The World AIDS Day keynote address scheduled for Nov. 29 has been canceled in anticipation of severe weather.
November 2022
Diversity, Coffee & Conversations
Tuesday, Nov. 1 | 8:30-10 a.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s monthly Diversity, Coffee and Conversations will highlight Native American Heritage Month, a celebration of the rich and diverse cultures, traditions and histories of Native American people. The month provides a time to acknowledge the contributions of Native American people, educate the campus community about various tribes, and raise awareness about the challenges Native American people have faced historically and presently, and how tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.
Presenters for this month are Katherine Johnston, a senior Kinesiology major whose tribes include Caddo, Mvskoke, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Pawnee (Skidi Band), and Delaware (Lenape), and Dr. Clay Nelson, director of Moundville Archaeological Park. Johnston is co-president of Bama Indigenous Student Organization Network, also known as BISON. She will discuss the history of the month, share her lived experience and talk about the role, importance and impact of BISON. Dr. Nelson, who is UA graduate, has researched Muscogee (Creek) coalescence in the Southeastern United States. In addition to sharing his research, Nelson will talk about the history of Moundville and its value.
Register for this event. For more information, contact the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at diversity@ua.edu.
Native American Heritage Month Exhibit: ‘Cultures, Not Costumes’
Tuesday, Nov. 1-Wednesday, Nov. 16 | Intercultural Diversity Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The Intercultural Diversity Center, in partnership with Moundville Archaeological Park and the Department of Museum Research and Collections, presents “Cultures, Not Costumes.” The exhibition explores regalia, including clothing, adornments, and jewelry, with historic and modern examples of Southeastern Native American people such as the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Creek. Visitors will learn about the rich and lasting history of Native American people through text panels, audiovisual elements, artifacts, and reproductions. In addition to the continued cultural contributions of affiliated tribes, the exhibition will explore themes of cultural misappropriation. It will demonstrate that the regalia of the Southeastern tribes is part of a thriving cultural tradition and rich regional heritage that endures today. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
November 1-Nov. 9 | Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
In Mexico, Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a holiday celebrated Nov. 1-2 to honor deceased ancestors, celebrate their lives and welcome the return of their spirits. During these days, people build an altar with offerings, including sugar skulls, food and drink, semisweet bread, marigold flowers, seeds, photographs, personal items, decorated tissue paper, and candles. This holiday has the long-held tradition of writing a calavera literaria, a short satirical poem that portrays people as if they were dead. From Nov. 1 through Nov. 9, the Hispanic-Latino Association and the Department of Modern Languages and Classics, with the support of the Spanish club Los Estudiantes de Alabama sin Fronteras and the Intercultural Diversity Center, will host a Day of the Dead commemoration. Also, students of different foreign languages classes collaborated in the creation of literary calaveras, which will be hung next to the altar in the Student Center. For more information, contact Dr. Yunuen Gómez-Ocampo at ygomezocampo@ua.edu.
Cinnamon Rolls Not Gender Roles
Tuesday, Nov. 1, 8, 15, 29 | 1 p.m. | Safe Zone Student Lounge, 2418 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
*Open to UA Students
The Safe Zone Resource Center will host its weekly Cinnamon Rolls Not Gender Roles program for individuals of all identities to enjoy pastries while discussing topics concerning gender identity and performance in our current culture and climate. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at safezone@ua.edu.
Study Abroad Pop-Up Advising
Tuesday, Nov. 1, 8, 15, 29 | 1-3 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students
The Capstone International Center will host weekly information sessions on studying abroad. These sessions will provide advising on the overall process and timeline for studying abroad, dispel myths about Education Abroad, and help with program searching. For more information, contact the Study Abroad office at studyabroad@ua.edu.
Food for Thought: Native American Heritage Month
Wednesday, Nov. 2 | Noon | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The Intercultural Diversity Center’s Food for Thought series will observe Native American Heritage Month by featuring activities centered on food, art, music, demonstrations, culture and more. This event will be held in collaboration with Moundville Archaeological Park and feature lunch, giveaways, panel discussions and a live jewelry demonstration. Register for this event. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Multi-Cultural Coffee Hour
Friday, Nov. 4, 11, 18 | 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
International Student and Scholar Services and the Intercultural Diversity Center will host weekly coffee hours for students, faculty and staff to enjoy free coffee, tea, snacks and conversation with others from around the world. For more information, contact International Student and Scholar Services’ Sonya Harwood-Johnson at sonya.harwood@ua.edu.
