OCTOBER 2023
Featured Event
Diversity, Coffee and Conversations
Tuesday, Oct. 3 | 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
In celebration of LGBTQIA+ History Month, Dr. Stephanie Anne Shelton, associate professor of Qualitative Research in the College of Education, will talk about the impact of the month on higher education and share her personal story, research and books. She also will share ways to support the month and become an LGBTQIA+ ally. Join the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for this conversation and enjoy biscuits, eggs, sausage and beverages.
Dr. Shelton’s PowerPoint presentation is available online.
Tabling at Druid City Pride Festival
Sunday, Oct. 1 | 1 p.m.-5 p.m. | Government Plaza, downtown Tuscaloosa
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
Open to UA Students, Faculty, and Staff-Approved
Join the Safe Zone Resource Center for tabling at Druid City Pride’s annual pride festival. The Safe Zone Resource Center will have refreshments, buttons and other giveaways. Participants can stop by the table to learn about LGBTQIA+ resources at UA, meet the Safe Zone staff, and learn about LGBTQIA+ identities. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at 205-348-7297 or safezone@ua.edu.
This year’s theme for the annual Druid City Pride Festival is “Y’all Means All.” With more than 50 vendors, a full afternoon of programming, a Kid Zone, food trucks, and more the festival will celebrate the LGBTQ+ community of West Alabama. Chris Housman will headline the event. Learn more about the festival.
LGBTQ+ History Month 50 Years: The Stonewall Uprising Traveling Exhibit
Monday, Oct. 2–Tuesday, Oct. 31 | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Educational Engagement)
Open to UA students, faculty and staff, UA system employees| DEI Passport event
To celebrate LGBTQIA+ History Month, the Intercultural Diversity will host the Stonewall National Museum’s “50 Years: The Stonewall Uprising” traveling exhibit. In June 1969, riots at the Stonewall Inn in New York’s Greenwich Village are generally cited as the starting point of the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Participants will learn about the creation and execution of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, the era of LGBTQ+ liberation and the impact of gay activist organizations and understand why the Stonewall riots became the catalytic movement in the effort to secure equal rights for LGBTQ+ Americans. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Living Queer History Exhibit
Tuesday, Oct. 3–Tuesday, Oct. 31 | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
Open to UA students, faculty and staff, UA System employees
In collaboration with Queer Southern History, the Summersell Center for the Study of the South and the Safe Zone Resource Center will host a monthlong exhibit commemorating Tuscaloosa’s LGTBTQIA+ history. Participants will learn about the historic sites and organizations that formed Tuscaloosa’s LGBTQIA+ community over the past 40 years. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at safezone@ua.edu.
Study Abroad Pop-Up Advising
Tuesday, Oct. 3, 17, 24, 31 | 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
Open to UA Students
Education Abroad hosts weekly pop-up advising sessions on studying abroad. The sessions are first-come, first-served walk-ins where students have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with an Education Abroad advisor. For more information, contact the Study Abroad office at studyabroad@ua.edu. No pop-up advising on Oct. 10
‘The Forgotten Creeks’ Documentary Screening and Dinner Conversation with Tribal Council Member Justin Stabler
Oct. 3 | 5-7 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center
The Blackburn Institute will be screening APTV’s “The Forgotten Creeks,” a documentary about the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Alabama’s only federally recognized Native American tribe. The documentary recalls the history of Alabama’s Creek Indians from Spanish contact in the 1500s to the Indian Removal Act of 1830 to the Poarch Creek Band’s modern-day success story. Following the screening, attendees will have the opportunity to have a dinner conversation with Tribal Council Member Justin Stabler, who is also a member of the Blackburn Institute Advisory Board. This is part of the Blackburn Institute’s Perspectives on Leadership speaker series. Reserve a seat.
35th Annual Moundville Native American Festival
Wednesday, Oct. 4 through Saturday, Oct. 7 | 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday | Moundville Archaeological Park
The UA Moundville Archaeological Park will become a “City of Life” as it celebrates the cultures of Southeastern Native Americans at the 35th annual Moundville Native American Festival. Festival attendees will have the chance to meet Native American artisans, see traditional dances, listen to stories and music, experience the opening of a new exhibit inside the Jones Archaeological Museum, and support local and Native American businesses at the ancient city on the Black Warrior River.
The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, in partnership with Bama Indigenous Student Organization Network and UA SGA, will provide transportation to the festival Oct. 5-7. Buses will pick up and drop off students at the UA Student Center loop every two hours during festival hours.
