Open Letter

We in the Office of Multicultural Involvement & Community Advocacy (MICA) are angered, disappointed, and frustrated with both the hate incident at the Nyumburu Cultural Center and the negative effect the hate incident has imposed on the Black community and the campus at large. We are angry that while we acknowledge and strive to support the visible and invisible diversity at Maryland, groups of students are once again targeted and pained by this act.

We are disappointed because on this campus there are students in our very own Maryland community who do not show they care about this issue as it affects all of us here, calling it “not their issue” or saying that is not so serious, or worse, merely a prank.

And, we are frustrated because despite our efforts to create programs and places for safety and cross-cultural interactions, we still know and hear that there are many more examples of close-mindedness and disinterest. We need you to help get them to the table. There have been some references to looking at diversity only to satisfy statistics; we challenge that notion. If there is any statistic to note, it is the one that counts the number of students not choosing to be in this discussion. We contend that this issue is everyone’s issue; we all must see that actions of hatred upon one person or group make all of us less safe, less sure, less included. Therefore, we all must get educated or reeducated on all the forms of ignorance we carry in different ways, and it is our own personal responsibility to act upon that which only we individually can choose to take.

At the same time, we in the MICA Office are encouraged that we can rally together — as students, staff, and faculty — to challenge the hate surfaced by this incident. Participation by the many students and others who joined the meetings and Tuesday’s Speak Out verifies this. And, of course, it does not stop there; especially, if you didn’t attend any of these meetings, your voice can still be heard. It is never too late to be a part of the solution. Indeed, our campus needs you to be more than just a statistic.

Because of our connections with student organizations and through the classes we teach, we live the reality that diversity is not just about statistics. We sense that many of you are wondering about what you can do on your part to learn or to help effect change. Below, we offer some thoughts here about how to do that, and how the MICA Office can assist:

• Visit our web page for a calendar of events (many are free and open to everyone!) or learn more details about our mission, our programs, and the leadership classes we teach.
  • MICA Calendar
  • Campus Wide "Linking Communities" Calendar
  • MICA Mission and Philosophy

• Come visit our office in 1120 Stamp to learn more about ways to connect with any of the 80+ identity-based and culturally identified organizations we serve. These organizations encourage everyone to share and become involved (i.e., you don’t need to be “X” to be a member of “X” club). If you are part of an identity-based or culturally identified group and would like to participate, we encourage you to participate in the MICA Leadership Summit on Monday, October 1^st.

• Attend a brown-bag lunch series workshop that occurs twice a month on select Wednesdays, with our first one of the year occurring on September 26^th at 12:00 pm.

• Mark your calendar to attend the first ever two-day Diversity and Social Justice Leadership Retreat in early March, designed for emerging leaders who will shape our campus’ future.

• Join the MICA-link listserv or any of the several community-based electronic newsletters published through our office.

• Meet us at our Open House on September 24^th 3:00-6:00 pm to share with one of our staff about any ideas you have about being an active player to effect change on this campus.

Beyond these specific MICA-sponsored activities, we invite you to do what you can to learn more about our campus’ diversity, by registering for a credit-based dialogue, working at an office that sparks your interest and connects you with different student experiences, or taking the risk to put yourself out there in the conversation. If you are already involved and have ideas that others should know about, let us know more and we would be glad to help share that with students.

Central to our mission is “to empower students through education on issues of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religion and their intersections.” As a unit within the Adele H. Stamp Student Union — Center for Campus Life, we offer students advising and programs, and we teach classes focused on identity exploration and leadership development. Our campus needs you to be an active participant and leader in our community.

Be more than just a statistic.

Sincerely,

Dr. Dan Balón
Associate Director, Adele H. Stamp Student Union
Multicultural Involvement & Community Advocacy (MICA) Office

Please contact us at 301-314-8600 or MICA-contact@umd.edu for more information.


Download a copy of this letter HERE

The University of Maryland is one of the nation’s most academically challenging and diverse public institutions. Maryland’s rich diversity affords students the opportunity to learn more about themselves and the people and cultures that make up our country and our the world. Students can learn about diversity both inside and outside of the classroom. We urge you to take advantage of this great opportunity to connect with the staff of the Multicultural Involvement and Community Advocacy Office. We invite you to visit us in Suite 1120 of the Stamp Student Union, or give us a call at (301) 314-8600 to learn more about diversity and student involvement at the University.