The Lavender Awards celebrate the wonderful achievements of UMBC's LGBTQ+ graduating seniors, graduate students, and their allies. We recognize students as well as the allied alums, staff, faculty, and programs that work to support them. Although we may not be able to host our Seventh Annual Lavender Awards on campus this semester, we can still honor the contributions of some of our most dedicated and committed LGBTQ+ community members.
In the midst of all of the changes and challenges that 2020 has put upon us, we invite you to take some time out of your day to acknowledge and celebrate the good by nominating your peers and or colleagues for a Lavender Award. The award categories are: Emerging LGBTQ+ Student Leader, Service to the LGBTQ+ Community, Outstanding LGBTQ+ Ally, LGBTQ+ Student of the Year and the Lavender Legacy Award.
A committee of 5 members has been formed to review all of the submitted nominations and vote on the awardees. Please help us recognize the achievements of our LGBTQ+ graduating seniors, graduate students and their allies by submitting your nominaton(s) by May 8th at 11:59pm. If you are a graduating senior or graduate student, you may also use this link to receive a lavender cord. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Heidy George at hmg@umbc.edu.
Many thanks in advance for your help as we acknowledge and celebrate some of our best and brightest.
It’s not fair and I get it.
Four plus years of hard work, perseverance, and navigation of one of the most expensive and treacherous systems in the US will seemingly go unrecognised. For better or worse, we represent the incredible investment our parents made into the American Dream. Our graduation from UMBC is one step towards that elusive goal. Yes, our graduation should be celebrated! We should be expecting Facebook ovations, WhatsApp congratulations, gifts from proud relatives and random admiring phone calls from people we haven’t seen (or remember) since childhood. Rather, the grand finale to our four plus years of grueling college coursework and circumnavigating the financial aid process comes, not with a bang, but with a stay-at-home order.
Anticlimactic really.
I remember completing my very first FAFSA application with my mum. Really it was just me compiling paperwork and tax information that neither of us really understood, in the hopes that I would get into college and she would not get convicted for tax fraud. This is a reality for many first-generation immigrants: lack of training, experience, and basic knowledge of the never-ending college application process (i.e. tax information, citizenship verification, home income information, family/marital status information). By my first year of college, I’d become a self-appointed tax expert and a perpetual prisoner of the financial aid office. But still I get no accolades! Now, this is not an essay meant to bash the Financial Aid office, rather, it is a little spotlight on the fact that the federal financial aid system was not built for 1st gen immigrants to navigate easily. Sandy Baum and Stella Flores (2011) explain this succinctly in their article: “applying for college and financial aid - a complex task even for students with English speaking parents...is far more difficult for the children of non-English speaking immigrants, even those who are themselves fluent”.
Even with weekends lost poring over paperwork, random emails from the bursar during class, and out-of-pocket tuition costs, WE STILL DID IT! We at least deserve some recognition for our work! I personally feel that, if not for me, a Commencement is needed for my distant relatives that held high hopes for their child lost to the land of opportunity. The grass may not be greener here, but I still managed to grow up and thrive regardless. They should be as proud of this as I am. Participating in a Commencement ceremony would have been the closure we all dreamed of. A celebration of the end of this chapter and the exciting beginning of the next.
So what now? With the stay-home order and COVID-19 limiting our movements and meetings, how can we celebrate? I spent the last two weeks compiling a list of alternatives to the commencement ceremony:
(1) Call a group of friends over video and have my own little commencement.
(2) Call relatives back home to catch up and remind (brag to) them of my achievements.
(3) Photoshop my face onto one of the past graduates’ (very unlikely).
(4) Thank my mum for working hard to put me in a position to succeed (it’s her ceremony too).
(5) Ordering a cap & gown on Amazon and playing loud music all day (anything to feel special).
(6) Invite all of my closest friends to compile a Top Ten UMBC Experiences We Will Never Forget list.
(7)....
Luckily, with the amount of time we will be spending indoors, this list can be inexhaustible, which gives us more time to commend ourselves for graduating college. My fellow 2020 1st gen graduates, this is our victory and we need to celebrate it in any way we can. Congratulations!
This post is written by Tiwa, a Diversity & Inclusion Peer at the Mosaic Center. Tiwa is a senior majoring in Biology. In his spare time, he likes to watch a lot of anime.
