COMMUNITY AWARENESS OF DIVERSITY

      Southeastern Massachusetts is an increasingly diverse community, especially in its small cities. We often invite that community to participate with us in community activities that celebrate and explore issues of diversity. During the 2003-2006 academic years, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth offered its campus and regional communities a variety of programs and activities to promote inclusion and diversity.

      In an effort to highlight some of our initiatives to foster diversity, a sampling includes the following:

• Neighborhood College Community Computer Center - The Neighborhood College has secured a state contract that allows individuals of diverse backgrounds to enroll at no cost to them into computer classes at the Neighborhood College. Eighty percent of the classes are individuals of color.
• Certified Nurses Aide and Home Health Aide Program - This dual program has successfully attracted and trained older teenagers and adults from many culturally diverse backgrounds. Those students included African American, Cape Verdean, and Latino (Hispanic) students. The program has a 96% job placement rate.
• 21^st National Young Women's Day of Action - Keynote Speaker, Minnie Bruce Pratt, Ph.D., poet, writer, teacher and activist. Her activist work spans from feminism to anti-war, including her work on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues.
• Deborah Prothrow-Stith Lecture - Dr. Prothrow-Stith is a nationally recognized public health leader and an expert on community violence prevention. As a physician working in inner-city Boston, she broke new ground with her efforts to have youth violence defined as a public health problem; not just a criminal justice issue.
• An Evening with Maya Angelou - As a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director, she demonstrates a unique power to help readers of every orientation span the lines of race.
• Martin Luther King Breakfast and Drum Major Award - The MLK Breakfast memorializes the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Featured speakers during 2003, 2004 & 2005 respectively included:

Congressman Jim McGovern - U. S. Representative McGovern has represented the 3rd Congressional District since January 1997; and has been an advocate for initiatives aimed at enhancing education, higher education, and health care, and preserving social security.

Judge Luis G. Perez - Judge Perez has been widely recognized for his involvement in significant and continuous efforts to serve the growing and diverse Latino community for the past 30 years, as well as for community service dedicated to improving the quality of life for children in the Worcester area.

Elaine Brown - Ms. Brown was the former leading lady of the Black Panther Party, the author of and A Taste of PowerThe Condemnation of Little B and lectures at colleges and universities throughout the country on New Age Racism and realization of the vision of eliminating racism, gender oppression and class disparity toward an inclusive and egalitarian world society.

      The Drum Major Award was created by Chancellor MacCormack to acknowledge annually the contributions of both campus and community leaders who work diligently and the award honors individuals who have made significant contributions toward realizing Dr. King's dream of equality, social justice, and peace.