Elon celebrates Multiracial Awareness Week with discussions, film showings

CREDE to host two discussions and a showing of Colin Kaepernick's Netflix series for Multicultural Awareness Week.

The Center for Race, Ethnicity & Diversity Education (CREDE) is hosting Multiracial Awareness Week starting Monday, March 7 through Friday, March 11.

Every year, the CREDE celebrates Multiracial Awareness Week in March to “recognize the lived experiences of multiracial, biracial and third culture students, stuff and faculty.”

Two discussions will be held this week. The first of which is “Food & Identity, A Discussion” on Monday, March 7 from noon to 1 p.m. in Moseley 221. The lunch-and-learn event will be a guided discussion exploring how food is deeply intertwined with issues of identity, particularly multiracial and multicultural identities. Potential questions that will be addressed are: Who gets to arbiter what is “authentic” cuisine? What happens when dominant culture appropriates or assimilates a cuisine? How can food be both a mechanism to connect with culture(s) and transgress them?

There will be plenty of time to also attendees to discuss these questions, while also bringing forth questions of their own for the group.

Professor of Spanish Nina Namaste will present the discussion. Namaste’s core disciplinary research focuses on food-related imagery as a means to express issues of race, class and gender-identity formation.

The second discussion is “Transracial Adoption: From the Adoptee Experience” on March 8 from 6 to 7 p.m. in Turner Theatre. First, there will be a showing of
“Struggle for Identity,” a documentary addressing the issues in transracial adoption. Adoptees discuss their experiences growing up in transracial adoptive families and complex issues, such as confronting stereotypes, racism and fitting in.

Following the showing, the CREDE will host a conversation with Annabel Bunton, a former Elon staff member, who will share her experiences as a transracial adoptee.

On Friday, March, 11, the CREDE will be showing episodes from Colin Kaepernick’s Netflix series, “Colin in Black & White,” during the lunch hour. All faculty, students and staff and encouraged to drop stop by the CREDE space in the Moseley Center!