UK BGPSA Receives MOSAIIC Award at Berea College Conference
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 8, 2016) — This week, several University of Kentucky students and administrators attended a conference at Berea College Carter G. Woodson Center for Interracial Education. The conference, "Dialogue on Race and Education in the 21st Century," engaged participants in a dialogue on topics such as community policing, immigration and education, and racial politics in America.
The three-day event included panel sessions, plenary speakers, presentations and an awards luncheon.
The 2016 Multicultural Opportunities, Strategies and Institutional Inclusiveness Consortium (MOSAIIC) Awards Luncheon was held Wednesday, April 6, at Woods-Penniman Commons at Berea College.
MOSAIIC was organized by Charlene Walker, vice president of Bluegrass Community and Technical College Office of Multiculturalism and Inclusion. The consortium consists of eight Kentucky colleges who support each other in efforts to raise awareness of opportunities and strategies needed to promote inclusive college working and learning environments.
The University of Kentucky Black Graduate and Professional Student Association (BGPSA) was awarded one of this year’s three MOSAIIC awards.
“We are honored to have been awarded the MOSAIIC Award. Our MOSAIIC Award not only recognizes our efforts but the efforts of all the students that contributed to the success of the #UKCalltoAction Town Hall event,” said Erica Littlejohn, president of BGPSA. “We are grateful that our African/African-American peers trusted us to share their stories and to give black voices a platform to express their concerns about the current racial climate at UK.”
The MOSAIIC Award is presented to an organization, student, faculty, staff or community member who has shown a true commitment to diversity and inclusion in their communities and/or workplace.
“This award reinforces that our black voices are sufficient to call for change on UK campus and that our concerns do not have to be validated by other student groups before they are taken seriously,” said Ese Ighodaro, vice president of BGPSA. “We thank the Multicultural Opportunities, Strategies and Institutional Inclusiveness Consortium of Kentucky for hearing us and acknowledging our efforts.”
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MEDIA CONTACT: Blair Hoover, 859-257-6398; blair.hoover@uky.edu