SPECIAL CAMPUS EVENTS

  AIDS Symposium
  David L. Sr. and Helen J. Temple Visiting Lecture Series
  Black History Month
  International Extravaganza
  Presidential Lecture Series on Diversity
  Kwanzaa
  Latina/o Heritage Month
Diversity Awards Recognition Ceremony
  United Against Hate Week
  Asian- Pacific Islander Heritage Month
  ACACIA Annual Conference on Africa
  Vagina Monologues
  Peace Conference
  Annual Latina/o Awareness Conference
  Women's History Month

(Photo above) Students gather around at the Farinon Atrium and take part in the Latin Market, one of the main events of Latin Hertiage Month. This gives both students and faculty a taste of things that are unique to the Latin culture such as jewerly, clothe, books, food, etc.

One of the country’s most competitive colleges, Lafayette is academically challenging. An important part of that rigor is the rich cultural community of students and faculty from different backgrounds. In addition, artists and scholars come from around the world to perform and speak on current issues. Speakers have included Oscar Arias Sanchez, former President of Costa Rica; Peter Bradley, American abstract artist; and Maya Angelou, poet.

Two diversity lecture series are the David L. Sr. and Helen J. Temple Visiting Lecture Series, and the Presidential Lecture Series on Diversity which have featured David Levering Lewis, Pulitzer Prize-winning scholar on race relations, Elizabeth Hutton Turner, curator, Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., who spoke on Jacob Lawerence, a 20th-century artist, and Dr. Carlos Muñoz, nationally renowned scholar, journalist, historian, and winner of the Gustavus Myers Award for his work on human rights issues in the United States.

The David L. Sr. and Helen Temple Visiting Lecture Series is a performing and visual arts residency focusing on the culture of African- Americans and the Diaspora, and the Presidential Speaker Series on Diversity is aimed at bringing to campus academic and social scholars who have in their lifetime gained renown recognition and prominent attention in their work with multicultural education and diversity.”

Presidential diversity speakers featured at Lafayette College include David Levering Lewis, Pulitzer Prize-winning scholar on race relations; Elizabeth Hutton Turner, curator, Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., who spoke on Jacob Lawerence, a 20th-century artist; Christina Garcia, author of award winning book, “Dreaming in Cuban;” Oscar Arias Sanchez, former President of Costa Rica; Samuel A. Hay, author, scholar, African- American theatre historian, playwright, and visiting Professor at Lafayette College; and, Dr. Carlos Munoz, renowned journalist, political scientist, and historian.

Black History Month
Black History Month is celebrated annually during the month of February. Originally founded as Negro History Week in 1926 by Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson, its purpose is to acknowledge, inform, and create an understanding for the many contributions of Africans and African- Americans to world history.

Diversity Awards Recognition Ceremony
Each year, the Office of Intercultural Development and the Office of the Dean of Studies sponsor an award banquet to recognize students, faculty, and staff who have promoted multiculturalism, demonstrated concern for the needs of ALANA and International students, and addressed issues of diversity throughout the year.

One of the special awards given is the Leroy D. Nunery '77 Award for Intellectual Citizenship, which honors a student whose scholarship advances knowledge on important social, political, or economic issues in a multicultural community and has been a positive influence at Lafayette.

Latina/o Heritage Month
Latino Heritage Month is celebrated annually from September 15 - October 15. September 15 is recognized as the Independence Day of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico celebrates its anniversary of independence on September 16 and Chile on September 18.