Trigger warning: the following post contains potentially distressing material to survivors of sexual violence.
Women of color experience sexual violence at a disproportionate rate. The fight to eradicate sexual violence must focus on ending ALL forms of oppression. Given the numbers, each one of us has either experienced sexual violence or knows someone who has.
In order to better support survivors we need to:
Believe survivors and become an informed ally. Don’t make marginalized women teach you about their oppression or your role as a bystander.
Do the research and get involved at the legislative level. Use your privilege to center Black and Indigenous women in the discussion and in your advocacy.
Listen to Black and Indigenous women. Support organizations that advocate for survivors, validate their voices and experiences and are led by survivors.
Every 73 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted.
Every. 73. Seconds.
Throughout the country April is recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. A month, not of celebration but of educating the public, advocating for and raising awareness of the grim experiences lived and survived by many; most of them - already marginalized women. One of the root causes of sexual violence is oppression and it comes in many forms: racism, sexism, ableism, heterosexism, and/or cissexism. The numbers don’t lie. In fact, they are horrific. Indigenous and Black women are at an even more alarming and disproportionate risk of experiencing sexual violence.
According to the National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community:one in four Black girls will be sexually abused before the age of 18. Black girls and women must learn to navigate a world where they are disproportionately likely to survive childhood sexual abuse, rape and human trafficking. All too often, systemic and cultural considerations prevent survivors from reporting these crimes. Native American women are at an even greater risk of sexual violence. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that Native American and Alaska Native women are more than two and a half times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than other women in the USA. Most Native American women living on tribal lands never seek justice against their attackers because they are forced to navigate a complex maze of tribal, state and federal law. If they do report the crime, they are perpetually met with inaction or worst yet indifference.
How do we protect our LGBTQ+, cis, and straight Black and Indigenous girls already vulnerable due to the gendered, intersectional and systemic oppressions they experience from girlhood to womanhood?
We get involved.
The fight to eradicate sexual violence is far from over but we can all do our part to make a difference and support survivors.
Campus Life’s Mosaic, Interfaith and Pride Centers Community Members,
This is our third post in our COVID-19 related updates. To check out the content of our first two posts, please click here. This post covers Campus Life resources and how to stay connected to us through our virtual platforms. We encourage you to read this and previous COVID-19 posts in their entirety to answer any frequently asked questions.
Resources
Campus Life Student Diversity and Inclusion Area updates:
Retriever Essentials: Due to our physical spaces being closed, the Mosaic is not currently serving as a Distribution Center for Retriever Essentials. We encourage you to visit the Retriever Essentials myUMBC group page for updates or contact the UMBC Police (410) 455-5555.
Social Media: Brand new!Our area now has an Instagram Account! Be sure to follow us at @umbc_clmosaicinterfaithpride (no posts have been made live yet) for our regular posts starting Wednesday, April 1st!
As our following base grows, we will provide opportunities for UMBC community members to promote their diversity, equity, and inclusion based events, initiatives, and/or resources. Please contact Heidy George, Program Associate for Student Diversity and Inclusion if you have any questions related to our social media accounts.
We also encourage you to use the #UMBCtogether to stay connected with the wider UMBC community!
Other Campus Life Resources and contact information
In the meantime, we also encourage you to “like,” “follow,” and/or “favorite” other Campus Life related pages below:
Campus Life
Commonvision
Events Conference Services and Operations
Student Government Association (SGA)
myUMBC | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | sga@umbc.edu
Students Events Board (seb)
myUMBC | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | seb@umbc.edu
For other questions related to Greek Life, Leadership, and Student Organizations, please contact Jen Dress, Associate Director for Engagement at dress@umbc.edu.
For other Campus resources, please stay tuned to updates in our COVID-19 resources and updates document.
Community Resources
For access to health and human services information, visit 2-1-1 Maryland or dial 2-1-1.
If you would like to include any further Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-based resources for students from your department and/or office, please fill out our Campus Life’s Student Diversity and Inclusion Resource Submission Google Form.
If you would like to submit any UMBC resource to the wider UMBC community, please email the Community Resilience Workgroup at reachtogether@umbc.edu.
