultureresponse/exploring-world-heritage-from-home-with-unesco
If you want to keep exploring, be sure to check out UNESCO’s “Exploring World Heritage From Home” where you can continue your cultural journey.
We all have something to share with the world, and even more to learn from it. Keep sharing, keep learning!
https://en.unesco.org/covid19/cultureresponse/exploring-world-heritage-from-home-with-unesco