Rainbow Connection
Friday, Nov. 4, 11, 18 | 2-3 p.m. | Safe Zone Resource Center, 2419 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
*Open to UA Students
The Safe Zone Resource Center hosts this weekly support and dialogue group for LGBTQIA+ identified students and their allies. Rainbow Connection provides an opportunity to form supportive friendships, learn resilience skills and strategies for self-care, and set personal goals. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at safezone@ua.edu.
Social Justice Movie Series: “Gather”
Friday, Nov. 4 | 7 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The Intercultural Diversity Center will continue its Fall 2022 Social Justice Movie Series with “Gather,” a documentary that takes a close look at Indigenous American movements that aim to rediscover identity and reclaim sovereignty through ancestral foods. Participants will follow an intimate portrait of the growing movement among Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, political and cultural identities through food sovereignty, while battling the trauma of centuries of genocide. Register for this event. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Native American Heritage Month Keynote: Carrie Billy
Monday, Nov. 7 | 6 p.m. | Zoom
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will host Carrie Billy for a special moderated conversation for Native American Heritage Month. Billy is president and CEO of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, which is the nation’s 37 Tribal Colleges and Universities. Billy has a track record of success in government and nonprofit sectors, where her accomplishments include designing and implementing strategic initiatives, developing innovative policies and programs, and forging partnerships and coalitions. An enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, she has dedicated more than 25 years to ensuring that American Indian students are given the resources they need to stay successfully on an academic track. Participants can register to attend. For more information, contact the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at diversity@ua.edu.
‘Small Mouth Sounds’
Nov. 7-12 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 13 at 2 p.m. | Allen Bales Theatre
The UA Department of Theatre and Dance continues its season with Bess Wohl’s “Small Mouth Sounds,” a play that finds six characters on a silent retreat together where, without speaking, they must learn to communicate with one another while simultaneously coming face-to-face with their own trauma. As the story progresses, each character faces this silence while grappling with the overwhelming need to connect with their fellow human beings. “Small Mouth Sounds” is directed by Ashley White, a third-year MFA theatre candidate with a concentration in directing at UA. She says the play “balances the tension between healing and heartbreak, and beauty and pain, with a little laughter included. This play moves beyond the traditional theatre experience. With the characters’ method of verbal communication stripped away, the audience almost becomes retreat participants in that they must discern what is being disclosed or shared through the characters’ movements, gestures, and interactions.” Tickets are $15 for adults/faculty/staff/senior citizens and $10 for UA students. Tickets can be purchased online.
TEDTalk Tuesdays: “The Standing Rock Resistance”
Tuesday, Nov. 8 | Noon-1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The Intercultural Diversity Center’s TEDTalk Tuesday Series will focus on Native American Heritage Month with “The Standing Rock Resistance.” Tara Houska is a tribal attorney who represents tribal Americans in the United States. She spends her time in Washington, DC, lobbying on behalf of indigenous people and their rights to education and basic government services. The TED Talk details the history of indigenous people within the United States and Canada, their current efforts for change and how other people can become allies to their movement. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center ua_idc@ua.edu.
‘Reservation Dogs’ Screening Discussion
Wednesday, Nov. 9 | 4-5 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center
Bama Indigenous Student Organization Network, also known as BISON, with the Women and Gender Resource Center will host a screening and discussion of the Hulu series “Reservation Dogs.” Filmed on location in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, “Reservation Dogs” is a breakthrough in Indigenous representation on television, both in front of and behind the camera. Every writer, director and series regular on the show is Indigenous. This first-of-its-kind creative team tells a story that resonates with them and their lived experiences. In its first season, “Reservation Dogs” landed on 80+ critics’ year-end best lists, has won numerous awards, and is one of seven programs recognized in 2022 by the Television Academy as part of its 15th Television Academy Honors, showcasing exceptional television programs and their producers who have leveraged the power of television to fuel social change. For more information, contact one of BISON’s co-presidents Katherine Johnston at krjohnston2@crimson.ua.edu or Kiana Younker at kyounker@crimson.ua.edu.
Dance Alabama! Fall 2022
Nov. 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 11 at 5:30 p.m.| Dance Theatre
The University of Alabama Department of Theatre and Dance will present its next dance concert of the season, Dance Alabama! Fall 2022, a concert of conceptually original and visually stimulating performances that encompasses a variety of dance genres, with each piece choreographed, designed and performed by both graduate and undergraduate students. Contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, and tap, among many other styles, will be featured throughout this concert. Sarah M. Barry, the artistic director and UA’s associate chair of dance, said “Audiences can expect a wide variety of movement styles that are representative of the youth and vitality of our students. There are more than 20 brief dances in this concert that move quickly from one to another, showcasing the vibrant and creative talents of our students.” Tickets are $22 for adults, $20 for faculty/staff/senior citizens, and $15 for UA students. Tickets can be purchased online anytime or Monday through Friday from noon to 4 p.m. by phone at 205-348-3400 or in person at the UA Theatre and Dance ticket office, located in the lobby of Rowand-Johnson Hall.
