Office of Equity and Inclusion
Upcoming Events
Past Events
F-M Pride will take place this year from August 10th-13th. Please visit fmpride.com/events/ for more information. M State will be at Pride in the Park on August 12th. We hope to see you there!
June 19th (Juneteenth), the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War, will be celebrated this year on June 17 and 19 in the Fargo-Moorhead area.
On Saturday, June 17, a community event will take place from 1-7 p.m. at North Dakota State University Renaissance Hall (650 Northern Pacific Ave. in Fargo). On Monday, June 19, a Film and Arts Festival will be held from 4-8 p.m. at the Hjemkomst Center (202 First Ave. N. in Moorhead).
Join us we celebrate Juneteenth with education, entertainment, virtual reality, art and volunteerism. We hope to see you there!
Additional Resource
America's Black Holocaust Museum (ABHM) was founded in 1988 by Dr. James Cameron (pictured above), the only known survivor of a lynching. The ABHM started out as a storefront in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that attracted many local, national, and international visitors. However, with Dr. Cameron's passing in 2006 and the economic downturn in 2008, the ABHM had to shut its doors. It eventually found its new home online in 2012. The online experience allows for anyone, anywhere to access the cutting-edge, interactive, and unique virtual museum and its educational resources.
For more information and ways to celebrate freedom, family, art, culture, and community, please visit ABHM for their virtual museum and online exhibits at https://www.abhmuseum.org/about/.
Christy Goulet shares stories about issues facing urban indigenous women seeking to leave the reservation.
A note from Christy Goulet:
BOOZHOO ("Hello" in Ojibwe),
WIISHKOBIZI NIBI IKWE (To be sweet like the water women) is my Indigenous name, and my English name is Christy Goulet. I am a tribally enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. I strive for cultural preservation and education and am grateful that I try to live my traditional lifestyle and teach it to my family. Also, I am equally grateful to have been adopted by Wanbli Ishnala Win/Anna Littleghost and to have gone through a ceremonial rite of passage which includes the Sundance, Vision Quest, Naming ceremony, etc. I love teaching Indigenous Dreamcatchers classes, Traditional Chockers, Music and Meditation, and Frybread Cooking classes! I have lived in the Fargo-Moorhead area my whole life, except for four years when I moved to Devils Lake, N.D. to mentor under Wanbli Ishnala Win/Anna Littleghost on how to conduct women’s traditional indigenous ceremonies/teachings.
CHI-MIIGWECH (Thank you),
Christy Goulet
A live session with Christy Goulet will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Moorhead campus in room A115 (Oscar Bergos).
The session will also be available in real time, via Zoom, to students on all four campuses, in the following rooms: E105 in Detroit Lakes; S446 in Fergus Falls; and S9 in Wadena.
Guest presenter Joy Annette leads our campus community in the restorative justice practice of talking circles.
Connect with others and honor an Indigenous practice by learning about the history and power of talking circles.
Live and in-person in the East Commons on the Moorhead campus on Tuesday, November 15 from noon to 2 p.m.
The session will also be available in real time, via Zoom, to students on all four campuses, in the following rooms: Detroit Lakes (Room G111) • Fergus Falls (Room L150) • Wadena (Room M33).
Watch the Recordings
Amanda Littauer joined us via Zoom to present Feminism(s) in 2023: Where are we, and how did we get here?. Amanda Littauer earned her PhD in History with a Certificate in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from UC Berkeley and is now an Associate Professor at Northern Illinois University with a joint appointment in the Department of History and the Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality. She is the author of Bad Girls: Young Women, Sex, and Rebellion Before the Sixties (UNC Press 2015) and is currently writing a second book on queer youth history. Her institutional service focuses on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and she is a past chair of the national Committee on LGBTQ History.
This session was live streamed via Zoom to all four campuses. It was also recorded and that recording can be viewed via https://minnstate.zoom.us/rec/share/DaCX7RN5X6iiuFzOf-r5ix0RO8rZ5acAMopa_kxBNmflvLTmGHm7SUBbjWuL2sVr.YnGwdpDV0lV0lqkx.
Dr. Joseph Mitchell joined us via Zoom to discuss the influence of religion on American Black History.
This session was live streamed via Zoom to all four campuses. It was also recorded and that recording can be viewed via
https://mediaspace.minnstate.edu/media/Influence+of+Religion+on+American+Black+History/1_zzhd7sd6.
Jocelyn Santana, Dean of Equity and Inclusion at Minnesota State Community and Technical College, presented a session on microaggressions and how to manage hot moments. Jocelyn has a well diverse background in this area with over 20 years of experience, education, and research.
This session was live streamed via Zoom to all four campuses. It was also recorded and that recording can viewed via Microaggressions - MediaSpace > Minnesota State (minnstate.edu).
Ted Williams III, professor, actor, and producer of 1619: The Journey of a People joined us via Zoom to present “After the Dream: Education and Civil Rights in America”. This session focused on the Civil Rights Movement, issues of racial discrimination, economic and social inequalities, and how goals of fairness, equity, and access in educational institutions can be achieved.
