Saturday, November 14, 2015

Presented by the University of Oklahoma Womens Outreach Center

What is
MOSAIC ?
Mosaic: Social Justice Symposium is a celebration of diverse identities and the
individual voices and ideas on our campus. The University of Oklahoma adheres to
the belief that There's Only One Oklahoma and, through shared traditions and
achievements, we become a unified University community. Though we have this
singular connection, our campus is not a melting pot, a collision of cultures that
blend and assimilate to create a homogeneous, harmonious culture, with all
differences erased. Instead, the University of Oklahoma is a mixture of communities
coming together while simultaneously retaining fantastically distinct identities,
which are valuable and ought to be celebrated.
Mosaic: Social Justice Symposium is an opportunity for students to learn and
discuss issues within social justice. The symposium will challenge the origins of
oppression and inequality, empower all people to exercise their own voices, and
encourage participants to realize their full potential. It will build social solidarity
and foster collective action.
The symposium is not only student planned and organized, but it also encourages
undergraduate and graduate students to address and question the vast spectrum
that is social justice through presentations, research, and discussion forums. As
such, the views presented during the symposium are as unique and individual as
our campus community and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Women's
Outreach Center. Mosaic is a powerful event, as it allows students from all
disciplines to come together for one day to learn and grow from the knowledge
and experiences of fellow students. With issues such as, but not limited to, human
rights, gender disparities, political and cultural oppression, racial discrimination,
classism, sexuality, education, economic inequality, ableism, ethnicity, religion, and
environmentalism, students on our campus will have a platform and an
opportunity to share their passions with their peers, colleagues, and mentors. As
we explore the many identities of social justice, we aim to grow collectively
stronger to form a perfectly imperfect work of art: a mosaic.

A Letter From
The Symposium chair
You cannot, you cannot use someone else's fire. You can only use your own. And in order to do that,
you must first be willing to believe that you have it. Audre Lorde
It is with pleasure that I, on behalf of the Women's Outreach Center and the Mosaic Executive
Committee, welcome you to the third annual Mosaic: Social Justice Symposium at the University
of Oklahoma.
Surrounding you are extraordinary individuals who are making a difference in the lives of others
and who have helped make today possible. Thank you to our student presenters and keynote
speakers for reminding us that, in whatever capacity, we are all agents of change. Thank you to
the Executive Committee and our Mosaic sponsors for creating a forum where the University
community can bring to the forefront contemporary issues of social justice. It has been an
incredible journey and a privilege working with these amazing groups of people.
Today, you will engage in powerful, stimulating, and challenging discussions fostered by
undergraduate and graduate students at our University. I encourage you to expand your horizons
by meeting new people, exploring different perspectives, and gaining innovative knowledge and
insight into the ever-changing world around us. Do all this to sustain and advance a commitment
to transform society and fight for the whole person. Let the voices of these pioneers resonate and
awaken the activist inside you.
Remember, people can think differently without being intrinsically wrong. We all have a story that
provides a trajectory of experiences, and those experiences support our individual identities and
beliefs. Listen to the voices of those around you, because everyone deserves a chance to be
heard. Most importantly, remember that you make the difference in our community. When you
stand in support of others, you change the world.
Mosaic is a chance for us to see what our community is capable of when we come together to
celebrate and affirm our differences. As you participate in the symposium today, take a moment
to truly open your eyes, look around, and reflect. When our diverse identities stand together, a
strong portrait of what it means to be a citizen of our world is revealed in a beautiful mosaic.
In solidarity,

Kasey Catlett
Assistant Director
LGBTQ and Health Programs
Women's Outreach Center

Thank You to Our Sponsors

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Keynote Speakers
Roksana Alavi, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor Interdisciplinary Studies
Dr. Roksana Alavi is an Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at the
University of Oklahoma College of Liberal Studies as well as an affiliate
faculty at the University of Oklahoma Women and Gender Studies program.
She is also involved with Social Justice Center and the Iranian Studies
program. Before teaching for the University, Dr. Alavi was an assistant
professor of Philosophy in South Texas College.
Dr. Alavi received her Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Kansas as
well as a Graduate Certificate in Womens Studies. Her research focuses on
identity formation, race, gender, rights, stereotyping and oppression in the
field of social and political philosophy. She has recently focused on
teaching and researching on the issues of human trafficking, both locally
and globally.
Dr. Alavi has also been involved with organizing conferences on Trafficking
of Humans and has presented on the topic both in the United States and
Mexico.

