Multicultural Resource Center
The Multicultural Resource Center (MRC) hosted Binghamton’s Second Annual MLK Celebration. The theme of this year’s programming series was “We the Beloved Community.”
King’s Beloved Community is a global vision in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth. For example, conditions like poverty, hunger and homelessness are envisioned to be intolerable because the community requires an international standard of human decency. Racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry and prejudice are replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of brotherhood. The series featured three signature programs:
1. MLK Jr. Day of Service 2018
Students participated in the 2018 MLK Day of Service that was held Monday, Jan. 15. Students, faculty and staff members had the opportunity to participate in several locations throughout the Broome County area. The service projects included:
• Volunteers assisting senior citizens with one-on-one social media tutorials on their mobile devices at the Senior Center of Western Broome County, Johnson City Senior Center and Good Shepherd Village at Endwell.
• Volunteers assisting with organizing costumes and inventory at the Tri-Cities Opera in Binghamton.
• Volunteers helping with various projects such as cleaning and hanging a large vintage wooden railroad sign, unfolding and filing a set of fragile folded drawings of the Apollo Simulator, dusting artifacts and shelves, and indexing and filing piano rolls at the Center for Technology & Innovation (TechWorks!).
• Volunteers helping to supervise crafts stations and facilitate games and activities for children during the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Day at the Discovery Center of the Southern Tier.
2. We the People Campaign
The MRC held its “We the People of Binghamton University Pledge Campaign” that started Monday, Jan. 24, at the men’s basketball game and continued until Wednesday, Jan. 31, during the Black History Month Kick-Off Celebration. We the People helped to bring the campus community together via a focus on fostering positive change through commitments of respect, acceptance and prosperity of one another in society. Throughout the campaign, members of the campus community completed pledge cards that addressed issues and concerns in our society and at Binghamton University. The campaign sparked positive dialogue and conversation around challenging but important issues. Lastly, individuals who completed a pledge card also signed their name on a silhouette of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to help commemorate their pledge for change.
3. Clinica de Migrantes: a film screening and discussion
On Jan. 25, the MRC, in collaboration with CSTEP, the Student Association, Charles Drew Society for Minorities in Medicine and Delta Phi Mu, hosted a screening of Clinica de Migrantes: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness followed by a talk and discussion with Dr. Steven Larson. As immigration continues to be a focal point in global politics, the Clinica de Migrantes event provided a space for students to explore challenges that immigrants face in the United States and ways in which other Americans are working to combat these challenges. Clinica de Migrantes is a medical drama about Larson and Puentes, one of the only health clinics in the U.S. involved in the politically controversial practice of providing healthcare to undocumented immigrants.
A Gubernatorial Proclamation
In honor of Binghamton University’s overall efforts to celebrate Black History Month each February, Gov. Andrew Cuomo awarded Binghamton University via the Multicultural Resource Center a State of New York Proclamation for our programming efforts listed below. Congratulations to the staff and students of the MRC for all of the efforts that go into making our programming impactful each year!
• Black History Month Kick-off Celebration
• MRC held a private screening for the Black Panther Midnight Showing on Friday, Feb. 15, at the Regal Theaters. Students, faculty and staff were able to obtain tickets for the private showing in honor of the Black History Month Celebration.
• Culture at Chenango Soulfood event
• Black History Month keynote address by Regina Hall sponsored by the Black Student Union
• Inaugural Black Excellence Brunch
• February Culture Chat: Let’s Talk Black Panther
Expansion of the Culture and Food Series: Culture at Chenango
Culture at Chenango continued to grow into a premier program during the fall 2017 and spring 2018 semesters. The event is an attempt to highlight and celebrate various cultures and ethnicities through the art of food, cooking, music and historical information about each culture.
The February Culture at Chenango event, held on Feb. 20, focused on African American cultural dishes known as soulfood during Black History Month. On March 20, the event highlighted Eastern European traditional foods and recipes. According to Binghamton University Dining Services staff, the campus community attendance has increased substantially as a result of this event in the last two to three years and continues to grow. Many who attend these food series events admire the work and dedication of all who are involved with the creation of the themes and menu selections. Special thanks to Sodexo and all the student organizations who continue to work with the MRC to make this event happen!
Happy New Year of the Dog
Lunar New Year (or spring festival) is celebrated in many Asian countries as well as by many Asian American and Pacific Islanders. Lunar New Year is historically a time to spend connecting with family. Since many of our community members, especially international students, cannot travel to see family during the holiday, the MRC has established a new Binghamton University tradition where all students, faculty and staff can celebrate the event on campus. The MRC, in conjunction with the Chinese Student and Scholars Association (CSSA), sponsored the 2018 Chinese New Year Gala Friday Feb. 16, and the week of activities concluded with the Lunar New Year Celebration Thursday, Feb. 23.
“Smart People” at Binghamton University
The MRC co-sponsored the play “Smart People,” a contemporary campus drama about race, class and gender politics among scholars on the eve of the 2008 election of President Obama. There were four performances on campus sponsored by the Theatre Department and a host of other offices on campus. The four primary characters were a surgeon, an actress, a psychologist and a neuropsychiatrist, all of Harvard University’s brightest, all interested in different aspects of the human brain and particularly how it responds to race. The MRC facilitated two post-play discussions with the audience. The general theme of the play was to raise awareness of our own implicit bias in navigating the workplace. The content was well received and thanks to the Theatre Department for the event!