The session was live streamed via Zoom to all four campuses. It was also recorded and that recording can be viewed via https://minnstate.zoom.us/rec/share/io_N7ewEhoBWGVReWpvtvZSBmNXyLb4MoX3rLUVM-wmwoe5o_jh_6CB2BC_1VV6-.bjJgdlIZqEQtuXZ2.
Dr. Joseph Flynn, associate professor, joined us via Zoom to discuss inclusion practices for academic and student affairs. Dr. Flynn's areas of focus are racial and social justice issues in the worlds of education, politics, media and pop culture.
The session was live streamed via Zoom on all four campuses. The session was recorded and can be viewed via Dr. Joseph Flynn - MediaSpace > Minnesota State (minnstate.edu)
Missy Hermes joined us via Zoom to share the history of Prince Albert Honeycutt, a Black Civil War veteran and Fergus Falls resident, and the “First 85” Black Americans to move to Fergus Falls.
The session was held via Zoom for all four campuses. The session was recorded and can be viewed at:
A workshop with J Pappas.
J Pappas (they/them/theirs) likes to say that they are professionally Queer.
They have been designing and facilitating educational workshops and content on Queer topics since 2017, and have been an open member of the LGBTQ+ community since 2015. All their work for social justice comes back to their professional and lived experiences as a member of the Queer community in some way or another.
Grounded in an ethic of care, anti-violence, anti-oppression and anti-racism, J’s work prioritizes the voices of the most marginalized in our society at the center of conversations about LGBTQ+ inclusion, equity and justice.
A live session was held on the Moorhead campus and was available in real time, via Zoom, to students on all four campuses. The session was recorded and can be viewed at: https://minnstate.zoom.us/rec/share/3Pk4CUvClq44O-kPgk15O0j1Tm89T9jHtq37AGJZpCdg2XoFX_HUzOobOwoegdAd.2dZB-w5Ul8VEEeKB. An audio transcript can be found at: https://minnstate.zoom.us/rec/share/Ekr6H9G2Kyx7fFLUslEuEI_hrx7vTk6DWyA1YdF8DO_9mvVcTKRuErLqj7Yy4LCU.0G24YI9LVOIz37ur.
The coming out stories of Red River Rainbow Seniors.
Red River Rainbow Seniors provides advocacy, education, support and fun to the elder LGBTQ community in the Red River Valley. The organization was established in 2017 to provide a friendly and safe environment in which senior gays and lesbians can meet and socialize. Learn more at facebook.com/RRRainbowSeniors.
A live session was held on the Moorhead campus and was available in real time, via Zoom, to students on all four campuses. The session was recorded and can be viewed at:
https://minnstate.zoom.us/rec/share/Zr60cABDmKiH94JyNMFVNPuNjm2J936AcjxYv5w8wLbmXvC0Z4zDnAaOajnalcnC.ZRPk4_Rb1fqZxeor. An audio transcript can be found at: https://minnstate.zoom.us/rec/share/O58Hcqm6qsGWqjR3lacJjzo6AZXDZKWtJDg8A82AX_loQ-xNJVdgbHU4UHTyf9nj.k-uoK3eInbCVo9Gs
From Homelessness to Home, with Freddy Shegog.
Frederick Shegog was live on the Fergus Falls and Moorhead campuses in mid-September to share his experiences as a survivor of homelessness and addiction and to advocate for people’s basic needs, mental health and recovery.
The recordings for these sessions can be found on M State LIVE by clicking on the link for Facebook Live. One of these sessions can be viewed via https://www.facebook.com/MStateCollege/videos/605101317988822.
Diversity at M State
The Office of Equity and Inclusion coordinates programs and assists with conversations on equity and cultural understanding among M State community members. We empower students, faculty, staff and administrators to explore a deeper understanding of and respect for diversity in its many forms. That extends to everyone regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, physical ability and national or regional origin.
M State is a participant in Equity by Design, a collaborative effort and commitment to advancing greater equity in the academic success of Minnesota State students. Equity by Design reflects our commitment to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion.
Office of Equity and Inclusion COVID-19 Statement
How can we help you?
- We assist in cultivating campus understanding of diversity and inclusion.
- We collaborate with students, faculty, staff and administrators to develop programs that educate and foster an inclusive and welcoming environment across our campuses.
Keep connected with us!
Follow along with us on Instagram or facebook to meet the OEI staff, get information on upcoming events, and get updates on the latest diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Ways to learn about diversity
- Be open about differences - Share how your background has influenced you and encourage others to do the same
- Ask questions - Ask respectfully if you have a question.
- Encourage questions - Be open to questions about the things that make you different, and ask questions in return.
- Develop friendships - Sharing experiences and asking questions is a great way to develop new friendships.
- See the individual - Understand that each person is an individual and cannot be expected to speak for his or her culture. Do not assume everyone within a culture shares the same beliefs and experiences.
Diversity in the M State community
See how M State has promoted and encourages diversity on its four campuses.
Your contacts for the Office of Equity and Inclusion
Jocelyn Santana
Dean of Equity and Inclusion
Moorhead Campus
218.299.6505
Dilvin Habib
Associate Director of Equity and Inclusion
Moorhead Campus
218.299.6525