Resource Spotlight: Good Hair

You can tell we're in the somewhat slower days of summer when I blog about resources we have available in the RAPP Resource Library.

I've gotten a few more resources with the remaining funds we had at the end of last fiscal year. While most monies went to buying supplies for RAPP XXVI, I made sure to get a few goodies for our use.

One of the more debated purchases was a copy of Chris Rock's comedic documentary Good Hair. Several people recomended it as a piece that explores issues of racism, sexism, and classism in an approachable way. Others labasted it for not delving deep enough into the issues or for making light of a serious issue.

Given the mixed reactions and how people have described their thoughts on the film, I purchased Good Hair as a conversation starter. I've really enjoyed the conversations people have deconstructing the pros and cons of the film and while they like/hate it.

As with all of the resource library, this film is available to borrow.

Movies! Movies! Movies! Introducing Film Fridays!

Between RAPP and Diversity Education, we have a decent library of thought-provoking films. We've got documentaries and feature films on a wide variety of subjects, from everyday life experiences in different cultures to exposes on business practices to TV shows about people's life experiences.

Those who know me know I'm very hesistant to show films during RAPP meetings because of the time investment of watching a whole film. Despite this, I find movies to be powerful tools for generating discussion (which is why I bend and show them at retreats :) ).

Wanting to not allow our resources to just gather dust and wanting also to capitalize on the power of film, this year I'm starting a semi-regular series I quaintly call Film Friday.

This is an intentionally low-key programming series and won't be heavily advertised. To stay in line with copyright issues, I won't be promoting on-line or by posters which film we will show - but I'm happy to say the topic area and confident in saying that the film'll be awesome!

Join us this Friday, September 25th, from 1-3PM in the 6th floor open space of Steger Student Life Center. We'll be watching a documentary on healthcare issues in the US. Discussion to follow and popcorn available throughout!

(pic - RAPP I enjoying a movie at their retreat)

-Rebecca

Resource Spotlight: Growing Up Latino - Memoirs and Stories

Given that we respect life experiences as valid and valuable knowledge in RAPP, I'm excited to get resources that draw largely on the writer's life experiences. In this vien, we've just gotten two copies of the new UC President Gregory H Williams' memoir Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy who Discovered he was Black.

Also in this vien is another new book in our resource library Growing Up Latino: Memoirs and Stories, Reflections on Life in the United States. This collection, edited by Harold Augenbraum and Ilan Stavans, features works by many famous latino/a writers including Julia Alvarez, Sandra Cisneros, Rudolfo Anaya, Oscar and Hijuelos. It includes 25 pieces divided into three sections: Imagining the Family, Gringolandia, and Songs of Self-Discovery.

Stop by to check out Growing Up Latino and our many other books in the resource library!

UC Announces New President: Dr. Gregory H. Williams

The campus is abuzz today with the excitement of this morning's Presidential Selection Committee and Board of Trustee's meetings where Dr. Gregory H. Williams was unanimously voted in as our new university president.

The announcement is still very fresh, so I haven't done much research on Dr. Williams. Here is the bio that went out in the email announcement to the University community, written by Chair of the UC Board of Trustees Buck Niehoff:

"Dr. Williams brings to the University of Cincinnati a bold vision for the future of higher education. He has a remarkable record in building enrollment while ensuring academic excellence and diversity. He is a noted scholar with a substantial background in academic leadership, particularly in a public setting.

Our next president has earned five degrees, including a J.D. and a Ph.D. from The George Washington University, and he holds three honorary doctorates. He has been a university administrator for more than 30 years, previously serving in a variety of posts at The George Washington University, The University of Iowa and The Ohio State University. Immediately prior to becoming president of The City College of New York, he was dean of the Law School and Carter C. Kissell Professor of Law, The Ohio State University. Early in his career, Williams was a deputy sheriff, and he later worked as an aide to a United States senator.

Author of three books and a number of articles and book reviews, Williams is best known for his award-winning and best-selling memoir, 'Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He Was Black.' As a result of his autobiography, he has been featured on a number of national programs including 'Oprah,' 'Dateline NBC with Tom Brokaw,' 'Larry King Live,' ABC's 'Nightline with Ted Koppel' and 'Fresh Air with Terri Gross' of National Public Radio."


One thing about Dr. Williams that I am glad to have learned is his record with diversity at CCNY - he increased overall enrollment, increased enrollment standards, and maintained a high level of racial diversity while doing so. I think that his knowledge and experience in doing that will be good for UC as we continue to grow.


I'll be ordering at least one copy of Dr. Williams' book for the RAPP Resource Library. Come by soon to check it ou!

-Rebecca

Resource Spotlight: That's Revolting! Queer Strategies for Resisting Assimilation

One of our new books in the RAPP resource library is That's Revolting! Queer Strategies for Resisting Assimilation, edited by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore.

Bernstein describes That's Revolting! as "a queer intervention in the culture wars." It's includes essays, articles, and musings of three dozen leading writers and activists, as Bernstein calls them "gay liberation rabble-rousers, counterculture demons, fringe artistes, renegade academics, the dispossessed, the obsessed and various other enemy combatants."

Working in a program in a way that I'm in many ways institutionalizing a radical concept, I think this book will provide much food for thought. Particularly, it will challenge us to think in new ways about how we approach enacting the collective action part of our mission in fighting oppression.

The work also seems to provide much fodder for discussion on identity politics around sexuality, gender, and gender expression. It challenges folks to explore community priorities - what message do we send when attainment of a heteronormative processes steeped in sexist structures is considered key? What values do we have within our actions and how do we show them?

This promises to be an interesting - and digestible, with dozens of essays in three main sections - read. Stop by if you'd like to check it out!

(pic - copied from Bernstein's website)
-Rebecca

Resource Spotlight: My Gender Workbook and Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity

RAPP and Diversity Education maintain a growing resource library of books, DVDs and magazines. These are kept in our offices and are available to sign out on loan. Occasionally I'll highlight some of our available resources on this blog.

This summer we got two great books to further our resources on gender issues. Both explore issues of sexism and cissexism. Both were written by folks who've been through Cincinnati presenting lectures.

Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity was written by Julia Serano. She describes her first full-length book as "a collection of personal essays that debunk many of the myths and misconceptions that people have about trans women, as well as the subject of gender in general."

My Gender Workbook by Kate Bornstein is an interactive book (seriously, it's a workbook) that serves as a guide not only for developing great awareness of the construct of gender in our society but also as a guide for living with or without a gender. The activities can help you gain personal insight - and are fun!

Stop by the offices to check out these and other great resources!

Stop by for a Read

Un from Diversity Education and I have spent some time making sure our resource library has some timely materials in it. We've got some new books and films, but more on that later.

We've renewed several of our magazine subscriptions and are ordering a few more. These are available any time for reading in the office or for loan. If you stop by the RAPP/Diversity Education Office (669 Steger Student Life Center, UC Main Campus) and the lights are off, be sure to stop by our suite next door (671 Steger).

Some of the magazines to stop by for:
Adbusters
The Advocate
Audrey
Cincinnati Magazine
Colorlines
Diversity Edge
Diversity, Inc.
The Queer Canon
Mother Jones
The New Yorker
Essence
Utne Reader
Winds of Change

In an effort to utilize campus resources, I'm also working on compiling a list of resources available at other campus offices. More on that later, too!

(Pic - Mei of RAPP XXIII checking out resource books at the Worldfest Green Lounge)

-Rebecca