Diversity SIG E-Newsletter Sept-Oct 2006
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Contents |
Diversity SIG E-Newsletter – September/October 2006
Contents
1. New C&A Category Approved
2. Meet your Diversity SIG Officers
3. Reaching out to 1994 Tribal Land Grants
4. Latino Briefs Digest
5. Links of Interest
1. New C&A Category Approved
The ACE Board met in early October and approved the Diversity SIG's proposal for a new Diversity Category in the annual Critique and Award competition. The new category will have the following five classes:
- Class 41: Writing for special publics
- Class 42: Targeted publications
- Class 43: Electronic media*audio for special publics
- Class 44: Electronic media*video for special publics
- Class 45: Integrated communication programs for special publics
With this new category and classes, our judges will be looking to see if entries have "targeted" publics rather than merely "included" them. "Applicants must focus on the demographics and psychographics of their targeted publics and show evidence of the effectiveness of their efforts," LaRae Donnellan said.
We are still working with the ACE board to determine how judges are to be selected. The current proposal is to have multiple judges "on call" for various audiences (ie Hispanic, sign language, African American, and Hmong), while the ACE board prefers to have one judge for each category. LaRae Donnellan is working closely with the board to iron out the details as our new plan moves forward.
We are excited at what this year's C&A competition will bring in the form of Diversity entries, and hope you are as well. As always, if you have any suggestions for judges please share them with your officer team.
2. Meet your Diversity SIG Officers
Chair LaRae Donnellan
Dr. LaRae Donnellan, chair of the Diversity SIG, believes in living her values, which include a belief in diversity as well as inclusiveness. LaRae (or "Dr. D," as her students and colleagues call her) is a professor and coordinator of the public relations sequence at Florida A&M University, a historically Black College and University in Tallahassee.
Although she grew up in all-white neighborhoods where everyone was more or less like her (poor, working class), LaRae was drawn to learn about people who “at first glance “ didn't appear like her. As an undergraduate, she did her senior honors thesis on Black Power. In graduate school, she trained women and minority reporters for the campus newspaper. Her Ph.D. thesis explored issues of gender and science. At the universities of Vermont and Idaho, she taught courses in race and culture. With friend and colleague Dr. Florita Montgomery of West Virginia, LaRae for years has researched issues related to diversity.
But it took working at an HBCU to change her world view.
"I have been given the ultimate gift in that my students let me see the world through their eyes," LaRae said. "It's one thing to read about discrimination. It's quite another to have students share their stories with you and to have them interpret events from their experiences. I've learned to overcome my hesitation and to ask questions of my students. On the other hand, I have invited my students to ask me ‘an older white female’ whatever they would like to know about whites. Together, we explore people who, at first blush, may not look or talk or believe like any of us in the classroom. This is critical for the future of our world."
LaRae's advice to ACE members is to be a sponge and to absorb everything you can about others. "Do your research. Ask questions. Then act with respect and kindness."
Vice-Chair Rebecca McGovney-Ingram
Rebecca McGovney-Ingram, vice-chair of the Diversity SIG, has always believed in equality and fairness. Her research in womens' studies began in undergrad at Stephens College in Missouri. As she was exposed to broader and richer cultures, she began to see that inclusiveness and acceptance must be extended far beyond gender issues.
"I grew up Catholic in Southern Texas. Although my family isn't all that conservative, neither are some generations all that liberal. There are things that I grew up not necessarily accepting, but certainly hearing and having no voice to act against," McGovney-Ingram said. "And I think that is what is most important, having a voice to act against what you see as wrong, whether intentional or otherwise."
She continued her schooling and research at the University of Florida with a master's in agricultural communication and a graduate certificate in womens' studies. Her thesis surveyed ACE members on their perceptions of job satisfaction and gender bias. Her other research included GLTB, American Indian two spirit, and multi-cultural themes.
During her time at UF, Rebecca had the chance to work with former Diversity SIG Chair Chuck Woods who she said expanded her view of the world, and helped her through the final year of grad school.
"When Chuck said there was an opening for a Diversity SIG officer I jumped at the chance. I knew I wanted to be involved, despite the chance I would be working outside of agricultural communications. People had worked so hard to make this SIG a reality, so I said I would do my best to help lead it forward," McGovney-Ingram said.