Visit the Moundville Native American Festival website for more event information.
Pop-Up Shop: LGBTQ+ History Month
Wednesday, Oct. 4 | noon-2 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Social Enrichment)
Open to UA students, faculty and staff, UA System employees | DEI Passport event
The Intercultural Diversity Center continues its Pop-Up Shop Series focusing on LGBTQIA+ History Month, the annual monthlong observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. It was founded in 1994 by Missouri high school history teacher Rodney Wilson. Participants will have the opportunity to recognize LGBTQ+ pioneers, explore the Stonewall Uprising, see the Queer History Exhibit, view additional online exhibits, and expand their knowledge through conversation starters and video presentations. Desserts and refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Healthy Relationships Lunch & Learn
Oct. 5 | noon-1 p.m. | Student Center Forum
Open to UA students
This event, sponsored by the Women and Gender Resource Center, invites students to hear a panel of experts talk about what a healthy relationship looks and sounds like. This panel will have a Women and Gender Resource Center counselor available to discuss what dating/domestic violence is, what it can look, feel or sound like, and a UA Counselor who discusses mental health in relation to IPV.
Hispanic Heritage Game Night
Thursday, Oct. 5 | 6 p.m.-9 p.m. | Great Hall and Porch, Student Center
University Programs, the Hispanic-Latino Association and the Women and Gender Resource Center will sponsor Hispanic Heritage Game Night featuring karaoke, Loteria, painting and trivia. Test your knowledge of Hispanic facts and games and win swag and have a good time. Treats will be available from Mi Casita Bakery. The event is open to everyone.
Multi-Cultural Coffee Hour
Friday, Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27 | 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
Open to UA students, faculty and staff, UA System employees
International Student and Scholar Services and the Intercultural Diversity Center 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.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Monday, Oct. 9
A Proclamation on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, 2023 by President Joseph R. Biden
“On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor the perseverance and courage of Indigenous peoples, show our gratitude for the myriad contributions they have made to our world, and renew our commitment to respect Tribal sovereignty and self-determination.”
What is Indigenous Peoples Day? A day of celebration, protest and reclaiming history, The Associated Press
Goodbye, Columbus? Here’s what Indigenous Peoples’ Day means to Native Americans, NPR
TEDTalk Tuesday: A Disability-Inclusive Future of Work
Tuesday, Oct. 10 | noon- 1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
Open to UA students, faculty, staff and UA Systems employees | DEI Passport event
In recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the Intercultural Diversity Center continues its TEDTalk Tuesday Series with social innovator and TED Fellow Ryan Gersava. With a focus on healing and disclosure, Gersava created an online school to provide people with the technical skills and employment aid they need to thrive. Now he’s calling for every company to initiate efforts to welcome and support those with disabilities, creating a future of work that leaves no one behind. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
National Coming Out Day
Wednesday, Oct. 11 | 3 p.m.-5 p.m. | Student Center Plaza
(Cultural Exploration/Social Enrichment)
Open to UA students | DEI Passport event
The Safe Zone Resource Center will host a mini pride day for LGBTQIA+ individuals at UA. LGBTQ+ and allied organizations will be tabling and refreshments, giveaways and a photo booth will be available. Participants will learn about LGBTQIA+ communities and resources in the area while celebrating LGBTQIA+ identities. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at safezone@ua.edu.
Through the Doors Event: My Pathway from Segregation to Science
Thursday, Oct. 12 | 12 p.m. | College of Community Health Sciences, 850 Peter Bryce Blvd.
The College of Community Health Sciences Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee will host this event featuring Cuthbert O. Simpkins II, MD, who is founder, president and chief innovation officer for Vivacelle Bio, Inc. Dr. Simpkins shares his life story from an upbringing in rigidly segregated Louisiana and the bombing of his home because of his parents’ outspoken quest for civil rights, to a career as a trauma surgeon and inventor of life-saving techniques.
Tide & Turf Alabama Football Tailgate
Saturday, Oct. 14 | begins 3 hours before kickoff | The Quad (plots 70B and 71B)
(Cultural Exploration/Social Enrichment)
Open to UA students, faculty and staff, UA System employees
The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will host a football tailgate for the Alabama Crimson Tide and Arkansas Razorbacks game in celebration of UA Homecoming Week. This inclusive tailgating experience will provide a safe space for building community and cultural learning, cultural teaching and cultural sharing. The program will provide free catered food, games, and more. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Art Showcase with Madison Grooters
Monday, Oct. 16 | noon-1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
UA students, faculty, staff, community
Madison Grooters, a 2023 UA graduate in marketing, will present her artwork series on LGBTQ identity. At the showcase, Grooters will discuss her work, its meaning and inspirations, along with a mixer where attendees can mingle and view Grooters’ work. This event is hosted by the Women and Gender Resource Center.
