New equity engagement space opens at MSU
An underused adjunct room will be used as a gathering place for conversations about race and intersectionality.
Dani Scott, assistant professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, began the process of transforming room 316 of the Clinical Science Building into the Equity Engagement Space in January assisted by Megan Mahowald.
“My office is two doors down so I’d always look at this room like ‘What do they do in that room?’ Megan informed me that it was an adjunct room, but last year we had a lot of people online so I just didn’t see the room utilized,” Scott said.
Scott said she took inspiration from a play she saw in January for the Equity Engagement Space.
“I went to this amazing play on campus. Written, produced — just creatively so beautiful – called the ‘Wounded Healers’ play. When I walked in there I felt so at home, more than I have felt since I have been here because there was artwork, there were books that I have read,” Scott said. “So I felt like, in such a clinical building, it would be nice to have a welcoming, representative space for people of color and also for us to continue to explore, if you aren’t a person of color, to just start to have conversations in a space.”
Her vision for the Equity Engagement Space resembled the Wounded Healers set; dim lighting, intimate, with educational books for a wide audience on a variety of topics related to inclusivity.
Mahowald helped Scott put the room together during summer by acquiring furniture.
“I think I helped more with logistics and timing and how to get our hands on everything and go about building the space,” said Mahowald.
Scott’s graduate students, who are members of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion task force, attended the open house celebrating the space’s completion and said they are looking forward to using the room for their meetings.
Bryce Mergens is one such graduate who said the group is “trying to make things more culturally responsive,” and needs a designated space to make plans to meet this goal.
“I think for us especially we think this is a really good safe space. We have a grad lab for our whole cohort, but I think this will be really nice especially for our meetings. Because it’s not always the most comfortable topic to talk about; diversity, equity and inclusion,” Mergens said.
Fellow graduate student Brittney Cooper said she is “excited” to see her group as well as others who want to educate themselves on diversity issues utilizing this space.
“I’m really excited for this space and I think that it will be beneficial for everyone because it’s not just the Communication Sciences and Disorders room. It’s for all of the Allied Health and Nursing, so I really hope that people will gravitate towards the room,” she said.
Rebeca Alvarez is another graduate student and DEI task force member who said she looks forward to the different uses the room will provide.
“I think it will be used for a variety of things, honestly. It’s a nice space to kind of relax after a long day. It’s helpful that we have books in there that (promote) diversity, but it’s also helpful for people that are not people of color to learn more about diversity, equity and inclusion and that’s a good space to do it,” Alvarez said.
Some titles include “Two Moms and Me” by Michael Joosten, “This is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from Around the World” by Matt Lamothe and “We Should All Be Feminists” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
There are fiction and nonfiction books for children as well as adults. The children’s books are for Communication Sciences and Disorders students to familiarize themselves with for children’s therapy. Scott hopes faculty will use items for book clubs and educate themselves on their inclusive messaging.
“I know that Dani had two-fold types of books that she was looking for. She was looking for books that faculty could use, books that could be part of book club discussions,” Mahowald said. “But we also have books that are for children to look at, too. So multicultural books that will be helpful for those of us who work with children to actually see those books prior to using them, or be inspired to go purchase their own for whatever other settings they’re working in.”
Scott said she wanted to ensure the books were educational and promoted diversity without being stereotypical.
“We wanted them to be about equity, but also intersectionality. So not just books about race, but books about gender equity, disability, all kinds of stuff,” Scott said. “I just hope it gets used as often as possible. I mean our (DEI task force), last year, we met on Zoom because we had to. So I would love for us to be able to meet in person in that room and just have conversations.”
Header photo: Associate Professor Dani Scott created the Equity Engagement space to be a welcoming space for students and faculty to converse. (Dylan Long/The Reporter)
Write to Carly Bahr at caroline.bahr@mnsu.edu