-Campus Life's Student Diversity and Inclusion staff
Hello Campus Life’s Mosaic, Interfaith and Pride Centers Community Members,
This is the second post in our COVID-19 related updates. To check out the content of our first post, please click here. As we continue our online transitions, we would like to provide you with information related to our Spring 2020 programs. We encourage you to read this and previous COVID-19 posts in their entirety to answer any frequently asked questions.
Due to the physical campus closure, the remaining programs for Spring 2020 will be postponed to Fall 2020.Event links will be posted in the upcoming weeks. The events impacted due to this closure and new calendar updates are listed below:
PAWTalks: Janel Martinez: Ain’t I Latina? Exploring Anti-Blackness in the Latinx Community
Original Date:Tuesday, March 24th
New Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2020 | Time: 5:30-7:00 p.m. | Location: The Skylight Room
Pawsitive Bodies and Minds: Living with HIV: Exploring HIV and HIV Stigma
Original Date: Monday, April 6th
New Date: Tuesday, December 1, 2020 | Time: 6:00-7:30 p.m. | Location: The Commons 331
PAWTalks: Andy DeVos: Understanding Racial Disparities in Baltimore City
Original Date: Wednesday, April 15th
New Date: TBD
What’s The (T)ea? “Okay Boomer”: Socioeconomic challenges facing Millennials and Gen Z
Original Date: Thursday, April 30th
New Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2020| Time: 4:00-5:30 p.m. | Location: The Commons 329
Original Date: Wednesday, May 6th
New Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2020 | Time: 4:00-5:30 p.m. | Location: The Commons 329
Mosaic’s 7th Annual Lavender Celebration*
Original Date: Tuesday, May 12th
Tentative New Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2020 | Time: 6:00-8:00p.m. | Location: The Skylight Room
Dear Campus Life’s Mosaic, Interfaith and Pride Centers Community Members,
We hope this message finds you well during this virtual transition. As our campus transitions online, we would like to provide you with information related to our operations, programs, resources and other important updates. We encourage you to read this post and other posts in this series in their entirety to answer any frequently asked questions. Please note that this Campus Life Student Diversity and Inclusion specific information is subject to change based on the rapidly changing federal, state, and/or local public health response to COVID-19. To stay up to date to updates related to our departmental spaces, please click herefor updates beyond today, March 27th 2020.For UMBC campus wide information related to COVID-19, please visit covid19.umbc.edu.
General Updates and Contact information
Campus Life’s Mosaic, Interfaith, and Pride Centers have migrated online and our physical spaces will be closed until further notice. Our Student Diversity and Inclusion staff will be available from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday either online or by phone. Please refer to our contact list below for further details:
If you are a student or student org leader who would like to reach out to our Summer 2020 Student Diversity and Inclusion Peer, please email Sofía Encarnacíon at sencarn1@umbc.edu.
If you have questions regarding Mosaic related resources or upcoming programs, please contact Carlos Turcios, Coordinator for Student Diversity and Inclusion at carlos6@umbc.edu, (410) 455-1825, or at mosaic@umbc.edu.
If you have questions regarding the Interfaith Center or Religious and Spiritual resources, please contact Erin Waddles, Coordinator for Student Diversity and Inclusion at waddles@umbc.edu, (410) 455-3242, or at interfaith@umbc.edu.
If you have questions regarding the Pride Center or LGBTQ+ resources, email Heidy George, Program Associate for Student Diversity and Inclusion at hmg@umbc.edu, (410) 455-3014, or at lgbtq@umbc.edu.
If you have other questions related to our diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice work, resources, partnerships and collaborations, please contact Lisa Gray, Associate Director for Student Diversity and Inclusion at lisamgray@umbc.edu or at 410-455-8478.
Campus Life’s Student Diversity and Inclusion staff also will be available virtually by appointment starting Wednesday, April 1st. Below are links to each of our appointment times. If possible, please schedule your meeting 48 hours in advance.
Diversity Peer, Sofía: Please email her directly to schedule an appointment time.
Carlos: Available appointment slots
Heidy: Available appointment slots
Please note that we will be sending out additional posts related to our Summer 2020 programs, virtual resources, social media, and student employment opportunities for the 2020-2021 academic year! In the meantime, please feel free to email us with any questions.