Multicultural Mindfulness Institute

Columbia College welcomes humanities educators, community members, and organizations to join us for our inaugural Multicultural Mindfulness Institute (MMI). Our theme is 'Community Conversation' and in this we reflect on the past and presence of the diverse communities that make up our state; while exploring future initiatives in humanities education that educate and support the growth of diversity literacy. In celebration of Diversity Awareness Month, we invite those to enjoy the presentations, panels, performance, and film screening compiled that illustrate the necessary impact the humanities has on remembering, preserving, and restoring our diverse state.

Schedule

Day One

Institute Check-In & Registration | 5:20 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Refreshments Location: Breed Leadership Welcome Center

Claiming Our Voice: Cultural Presentation in Film | 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Film heavily shapes how cultures are viewed and perceived within our societies. Furthermore, it allows cultures to reclaim their voice amongst the static. Prior to the film screening, audiences will engage in discussion and dialogue on the past, present, and future directions on the representation of cultures in film.  Chaired: Curtis Caesar John, The Luminal Theater  Location: Breed Leadership 201/202

Film Screening: The Unveiling of God / A Love Letter to My Forefathers | 6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. The Unveiling of God / a love letter to my forefathers is a visual interpretation of Nia June’s imagination on the matter of her forefathers and other Black men prematurely removed from her life. Through poetry, music, and moving portraits, June explores what they could have been if unburdened by the gravity of an oppressive system and known to the God in themselves.  Film Maker/Writer/Poet: Nia June  Location: Breed Leadership 201/202

Cultural Conversations on Film | 7:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. At the end of the film screening, time will be spent to engage in conversations on meaning and the symbolism of June’s work.  Chaired: Curtis Caesar John, The Luminal Theater Location: Breed Leadership 201/202

Day Two

Institute Check-In & Registration | 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Location: Breed Leadership Center 201/202

Welcome | 9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Speaker: John Dozier, President of Columbia College Location: Breed Leadership Center 201/202

Reshaping Your Syllabus & Lesson Plans to Invite Diverse Pieces | 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Lesson plans and syllabi are a unique opportunity to set the tone for a diverse learning environment in humanistic inquiry. This panel explores how humanities educators can utilize cultural artifacts to aid learners and communities to better understand the diverse cultures that make up our state.  Chairs: Ashton Peterson & Melissia Brannen, Columbia College Panel Members: Ahmet Aksoy, Columbia College Amanda Ling, Columbia College Angela M. Gallo, Coker University Location: Breed Leadership Center 201/202

Our Sound: Utilizing the Humanities to Transform South Carolina’s Cultural Landscape | 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Preach Jacobs discusses the impact humanities has had on him as a DJ, writer, and artist. His discussion illustrates how the humanities invites cultures to be remembered and honored. Furthermore, he elicits the importance of humanities education in South Carolina.  DJ/Writer/Artist: Preach Jacobs Location: Spears Center for the Arts

Art Exhibit | 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Housed in the Spears Center of Arts, the Goodall Gallery invites attendees to exhibit artwork featured by local, regional, national, and international artists. The mission of the gallery is to educate, enrich, and engage the community through the expression of art.   Curator: Brittany M. Watkins, Director of Goodall Gallery Location: Spears Center for the Arts

Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges: Utilizing Communication and Dance to Understand Diverse Experiences | 12:00 p.m. – 12:50 p.m. Through the culmination of communication and dance, this session entails performances that reflect on the past and present experiences of the diverse cultures that make up our communities. It uncovers the cultures that bind us together as well as what differentiates us from one another. In doing so, attendees can understand how different humanistic disciplines can come together to create unique learning opportunities.  Chaired: Amanda Ling & Ahmet Aksoy, Columbia College Presenters: Columbia College Undergraduate Students Location: Spears Center for the Arts

Intercultural Networking: Exploring How Diverse Voices in Entrepreneurship and Community Organizing Shape Our Community | 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Attendees are welcome to network and learn about the minority-serving organizations that make up Columbia College and the minority owned business that encompasses the community. In doing so, we invite attendees to foster genuine and deep understanding of the diverse cultures across Columbia. Sponsored: The Office of Multicultural Affairs & Community Resources, Columbia College Location: The Green

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