CEI Message for June 3, 2025
Pride Month
Pride Month is an annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, the catalyst for the gay rights movement around the world. This vibrant celebration serves as a reminder of the importance of diversity and love, and honors the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community.
I’ve been reflecting on LSC’s journey towards becoming an inclusive campus for our students and colleagues. I was thinking about Safe Zone (see below for an upcoming training date!) and how I’ve heard both students and coworkers say they’ve felt more welcome, seen, and respected on campus. I recently came across this video and it resonated with me on the ‘why’ having Safe Zone stickers and badges out there for folks to see can be so important.
Mark your calendar! The Duluth Superior Pride celebration will take place on Saturday, August 30th, at Bayfront. LSC will host a table once again this year and we’d love to have you join us! Interested, please let Sarah know.
Juneteenth
Juneteenth honors the June 19th, 1865, date when Union troops reached Galveston Bay, Texas and informed the ‘last’ enslaved people of the Emancipation Proclamation, signed more than 2.5 years earlier by President Lincoln. On this date, more than 250,000 people learned that they were free, which is why Juneteenth is often also referred to as “Freedom Day.”
June 19th has since become a day to celebrate, reflect on the past and fight for a just future, and gather with family and community. In 2021, Juneteenth became a Federal Holiday and, as always, I invite you to think about this as a day to ‘take on’ rather than a day off. This is an opportunity to volunteer at one of the local celebrations or to continue learning about the history of Juneteenth and ongoing efforts towards racial justice in the U.S.
The National Museum of African American History & Culture at the Smithsonian (which our TRIO students had the opportunity to visit this Spring!) has great information and resources to learn more about Juneteenth.
Narratives for Change media club
The June Narratives for Change media club invites you to dive into James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw’s work. James, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe, is a renowned is an author, inspirational speaker and advocate for Indigenous language preservation.
James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw
The task for this month: Explore James Vukelich’s Instagram (@jamesvukelich), TikTok (@jamesvukelich), Facebook or YouTube channels, and pick five words/concepts that you find interesting. May we also suggest you give him a like or a follow so you can continue to engage with his work in the future?! Our discussion will reflect on keeping culture alive, how language can impact worldview, and how to create a space for our students and colleagues who speak other languages to show up authentically.
Reflection meet-up: Monday, June 23rd from 2-3pm on Zoom.
Ready to sign up? Link is here. This month’s session will be hosted by Anna Swarts.
The LSC Council on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion’s Narratives for Change media club is a twist on your traditional book club. Think ‘book club’ but not books—podcasts, documentaries, movies, art, etc. Each month we’ll share the topic of the month and where to access the media. At the end of the month, there will be a Zoom meet-up to discuss the media. If you are unable to join the Zoom session, we’ll send some reflection questions your way. The moderator will change each month and we welcome suggestions for different topics!
Safe Zone Trainings
Safe Zone summer session! Lake Superior College faculty and staff are invited to participate in the Safe Zone training, aimed at creating LGBTQ+ friendly spaces through increased awareness and ally training.
Join us on Wednesday, June 11th from 8:30-10:30 for a Safe Zone training. This is an excellent way to learn how to be better allies to our LGBTQ+ students, co-workers, friends and neighbors, regardless of your gender identity or sexual orientation. So far over 120 of our colleagues have participated in this training!
The session will take place on Zoom. To receive the link, sign up here!
Syllabus review tool
For faculty members who may be taking a look at your syllabi this summer, I want to re-share an awesome equity-minded syllabus review tool, created by the Center for Urban Education at the University of Southern California, specifically Dr. Estela Mara Bensimon. Her research and work have served as a guidepost for the framework for much of Minnesota State’s Equity 2030 and Equity by Design goals. The review tool can be accessed for free here by clicking on the download icon at the bottom of the page.
DEI opportunities this Fall
Looking ahead to this fall, please help shape the types of speakers, discussions, and trainings we’ll have on campus. Please take a minute to answer this short survey to see what would help shape your equity journey: SURVEY HERE. Or feel free to email me with the topics that interest or are useful to you, and your preferred format (online, Zoom, etc.).