TEDTalk Tuesday: The Genius Behind Some of the World’s Famous Buildings
Tuesday, Oct. 17 | noon-1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration)
Open to UA students, faculty, staff and UA System employees | DEI Passport event
In recognition of Italian American Heritage Month, the Intercultural Diversity Center continues its TEDTalk Tuesday Series honoring legendary architect Renzo Piano. Piano is the mind behind such indelible buildings as The Shard in London, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the new Whitney Museum of Art in New York City. He takes viewers on a stunning tour through his life’s work. With the aid of gorgeous imagery, Piano makes an eloquent case for architecture as the answer to dreams, aspirations and desire for beauty. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
WGRC Fall Campfire
Tuesday, Oct. 17 | 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. | Student Center Lawn
UA students, faculty and staff
The Women and Gender Resource Center Fall Campfire in association with Domestic Violence Awareness Month is an opportunity for faculty, staff and students to come together and receive information about health services available to them if they ever experience interpersonal violence, mental health crisis or health issues. Attendees who complete a s’more passport will receive a pre-made s’mores packet and for some a chance to spin a prize wheel for extra prizes. Live music, Big Al, and yard games will be available for the attendees while at the campfire.
Coffee & Mental Health
Wednesday, Oct. 18 | 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
Open to UA students, faculty and staff, UA System employees
The Intercultural Diversity Center and Counseling Center presents Coffee and Mental Health where participants have an opportunity to speak with therapists in a one-on-one setting. The program provides an environment for participants to ask questions, get to know the University of Alabama therapist and learn about counseling as a student resource. In addition, the program will offer a space for guests 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 will occur on every 3rd Wednesday. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Exhibition Explores Paul R. Jones’ Art Collecting in Thailand
Oct. 18-Dec. 12 | Paul R. Jones Museum, downtown Tuscaloosa
The Paul R. Jones Museum will present “Thai Art in the Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art at The University of Alabama,” which explores Jones’ collection of art during his time as deputy director of the Peace Corps in Bangkok, Thailand. He already had begun collecting art in the 1960s, and while his focus had been and would continue to be on art by Black artists in America, he also collected art while overseas. While in Thailand, Jones acquired a variety of works including batiks, sculptural papier-mâché reliefs, paintings, and leather silhouettes similar to those used in shadow-puppet theater. Many of the works in this exhibition are unsigned and anonymous, probably produced specifically as souvenirs. Others, however, are signed and give clues about the artist’s origins, several from Chiang Mai, the second largest city in Thailand.
There will be a reception Nov. 3 from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. during Tuscaloosa’s First Friday Art Walk.
‘Women of Mokuhanga’ Exhibit
Oct. 17-Nov. 9 | Sarah Moody Gallery of Art
The Sarah Moody Gallery of Art presents the exhibition, “Women of Mokuhanga,” with an opening reception Tuesday, Oct. 17 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and a lecture on Thursday, Nov. 9, at 4 p.m. by assistant professor Dr. Doris Sung in Gorgas Library’s Yellowhammer Room.
Co-curated by Sarah Marshall, professor of printmaking, and Doris Sung, professor of Asian art history, of the department of art and art history, Women of Mokuhanga features works in the Japanese method of mokuhanga (watercolor woodblock printmaking) by contemporary artists and traditional works in the medium, connecting its history with the vibrant output of women artists working today.
The exhibition features work by five celebrated contemporary women printmakers—Katie Baldwin, Jennifer Mack-Watkins, Yoonmi Nam, Lucy May Schofield, and April Vollmer—along with historical examples of mokuhanga: 19th-century ukiyo-e prints from the Sarah Moody Gallery of Art Permanent Collection and the Dr. and Mrs. William T. Price Asian Art Book Collection.
Culverhouse DEI Speaker Series
Wednesday, Oct. 18 | 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. | Parlor, Alston Hall
In honor of LGBTQ History Month, the Culverhouse College of Business welcomes alumnus Ben Allen, a seasoned technology consultant and digital transformation leader. He will share information about his educational and career journey. RSVP is required. For more information, contact cpmiller1@ua.edu.
Women and Gender Resource Center Book Club Readings
October’s book for both groups is “Mad Honey” by Jennifer and Finney Boylan and Jodi Picoult. It is a suspense novel about what people choose to keep from their past and what they choose to leave behind.
