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The Rev. Michael J. Carter promoted diversity as this year’s guest speaker at Spring Convocation held Tuesday, Jan. 24, in Moore Auditorium. Carter and his wife are Unitarian Universalist ministers, a faith tradition that emphasizes teachings from all the world’s major religions, the worth and dignity of all people and the democratic process. Carter, the diversity officer for Mission Hospitals in Asheville, gave a brief speech about diversity during the traditional ceremonies to begin the semester. “Diversity is about relating and interacting with someone in a respectful manner,” Carter gave as his definition of diversity. Diversity, he said, deals with much more than race and ethnicity but also disabilities, gender and more. “Civil rights or human right are any right that you and I have that someone else takes for granted,” Carter said. "I don’t care why you promote diversity -- as long as you do it,” said Carter, an African American and avid supporter of diversity. He told a poignant story of how he worked as a chaplain in a hospital. He worked with a dying woman, who wanted him to meet her family. When he did, he said he felt the family judged him on his appearance.“I had dreadlocks down to my back,” Carter said of his appearance, although now his look is more conservative. As for the family, some members sported quite a different look than his. "A couple of them had shirts with Confederate flags on them,” he said. The family dismissed Carter’s services and told him he was no longer need. He said felt that it was because of his appearance and their inability to accept something different than themselves. As he walked away, a member of the family told him that the reason he was no longer needed was because they realized their mother was in her last days, and they wanted to spend time with her. Carter said he didn’t mind the Confederate flag shirts. “There are bigger fish to fry,” he said of the incident. News Brief
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A Race Relations Forum will be held this Thursday at 8 p.m. in Belk Auditorium. The forum, part of events on campus for Black History Month, is sponsored by the Black Student Association. Prior to the forum, members of BSA will randomly ask students around campus to answer four race-related questions. Their answers will be videotaped. On the day of the forum, mediator Travis Proffit from Lifeworks will introduce each question, showing portions of the taped responses. Faculty and students who have been designated as “conversation starters” will begin discussion. The floor then will be open to anyone to speak. All students who participate are asked to be respectful and courteous of fellow speakers.