Rebecca's recommendation to other ACE members is not to think of diversity as someone else's problem. "So often people say to me, 'oh that doesn't happen anymore'. The more we acknowledge and get involved, the more we are part of the solution."
Vice-Chair Elect Myriam Grajales-Hall
Myriam Grajales-Hall, vice-chair elect of the Diversity SIG, stumbled into a position at a Spanish radio station while studying Spanish, French and English in Southern California as an exchange student from Colombia.
She came to the USA to pursue her dream of becoming an interpreter with the United Nations, but while attending college, she started to work in radio. "It was there I learned what a valuable service public affairs programs can be to the Latino community," Grajales-Hall said. "As the public affairs director, I could invite and interview people from all walks of life and use the airwaves to share important information with the community."
Grajales-Hall took that concept with her to University of California Cooperative Extension 25 years ago when she was hired to work on its own newly established Spanish-language radio service. Today, Spanish Broadcast and Media Services (SBMS) produces a monthly release of Spanish-language radio clips, plus Spanish-language mass media and social marketing campaigns, videos, curricula and online educational material.
"When I came to the U.S. to study, I could identify with difficulties of immigrants who wanted to find a better life here. But I had so many advantages they did not. I have profound respect for the hard work of immigrants and ethnic communities considering the hardships they often encounter," Grajales-Hall said. "I consider it a privilege to contribute, even in a small way, to help the Latino community to learn new things, to be better informed, and to live their lives with information about nutrition, farm safety and parenting."
"Working with ethnic communities reminds me that even though our upbringing, backgrounds and accents might be different, our essence as human and spiritual beings is not any different. Ethnic communities provide me with a richness, texture and flavor that I value immensely!"
Myriam has been associated with the U.C. SBMS program since 1981. Currently she is Program Manager, with special responsibilities for Cooperative Extension and the Spanish-Language broadcast and print media.
3. Reaching out to 1994 Tribal Land Grants
Rebecca McGovney-Ingram has been working with fellow ACE member Jeanne Gleason, Director, Professor and Executive Producer University Communications and Marketing Services Media Productions at New Mexico State University, to begin a dialogue with communicators working at the 1994 land grants. They hope to invite them to visit ACE and the Diversity SIG for this year's annual conference in New Mexico, and possibly continue an affiliation with ACE.
4. Latino Briefs Digest
The September and August issues of Latino Briefs Digest compiled by the University of California can be found here: http://news.ucanr.org/latinobriefs/latinobriefs.cfm?issues=yes
Vol 2, Issue 22, September 1, 2006 <http://news.ucanr.org/latinobriefs/latinobriefs.cfm?issue=Vol%202%2C%20Issue%2022%2C%20September%201%2C%202006>
- Barriers to reproductive health care in U.S. Latino Community
- Hispanics are image-conscious
- Hispanic teens in their own words
- Unemployment plays a small role in spurring Mexican migration to U.S.
- Hispanics and blacks are McDonald's "core customers"
- Hispanics watch more than just telenovelas
Vol 2, Issue 23, October 3, 2006
<http://news.ucanr.org/latinobriefs/latinobriefs.cfm?issue=Vol%202%2C%20Issue%2023%2C%20October%203%2C%202006>
- Medicinal herbs popular choice among WIC clinic clients
- José rises on name list in changing America
- Second-generation Mexicans: Getting ahead or falling Behind?
- Five-year study challenges the premise of Proposition 227
- Latinos less likely than other groups to seek emergency food assistance
5. Links of Interest
The U.S. government has established the Foreign Language Resource Center. On its website at http://flrc.mitre.org you can find a number of interesting resources, including a list of translation-related standards; preconfigured keyboards for languages such as Urdu, Tagalog, Pashto, or Kurdish; a FAQ section related to Arabic-based languages; and some interesting links to machine translation tools. Under tools, you'll find a comprehensive listing of Machine Translation on the Internet, intended for gisting only. Not a substitute for human translation.
Epsilon Sigma Phi, the Extension Professional Organization, offers a link to useful resources that include, among others, tracking mass media contacts, health for life, international work opportunities, communication with decision makers, and a neat do-it-yourself state map that allow to color code groups of counties. http://www.espnational.org/, click on Resources.
If you have questions about this newsletter or would like to contribute to a future edition, please contact Vice Chair Rebecca McGovney-Ingram via email RMcGovney@gmail.com.