Take Our Children to Work Day
Friday, Nov. 11 | 8:30 a.m.-noon | UA campus
Take Our Children to Work Day is a national event that has been celebrated for more than 20 years. The University of Alabama has hosted the event for the last six years. Faculty, staff and UA students who are parents/caregivers are invited to bring their child/children (ages 8-15) to campus for a day of activities that will expose them to opportunities for learning and growth available at The University of Alabama. Register for this event.
Veterans Day Presentation
Friday, Nov. 11 | 3-4 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The Intercultural Diversity Center will share a PowerPoint presentation in observance of Veterans Day. Focusing on this year’s theme Honoring All Who Served, the presentation will highlight the invaluable contributions veterans have made, physically and emotionally. The presentation also will offer educational resources and ways to support veterans. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Unity Concert
Sunday, Nov. 13 | 3 p.m. | Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church, 128 39th St. East, Tuscaloosa
The University of Alabama Afro American Gospel Choir and Auburn University Gospel Choir will host their Unity Concert. The Afro American Gospel Choir, known worldwide, has for the past four years participated in and won first place in the large choir division at the National Baptist Student Union Retreat. The choir travels throughout the Southeast representing UA as a recruitment resource and outreach for the campus.
Transgender Awareness Week
Nov. 14-18 | Safe Zone Resource Center, 2418 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students
For Transgender Awareness Week, the Safe Zone Resource Center will have Trans-inclusive resources and information available in its student lounge. Trans and Nonbinary pride flag print buttons also will be available for students who want to openly celebrate their identities. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at safezone@ua.edu.
Home for the Holidays
Monday, Nov. 14 | 5-6 p.m. | Safe Zone Student Lounge, 2418 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
*Open to UA Students
Home for the Holidays is a discussion and community-building event that takes place before students go home for the semester. With collaboration from the UA Counseling Center, Safe Zone invites students to gather and reflect on what going home will mean, and ways that they can share their experiences at the University. Students also will be given resources that will be available from the Safe Zone Resource Center and community services. The center will provide snacks to attendees. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at safezone@ua.edu.
Native American Heritage Month Cultural Exhibition
Monday, Nov. 14 | 5-7:30 p.m. | Student Center Lawn
In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, Bama Indigenous Student Organization Network, also known as BISON, will present a cultural exhibition. The event was formed to encourage cultural education, and participants are asked to observe with respect. For more information, contact one of BISON’s co-presidents Katherine Johnston at krjohnston2@crimson.ua.edu or Kiana Younker at kyounker@crimson.ua.edu.
Start Smart
Monday, Nov. 14 | 5-7 p.m. | Zoom
This pay equity workshop, sponsored by the Women and Gender Resource Center, is targeted at college-aged women. The workshop discusses the causes of the gender wage gap, in addition to providing information on pay negotiation tactics and how to find and understand a fair salary. Registration required. Zoom link will be provided upon registration.
TEDTalk Tuesdays: “America’s Native Prisoners of War”
Tuesday, Nov. 15 | Noon-1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
This TEDTalk features “America’s Native Prisoners of War.” Aaron Huey is a photographer that spends his time photographing poverty in the United States. He documented his time in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation with the native Lakota people, one of the poorest reservations. He details the discouraging and largely ignored history of the Lakota people as given to him by the friends that he made while residing at the reserve. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center ua_idc@ua.edu.
Best Practices for Working with Medical Interpreters: A Guest Lecture by Kenton Myers
Tuesday, Nov. 15 | 12:15-1:15 p.m. | Zoom
Kenton Myers, a trilingual interpreter and owner of M&N Language Services, LLC, based in Birmingham, Alabama, will discuss “Best Practices for Working with Medical Interpreters.” Kenton is well known across the South for his leadership in the advancement of the interpretation and translation field. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and in Psychology from Birmingham Southern College. He serves as president of the Interpreters and Translators Association of Alabama (ITAA), an organization of professionals working in more than 12 languages to promote the profession, provide community education and support continuing education for those working in the fields of interpretation and translation. Kenton is also half of Myers & Lawyer, a Black multilingual researcher/interpreter duo that engages in research, consultation, training and resource development for BIPOC interpreters. Recognizing the need for more qualified interpreters, he has co-authored a 40-hour English/Spanish language health care interpreter training program to prepare individuals for national certification. The event is sponsored by the College of Community Health Sciences Committee for Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Registration is required.
