Stories from the Midland Area Community Foundation

Cultural Awareness Month activities in Midland

October 2nd, 2019

October is officially Cultural Awareness Month in the City of Midland. The Cultural Awareness Coalition (a project of the Midland Area Community Foundation) meets throughout the year to help plan programs and events that spread a message of inclusion, diversity, and kindness among all cultures in our community.

This year’s theme for Cultural Awareness Month is “Inclusive Communications: Relating to each other better and why words matter”. With that in mind, several events are being promoted throughout the month, and we hope you’ll take the time to check them out.

October 17

Soup and Substance Lecture

“Peeking through the Keyhole: Visibility, (Mis)representation, and Appropriation of Indigenous Cultures in Mainstream Media” by Dr. Joy Yang Jiao.

The Soup and Substance Lecture Series is a monthly event featuring topics related to Diversity & Inclusion. The lunchtime discussions are designed to encourage thought provoking discussions among students, faculty, staff, and community members. The luncheon is free of charge. For more information, please contact Jeremiah Lee: leejt@northwood.edu

Location: Northwood University, McNair Center in the Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center

Time: 12:30pm – 1:30pm

October 17

African Children’s Choir and Drum Circle

The children of The African Children’s Choir program are orphans who have come into this transformative program that provides for their well-being and education, utilizing the power of music. Before the show at 7:00, join us in the Saints and Sinner’s Lounge for a talk on the impact of music as a communicative tool and a participatory drum circle. For more information and tickets, click here.

Location: Midland Center for the Arts

Time: Speech/drum circle at 6:15pm, Choir to begin at 7:00pm

October 24

Creativity Contest

This creativity contest is open any Midland County resident, including students as young as Kindergarten. Any creative form may be submitted (essay, poem, visual art, music, video, etc.). Submissions should relate to the 2019 theme: Sharing Our Stories: Language, Communication, and Why Words Matter.

Submissions are due by October 18th, 2019. Click here for details on how to submit.

Location: Grace A. Dow Memorial Library Auditorium

Time: 6:30pm

October 29

Human Library

The Human Library Project is a global innovative and hands-on learning platform where real people are on loan to readers. Members of the community will move from table to table to hear the stories of each ‘human book’. Topics are discussed openly and without condemnation. The Human Library is a Danish idea from 2000 and is now available in more than 80 countries. To learn more about the Human Library, click here.

Location: Midland Holiday Inn, 810 Cinema Drive

Time: 5:30pm – 8:30pm