Alcorn State University Champions Diversity with Multicultural Festival and Conference

This article contains content summarized with GPT-4 Learn more. It is based on information from alcorn.edu, which reflects the perspectives and priorities of the organization. Please consider the specific interests of the source when reading

Alcorn State University hosted the Multicultural Festival and Conference on April 18. This event was organized by the Office of Global and Multicultural Programs and the Department of English, Languages, and Mass Communication. It combined in-person and virtual elements to promote diversity and multicultural understanding through scholarly activities and international experiences.

Dr. Byron Johnson, director of the Office of Global and Multicultural Programs, highlighted the event's role in advancing multiculturalism and international education. He noted the benefits for faculty and students in engaging with these important topics.

The conference featured Dr. Matthew Pettway, a U.S. Fulbright Scholar for 2024 – 2025 and associate professor of Spanish at the University of South Alabama, as the keynote speaker. Dr. Pettway's lecture, titled 'Crying Out to a Silent God: Black Manhood and Sexual Vulnerability in the Literature of Juan Francisco Manzano,' addressed themes of race, gender, and vulnerability.

Dr. Heather Bailey, Assistant Professor of English, also spoke at the conference. She emphasized the value of studying multi-ethnic texts and exploring multicultural identities to develop a more tolerant and comprehensive perspective.