Admit one

Take a break during the middle of a workday to watch a movie? Unthinkable for a responsible employee. Yet, the films shown at the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs monthly brown-bag film series give insight into cultural differences … invaluable information in today’s global world.

Hollywood has long used societal issues, causes and characters as the basis for movies – Gone with the Wind (1953), the epic saga about slavery; Schlinder’s List (1993), one man’s attempt to save Jews in Poland during World War II; and The Killing Fields (1984), the 1970s massacres in Cambodia – are just a few examples.

“Movies are an unthreatening way to create an environment in which to enhance cultural competencies,” said Yolanda Gonzaga, director of Administrative Operations and Internal Multicultural Initiatives. “The films chosen for this series reflect national observances or commemorate significant events.” 

In this month’s feature, Martin Luther King, Jr. -- In Remembrance of Martin, King’s quest for civil rights and his career come alive through a PBS documentary featuring his family, friends and advisors.

The diversity series, which began in September, has featured Smoke Signals, a Miramax classis and Sundance Film Festival winner produced with a creative team that was exclusively Native American, and Salud, which highlights challenges of making health care in Cuba accessible to everyone.

“We want this series to be entertaining, relaxing and accessible for everyone, but we also want them to walk away having had an enhanced educational experience,” Gonzaga said.

Along with the film series, the diversity office suggests a book of the month and hosts a monthly lecture series. All presentations and manuscripts are part of the office’s growing resource library on cultural competencies.

PBS video cover of King movie and others