Northwest Missouri State University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion invites University employees to join its Bearcat Diversity Book Club, which is aimed at further educating participants about concepts and issues of racism.

The book club will read “Tell Me Who You Are: A Road Map for Cultivating Racial Literacy,” written by Winona Guo and Priya Vulchi. The book recounts the authors’ experiences talking to people from all walks of life about race and identity during a cross-country tour of America.

“The Bearcat Diversity Book Club is a great way for employees to either start or continue their social justice journey,” Dr. Justin Mallett, Northwest’s assistant vice president of diversity and inclusion, said. “The environment we have created allows for sharing and the creation of ideas that we can consider to create and foster an inclusive campus environment at Northwest. The book club has been an awesome thing, and it allows us all to grow and understand this work in so much more detail.”

Employees must register by Friday, Dec. 2, by clicking this link. The first meeting occurs Jan. 23, with subsequent meetings every other week via Zoom.

“The Bearcat Diversity Book Clubs have been wonderfully enlightening,” Terra Feick, an assistant library director at Northwest, said. “Having community to explore diversity issues with has helped my journey tremendously. I feel more attuned to what was missed in my earlier education, and I find myself noticing injustices more. These book clubs have challenged me to sit with my own white fragility and build my skills in owning my impact regardless of my intent.”

For students, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion offers Bearcat Breakdown, a series of discussions about current events to raise awareness and provide continued dialogue focused on race, the intersectionality of identities, the importance of language, cultural empowerment and social justice, among other topics.

For more information about the Bearcat Diversity Book Club or Bearcat Breakdown, contact Mallett at jmallett@nwmissouri.edu.