The Annual OMA Unity Banquet - Rise Up: Resilience Through Community

We've reached the last day of Unity Week! OMA's Assistant Director, Janée Kelly-Eddie will set us up for an evening of programming that will ignite our community to come together and continue the fight for justice. We will start with a showcase featuring CWRU alumni that were connected to OMA during their time here. They will talk about their lives after CWRU, what OMA means to them, and some may even share a poem or song to inspire us all. We will then move into our keynote speech by the renowned Melissa Harris Perry as introduced by OMA's Graduate Intern, Ibukun Ode-Martins. Melissa will lead a conversation about how community is more important than ever in times like this. As she takes us through a journey of the past year, we will learn how important it is to stay connected to one another and to collectively stand tall in the face of adversity. Melissa is one dynamic speaker that you don't want to miss! After we hear from Melissa, Unity Week will come to a close with CWRU's Vice President for Student Affairs, Lou Stark. Lou will reflect on what we have seen, learned, and experienced this week as well as how we can move forward and one united community.

One of the main purposes of Unity Banquet is to give away scholarship dollars to CWRU's underrepresented students. Through the Momentum Scholarship Fund, OMA is able to give scholarships to students that can apply to all parts of academic persistence. These funds can be used beyond tuition and can cover expenses like study abroad, conference participation, or internship and Co-Op related expenses. OMA's Department Coordinator, Jasmine Pace, will be awarding scholarships from the Momentum Fund on this day. We will also have scholarships from other campus organizations given this day. Scholarship presentations from the African American Society, Alianza Latina/Latino Alliance, and First CWRU are just some of what you will see on Thursday. We will also be highlighting the academic achievements of our students as OMA's Senior Assistant Director, Randy Blackford, gives credit to students that have gone above and beyond in their academic endeavors here at CWRU. Join us as we award and congratulate our scholarship recipients!

Student leaders are the lifeblood of OMA. On this day, log in to learn more about the Undergraduate Diversity Collaborative and student-led identity based organizations across campus. We will be hosting a roll call that will highlight these organizations and their members. You will learn about the purpose of these organizations, their members, and their impact on campus. Leadership day will come to a culmination with our Senior Speaker, Fatima Rahman. Fatima will share her journey through CWRU with us, talk about the importance of community, and inspire us all to keep pushing as we work to become our best selves.

It's time to learn about the office behind it all, the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Tune in for introductions from the OMA staff and learn more about all of the resources we have to offer to students, staff, faculty, and the greater Cleveland community. As a part of OMA day, a virtual tour of OMA's physical space will be led by our very own Associate Director, John Killings. Word is, he's even going to do it Mr. Rogers style - cardigan and all!

Welcome to the start of Unity Week 2021! Log in to hear welcomes and university updates as they relate to diversity and inclusion by Interim President Scott Cowen, and Provost Ben Vinson. OMA's Director, Naomi Sigg, will lead us through the history and purpose of the Unity Banquet. During this time, you will learn more about the Momentum Scholarship Fund and how you can help to support the academic persistence of underrepresented students here at CWRU.