Coffee & Mental Health
Wednesday, Nov. 16 | 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The Intercultural Diversity Center and the UA Counseling Center present Coffee and Mental Health, an activity where participants can speak with therapists in a one-on-one setting. The program provides an environment for participants to ask questions, get to know a UA therapist and learn about counseling as a student resource. Also, the program will offer a space for students to learn about the many mental wellbeing resources the counseling center has and ways they can connect with the counseling center. Coffee and Mental Health occurs on third Wednesdays. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Blackburn Daniel Community Scholars Poster Presentation and Reception
Wednesday, Nov. 16 | 5-7 p.m. | Heritage Room and Ballroom, UA Student Center
Daniel Community Scholars student teams talk about their civic engagement grant proposals. The Blackburn Institute will be deciding which of the teams will be awarded $5000 from the Daniel Foundation of Alabama to bring their idea to fruition. The event is free and open to the UA community and no RSVP is necessary. Heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served. Attire is business casual.
EveryWoman Book Club: ‘Split Tooth’
Thursday, Nov. 17 | Noon | Legends Bistro, Hotel Capstone
The EveryWoman Book Club, hosted by the Women and Gender Resource Center, is recognizing Native American Heritage Month with a discussion of “Split Tooth” by Tanya Tagaq, an Inuit throat singer. The 2018 novel is based in part on Tagaq’s personal journals and tells the story of a young Inuk woman growing up in the Canadian Arctic in the 1970s. The book has been described as a blend of fiction, memoir, poetry and Inuit folklore. The book was the winner of the 2019 Indigenous Voices Award for Published Prose in English. Sign up for the EveryWoman Book Club. RSVP by emailing Debbie Fish at DFish1@ua.edu.
Ally Training Program
Friday, Nov. 18 | 9-11 a.m. | Zoom
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The UA Safe Zone Ally Training Program provides a visible network of allies for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) individuals. Safe Zone Allies distribute information regarding sexuality, gender identity, campus and community resources, and methods for reporting harassment and/or discrimination. The Safe Zone Ally Training Program is a two-hour training session that allows participants to develop a working knowledge of appropriate and respectful LGBTQIA+ terminology; recognize the impact that campus climate has on individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+; and identify areas of personal growth as a member of the UA community. Following the training program, participants are invited to sign up to serve as UA Safe Zone Allies. Registration required. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at 205-348-7297 or safezone@ua.edu.
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Friday, Nov. 18| 6-8 p.m. | Student Center Lawn
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The annual Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil allows the community to come together to remember the lives lost due to transphobic violence in the previous year. Members of the community will stand together and reflect on the day as names of those lost in the previous year are read aloud. Transgender Day of Remembrance is typically observed on Nov. 20, but the vigil will be held on the Friday night prior. After the vigil, light refreshments will be available in the Safe Zone Student Lounge. All members of UA’s community are welcome. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at safezone@ua.edu.
This event has been canceled.
World AIDS Day: Exhibit Opening and Keynote Address
Tuesday, Nov. 29 | 6-7 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will host a program in observance of World AIDS Day with a special exhibition of the National AIDS Memorial. The National AIDS Memorial, through a partnership with AIDS Quilt Touch, brings all 50,000 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt to people all around the world to experience each panel’s story, beauty and love that represents one of the largest acts of activism and social justice.
The program features a keynote address from UA professor Dr. Pamela Payne-Foster, who will discuss her research on HIV/AIDS, community outreach and ways to work together to combat this public health crisis. In addition to serving as a professor in community medicine and population health in the UA School of Medicine, Dr. Foster also is deputy director of the Institute for Rural Health Research and principal investigator of Faith-based Intervention to Heal HIV/AIDS, also known as Project FAITHH. Refreshments will be provided. The National AIDS Memorial Quilt will be available for viewing from Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 6 p.m. until Thursday, Dec. 8, in the Intercultural Diversity Center. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Lunch and Learn: Queer Resiliency
Wednesday, Nov. 30 | Noon-1 p.m. | 2408 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The Safe Zone Resource Center will host a discussion about the concept and development of resiliency in LGBTQIA+ individuals. A catered lunch will be provided to participants. Register for this event. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at safezone@ua.edu.