New U of A Language and Culture Series Launches This Spring

The University of Arkansas is launching a new Language and Culture Series this spring to celebrate and share language, culture, customs and more with the campus and its surrounding community.

The series is part of the university's commitment to its diversity and inclusion priorities and will generally align with the recognized spring and fall heritage months, from February through November 2021.

While the events are free and open to the public, participating U of A students will be given a virtual passport to track their attendance at events. Upon completing events, students will be entered to win various prizes. 

U of A faculty members can also add viewings, projects, and participation into their syllabi in support of the Language and Culture Series. 

"I strongly believe that learning more about and valuing what makes us different – or diverse – is an important step in the creation of a more inclusive university and society," said Edvan P. Brito, assistant professor of Portuguese and World Languages, Literatures and Cultures, and co-chair of the series committee.

Check out the virtual L&C Kick-Off Video here or above for more details.

Below is a list of some of the planned events, including but not limited to:

• Wednesday, Jan. 27-31 – International Holocaust Memorial Day, film screening of I Only Wanted to Live by Mimmo Calopresti
• Tuesday, Feb. 16 from 3-5 p.m. – Film Screening and Discussion of Talking Black in America – The Story of African American English by The Language and Life Project at North Carolina State University
• All March-long – Women's History Month / Italian Program
• Tuesday, March 30 – Department of World Languages, Literature and Culture's Language Fair
• Wednesday, March 31 – Boyish: Poems by Brody Parrish Craig and Writing Group Event
• Thursday, April 15 at 7 p.m. – Layaali Arabic Music Ensemble
• September, dates TBD – Study Abroad Fair and Plaza de las Américas
• October, dates TBD – Talk: "Debordering, rebordering, and the exclusion of minority dialects: The case of Portuguese in Uruguay" by guest speaker Ana Maria Carvalho of University of Arizona
• All November-long – Native American Heritage Month
• November, dates TBD – Guest Speaker Natalie Schilling of Georgetown University; and International Education Week

The Language and Culture Series organizing committee has also partnered with Mullins Library to provide some language and culture resources available for review.

More event information will be added soon so please visit the U of A's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion website for more details.

Language and Culture Series organizing committee members include Karmen V. Bell, Freddie A. Bowles, Edvan Brito, Anthony DiNicola, Laurence Hare Jr., Angela Mosley Monts, Ryan Calabretta Sajder, Sean T. Teuton, Romona West, and Ka Zeng.