EveryStudent Book Club
Wednesday, Oct. 18 | noon-1 p.m.| Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
EveryStudent Book Club is dedicated to providing literary enjoyment and diversity, equity and inclusion discussions for the undergraduate population at UA. Books are available in the Women and Gender Resource Center’s Frances S. Summersell Library and through major retailers. The group, which is designed for undergraduate students, meets the third Wednesday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. in the Intercultural Diversity Center on the 2nd floor of the Student Center. All undergraduates are welcome to join, and lunch is provided. RSVP is required.
EveryWoman Book Club
Thursday, Oct. 27 | noon-1 p.m. | Legend’s Bistro, Hotel Capstone
EveryWoman Book Club is open to faculty, staff, community members and graduate students. The Women and Gender Resource Center has hosted EveryWoman Book Club for more than 15 years. The group meets monthly to discuss books written by women. Book themes often correspond to cultural heritage or awareness months. The Center usually reserves at least one copy for Book Club members at its library. The book can be reserved and picked up by calling 205-348-5040. You can join the book club by emailing WGRC program coordinator Elizabeth Lester.
Lavender Bingo: Consent
Thursday, Oct. 19 | 5 p.m.-7 p.m. | 3107 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
Open to UA students
This program is part of a multi-session health and relationships education series. In this session the SZRC will discuss consent, personal autonomy, and healthy communication in intimate partnerships. Participants will learn about strategies for engaging in safer intimate relationships regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Participants will have the opportunity to play Bingo for prizes as an incentive for attending this event, and refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at 205-348-7297 or safezone@ua.edu.
Lunch and Learn: A Conversation with the Tuscaloosa Lesbian Coalition
Wednesday, Oct. 25 | noon-1 p.m. | 2408 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
Open to UA students, faculty and staff
The Safe Zone Resource Center will host a panel discussion with the Tuscaloosa Lesbian Coalition about Tuscaloosa’s LGBTQIA+ history and the experiences of the women who founded and advocated through this organization in the 1970-1990’s. Refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at safezone@ua.edu.
Women and Gender Resources Trainings
Smart Start
Wednesday, Oct. 25 | 5 p.m.-7 p.m. | 2408 Student Center
UA students
Start Smart workshop for pay equity. Registration required.
Harbor Training
Friday, Oct. 27 | 3 p.m.-5 p.m. | Human Resources Classroom A
UA faculty, staff and graduate students
Training for faculty, staff, and Grad Students on becoming a resource/trusted person to students who have experienced interpersonal violence.
Ally Training Program
Monday, Oct. 30 | 2 p.m.-4 p.m. | Zoom
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
Open to all UA students, faculty, staff and UA System employees | DEI Passport event
The UA Safe Zone Ally Training Program provides a visible network of allies for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and asexual 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 is required. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at 205-348-7297 or safezone@ua.edu.
Women and Gender Resource Center Domestic Violence Awareness Month Spirit Nights
The Women and Gender Resource Center will host a series of spirit nights during October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. A percentage of the sales at local participating restaurants will go toward WGRC’s efforts in aiding people who have experienced domestic violence. UA students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members are encouraged to mention the UA Women and Gender Resource Center on the following dates at these locations:
- Panera Bread Spirit Night: Oct. 4 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Panera Bread
- Chicken Salad Chick Spirit Night: Oct. 18 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Chicken Salad Chick
- Blaze Pizza Spirit Night: Oct. 25 from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Blaze Pizza
COMMUNITY
What is Racism? A Dialogue about Race, Class and Culture
Oct. 20-22 | Development and Outreach Center, Plum Grove Baptist Church, 2822 Fosters Ferry Road, Tuscaloosa
The Building Bridges Institute for Racial Reconciliation in collaboration with United Way, Walmart and Sam’s Club will host this three-day event, which includes food, a gift bag and three conversation circle sessions for a registration fee of $275 per person with sliding scale options listed on the registration form. Sessions will be Friday, Oct. 20 from 5:30-8 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 21, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 22, from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. This is a facilitated dialogue to gain unity and common understanding about race, class and culture in 2023. Terms, historical perspectives, and life experiences will be shared. The goal is to work together to ensure opportunity and equity for all Tuscaloosa citizens. City officials, clubs, organizations, churches, and citizens from all neighborhoods are encouraged to attend. For more information, visit Building Bridges Institute for Racial Reconciliation website, call 205-553-3076 or email buildingbridgesforrr@gmail.com.