Get ready to sit back, relax and learn about why you should care about diversity.
Get ready, because Tim Wise, a prominent social critic who has fought to educate the national community on topics ranging from affirmative action to capital punishment, is coming to town.
Beginning today and continuing through Thursday, Wise will bring his views about diversity to the University, Lane Community College and Oregon State University communities.
Wise’s messages focus on “the need for people of all different backgrounds to work together to fight discrimination,” ASUO Multicultural Advocate Hong Tran said.
“He provides a lot of examples that make sense,” she said, “and it makes you think about the inequalities [in our country].”
For several years, Wise has been making his way around the country, speaking to everyone from high school and college students to labor union members to corporate officials. In his crusade, he confronts issues from institutional racism to assaults on poor and working class people from all ethnic backgrounds.
This is not to mention his extensive work in other groups that fight racism. He recently founded an organization that is meant to show white Americans that continuing the institution and biases of racism are not only destructive to people of color, but destructive to themselves as well. The group is called the Association for White Anti-Racist Education (AWARE).
One thing that makes Wise stand out from other speakers who fight for racial equality is that Wise himself is Caucasian.
“There’s many people of color who can talk from their experiences,” said Felicia Gustin, co-director of Speak Out Speakers and Artists Agency, which arranges Wise’s visits to various locations. “It’s not as often that you have a white person, that is European American, talking about why whites need to get involved.”
Wise also possesses another quality that makes him a dynamic and skilled orator: honesty.
“He’s more like an in-your-face kind of guy,” said Katy Ho, a senior journalism major who is helping organize Wise’s visit. “He tells the truth. He says what’s on his mind.”
Wise’s visit is one that the ASUO has been working hard to organize ever since he spoke on campus last year during the Education 2000 conference.
As the second keynote speaker at the event, Tran said that Wise’s speech was overshadowed by the presence of the first speaker, bell hooks, an African American author, poet and professor who speaks out on issues including racism and feminism. Tran said she was disappointed about that because she was really impressed with his speaking style and what he had to say.
“It’s not boring stuff,” Tran said. “He’s a really engaging speaker.”
From this upcoming visit, the ASUO hopes to create an annual event in which a speaker comes to discuss a specific topic on campus. This year, diversity is the issue; next year, Tran said, it could be something else.
While at the University, Wise will be conducting or participating in several different events. From 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, a “Lunch with Tim Wise” will be held in the Multicultural Center. All students are invited to attend and get the chance to speak with Wise.
In addition, he will be giving a keynote address in the EMU Tuesday evening, during which he is tentatively set to provide a speech titled “Beyond Diversity: Challenging Racism in an Age of Backlash.” He will also be present Wednesday night at a town hall meeting in the EMU Ben Linder Room.