‘Diversity Rocks’ Ole Miss campus

Starting today, the Meek School of Journalism and New Media will host Diversity Rocks, a week-long celebration of minorities, whether through race, ethnic origin, disability or sexual orientation, with a special emphasis on anti-bullying.

Robin Street, a lecturer in journalism, came up with the idea for the diversity week.

“I got the idea after learning that several young men who were gay had killed themselves after being bullied,” Street said. “I began to wonder how I could promote tolerance in Oxford and Ole Miss. I teach public relations, so I figured why not practice what I teach.

“I’m also doing it in honor of three people I love: the African-American woman, Virginia Taylor, who helped raise me; my son, Brennan O’Dell, who is gay; and my father, George Street.”

George Street was a University of Mississippi administrator for 36 years and was working at Ole Miss when  riots erupted over James Meredith’s enrollment as the first black student.

“As he aged, one thing that haunted him the most was race relations,” Street said. “Shortly before he died, he made it his mission to work toward reconciliation.”

The opening ceremony will take place on April 25 at 9 a.m. in the Overby Center.

There will be a video featuring Street, who will be dressed as Lady Gaga, journalism Assistant Dean Charlie Mitchell and Dean Will Norton.

During the opening ceremony, the winner of the Virginia “Tot” Taylor scholarship will be announced. Virginia Taylor was a black woman who never had the chance to go to college. She worked most of her life as a housekeeper and never had children of her own. According to the Diversity Rocks website, her patience, kindness and tolerance left a lasting impact on the children she loved and nurtured, including Robin Street.

To honor her, the Streets have created a $500 scholarship in her name that will be awarded to a black female student majoring in journalism at Ole Miss. The scholarship application can be found online at the Diversity Rocks website.

There were also two competitions held prior to diversity week, an essay competition and a photo competition, each portraying an aspect of diversity. The winners will be announced during the ceremony, and each grand prize winner will receive an iPad.

Jeff Snow, a senior graphic design major, is supportive of Diversity Rocks.

“I feel like diversity week would be a good thing for the Ole Miss student body because it would allow students of all backgrounds, genders and races to come together and see that although we have our differences, we are all equal,” Snow said.

Throughout the week there will be speakers, films and panel discussions. Door prizes will be given at each speaker event.

On April 28, a Tent Festival and Information Fair will be held outside Farley Hall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be music, food and activities. Students wearing purple to the tent get free Chick-fil-A, provided by Lance Reed, owner of the local Chick-fil-A. Students bringing a Diversity Rocks passport stamped with at least two events they attended get a free Diversity Rocks T-shirt.

Macey Baird, a senior journalism major and a Diversity Rocks committee member, said she feels that diversity week could help change the traditional image of Ole Miss as close-minded.

“I think sometimes we say, ‘Oh, we’ve come such a long way,’ when talking about tolerance and act like it’s not a issue that still needs to be addressed,” Baird said.

Baird, along with others involved in Diversity Rocks, hopes that diversity week will make students aware of other students on campus who are unlike themselves.

“I hope that the diversity week programs, as well as the photo and essay competitions, will make all of us stop to think that it makes so much more sense to embrace all kinds of people than it does to dislike or discriminate against people simply because they are not like us,” Street said.

Working with the campaign and participating in the events that are going on around campus this week is a great way to meet people and make friends.

“I have met some amazing people I’m not sure I would have become friends with before,” Baird said. “It definitely expanded my idea of what diversity means and further enforced the idea that it is important. We really hope everyone participates because Ms. Street has worked so hard on this, and there are a lot of amazing things going on.”

All events are open to everyone and Street hopes faculty will bring their classes to the events or encourage them to go.

“We need to celebrate our differences instead of fighting over them,” Street said. “For example, I’m short. Should I hate all people who are tall? Of course not! So I hope the week helps all of us understand the challenges and experiences of minority members.”

To find out more about Diversity Rocks and diversity week at Ole Miss, go to the Facebook page Diversity Rocks at Ole Miss, or visit the website http://diversityrocksonline.org/ or by following them on Twitter @diversityrocks1.