Troy unites for DEI week

Kathryn Clark photo Students around campus march for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Week.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Week took place last week with several events, including a diversity walk, taking place to honor DEI.

The diversity walk was held in honor and memoriam of John Robert Lewis, a politician and civil rights activist who grew up in Pike County. Lewis was originally denied acceptance to Troy University in 1957, but received an honorary doctorate from Troy in 1989.

Students of all backgrounds came to participate.

“I think it’s important that we recognize the different groups of students that we have on campus, as well as our diverse culture here on campus,” said Betsy Bennett, a junior human services major from Eufaula, Alabama. “It’s important to spread awareness and just show everyone that we’re together, no matter our differences.”

“The walk allows us to come together as one,” said Jakevia Williams, a junior psychology major from Hurtsboro, Alabama. “We are able to connect with one another on a different level and have conversations with people we have never seen before.

“It's just a very diverse campus that's coming together to unify what is really important and to emphasize the importance of unity.”

The walk was preceded by a series of speeches, interpreted into American Sign Language by Hannah Champion, a junior from Mobile, Alabama, enrolled in the interpreter training program.

Afterwards, the students, holding a “Hands of Diversity” sign, walked around campus, and ended back in front of John Robert Lewis Hall.

Students were encouraged to talk to others that they had not met before.

“Our main goal is to promote conversation between students of all different backgrounds and walks of life,” said Brayden Varnado, The Student Government Association’s (SGA) diversity chairperson, and junior biomedical sciences major from Huntsville, Alabama.

Varnado wants students to know why DEI week is so important.

“With the current political climate, there have been some changes to DEI,” Varnado said. “I think it's very important to still show that we care about others, and we want to make sure that diversity, equity, and inclusion is something that never gets left out of the conversation because once it's left out, you start to backfall and backpedal into problems that we've already fixed.”

DEI Week is recognized annually around the country. This year, the event comes just one week after Governor Kay Ivey signed a bill banning Alabama colleges and universities from having official DEI programs or departments.

In April, a round-table discussion event will be held focusing on DEI. Be on the lookout for more information from SGA.