SUNY Geneseo’s diversity summit
This year’s SUNY Geneseo Diversity Summit, held on Feb. 16, offered a variety of sessions for students, staff and faculty to engage with. This year’s keynote speaker, Keith Boykin, a political commentator and writer, spoke about the history of systemic racism in America, how systemic racism has affected African Americans today and how we can strive for a better tomorrow.
Beyond the keynote, there were several other workshops conducted surrounding the theme of “Belonging,” one of SUNY Geneseo’s new core values. Sessions such as “On the Same Page: Faculty, Staff, and Students Belong Together” were held to foster a sense of belonging between faculty and students and between departments, and how Diversity, Equity and Inclusion can improve academia.
Other sessions, such as “Ableism in the Classroom,” hosted by Kaitlin Anzalone, provided an open dialogue for students and faculty to discuss how to make classrooms more inclusive for students with all types of disabilities, and how to provide a space where students with disabilities can learn and have the same opportunities for success. Anzalone discussed her experiences as someone with a disability and discussed ways for faculty to foster a more inclusive environment.
Another session titled “Women in Classical Music: A Conversation with Composer Jocelyn Hagen” focused on how women have been historically underrepresented in classical music composition and how that can change. Jocelyn Hagen, a well-known composer, spoke about her experiences in the classical music world as a woman and her vision for classical music’s future.
The Diversity Summit has always been a time of reflection and learning for the Geneseo community—a time to look at the world, understand how we fit into it and how we can improve ourselves to make the world a more inclusive place.
However, it is important to note that inclusion is not the same as belonging—someone can feel included in a staff meeting, club or in a class, but that does not mean that they feel like they belong there. You can walk into a room, and still feel totally out of place. You can be part of a conversation, but still feel like you aren’t being heard.
Acknowledging how this affects our global, national and local community, SUNY Geneseo added “Belonging” to their core values, with the goal of creating a community where students, faculty and staff feel not just included, but important and valued—not just present, but a part of the conversation; not just invited to the party, but part of the friend group.
The Union Ballroom was packed with people for the keynote address, and scores more watched from home via Zoom as Boykin shared his experiences as an African American gay man and the role he has played in the fight to end systemic racism and homophobia.
Boykin delivered an empowering speech about his time at Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of The Harvard Law Review and participated in protests against incidents of racism on campus. Boykin also shared his experience in the Clinton administration, advocating for equal marriage rights and LGBTQ+ awareness.
Boykin’s message struck the hearts of the Geneseo community as he explained how, despite being included in institutions such as The Harvard Law Review and The White House, he always felt slightly removed, and never like he truly belonged. Boykin explained that America had come far on the road to equality, but that we still have a long way to go before there is a sense of unity and belonging amongst all communities.
