2011 Diversity Day Speakers/Performers Announced

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., on January 14, Greenhills will celebrate Diversity Day — a day of learning devoted to issues of multiculturalism, equity and social justice. Keynotes, performances, and sessions will feature internationally renowned experts and performers as well as local activists and artists.  Highlights of the day will include:

OPENING KEYNOTE:
Scott Page, Kiddie Pools, Red Balloons, and Netflix: Building a Science of Diversity [theater]
Page is professor of complex systems, economics, and political science at U-M. His research on diversity focuses on “how to harness diversity’s untapped potential, how to understand and avoid its traps, and how we can leverage our differences for the benefit of all.”

OPENING PERFORMANCE:
Mady Kouyate, African Oral History and Music [theater]
Kouyate plays the kora, a 21-string West African harp. He is the descendant of a tradition of griots (musician-storytellers) in Senegal that extends back over 100 generations. He has toured the globe as an individual performer and with various musical groups.

CLOSING KEYNOTE:
Maria Cotera, Fear of an Immigration Planet [theater]
Cotera is director of Latina/o studies at the U-M and associate professor of American culture and women’s studies. Her work seeks to understand the past, present and future experiences of Latinas/os in the U.S.

CLOSING PERFORMANCE: Gratitude Steel Band [gym]
Gratitude Steel Band is a prolific group of musicians who play traditional Caribbean steel drums. Their performances blend harmonies of voice, guitar, steel drums and other instruments, drawing on the musical traditions of Africa, the Caribbean, and the U.S.

“The student members of SOAR (Students Organized Against Racism) have been working hard to plan this event for the upper school,” says Greenhills director of diversity Nadine Hall.  “This year’s Diversity Day promises to be very engaging and interactive.”