Mattie Witman
Mattie Witman is a freshman student at the University of Oklahoma,
working on a double major in finance and political science with minors in
mathematics and philosophy through the OU Honors College. Witman
graduated from Edmond Santa Fe High School at the top of her class in
2015, and is a National Merit Scholar. In 2015, they participated in the Miss
Teen Oklahoma City/Tulsa pageant and won, and it received national and
international attention with articles from MTV, Seventeen magazine, and
even from Croatia, Bosnia, and Italy. Mattie currently participates in OU
debate and also is an assistant coach at her old high school on their
debate team. She is also very passionate about LGBTQ+ social justices, as
well as ending ableism, working against racism, and studying
international politics.

Session A
Welcome

10am-10:45am

11:00 am - 11:45 pm

Lissa and Cy Wagner Hall - Room 135

Student Keynote Speaker: Mattie Whitman
Finance and Political Science First-Year Student
with minors in Mathematics and Philosophy
through the OU Honors College

Breaking the Stigma: Disability Inclusion

and Awareness at OU and Beyond

Room 145

Katherine Hawes Computer Science Undergraduate

Amanda Ramwell-Tomlinson Arabic and Chemical Biosciences Undergraduate
This presentation will address misconceptions about disability and aim to inform the audience about different types of disabilities seen in everyday life and also those that are not
seen by the naked eye an invisible illness. We explore the way disabilities are generally addressed and the damaging stereotypes that comes with them and hope to challenge
people to own the word disability and make it empowering in an effort to fight for the rights of disabled people.
The presentation also introduces the audience to our plan of action for disability activism with our newly renamed club DiNA (Disability Inclusion and Awareness). We are aiming
to make OU a more inclusive campus and a more accessible space for students with disabilities, and we'll introduce tangible changes that need to take place within the OU
community and on the OU campus. Disabled voices need to be heard, and our main goal is for this presentation to be a platform for students, facility, and the community itself to
become more aware and involved in disability activism at OU and beyond.

Room 235

Making Herstory in South Oklahoma City

Lena Khader Professional Counseling, School Counseling emphasis Graduate Student

Anna Bauman, Elena Ojeda, and Rivers Henry
Co-presenters: Ann, Jackie, Lance, Melissa, Monica, and Richie
Making Herstory is a women of color organized, youth-led, community based organization in south Oklahoma City. We host weekly facilitations around women of color feminism,
ethnic studies, and our members' personal narratives and rich herstories as a form of social, political, and self-empowerment. We truly believe our high school members are the
driving force behind Making Herstory, and deserve to have their voices and narratives heard within the Ivory Tower. Our members hail from U.S. Grant High School, Southeast High
School, Pathways, and various other schools! This workshop will introduce you to our high school members and enable you to learn more about the importance of communitybased organizations that work with the people, not merely for the people as most of our former and current staff members were women of color raised in south OKC.

Room 240

Damn Right Sex Sell!: An Examination

of how Black Female Hip-Hop Artists Embrace
Negative Stereotypes to Appeal to the Male Gaze
Caroline Bennett Human Relations w/ Women's & Gender Studies minor Undergraduate Student
To be a successful Black female Hip-Hop artist in the music industry, it appears that one must succumb to negative images of women. Research and contemporary thought
suggest that the portrayal of black women in hip-hop cultures has been reduced to nothing more than body parts. Two phases of nonparticipant observation were utilized in the
current study. Phase One examined common themes related to appearance, lyrics, setting, and the behavior evident in videos from top female hip-hop artists nominated for 20012014 Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards. Phase Two inspected photo images of all BET female hip-hop award nominees from 2001-2014 with an emphasis on possible
appearance changes in response to contemporary portrayals of women in popular media. It is hypothesized that Black female hip hop artists self-objectify within a male
dominated industry to become successful. Discussion will include the limitations, implications, and future directions for this topic of inquiry. The purpose for this research was
threefold: to investigate the historical context behind the use of sexist imagery and commodification of the Black female body, explore the levels in which Black female Hip-Hop
artists succumb to negative images in a male-dominated industry, and lastly, evaluate the message Black female Hip-Hop artists are sending to adolescent Black girls on the
subject of womanhood.

Room 250

The Effect of Native American Mascots

on Negative Stereotypes and Attitudes towards Native Americans
Stephanie Cross Psychology Graduate Student
Currently, there is an ongoing controversy based on the possible negative outcomes of using Native American mascots as symbols for sport teams. The present research examines
the effect of using Native American sport mascots on people's negative stereotypes and attitudes toward Native Americans. In Study 1, people who are more likely to watch
sports on TV, or attend sports events, reported more negative attitudes toward Native Americans. This relationship was mediated by the approval of using Native American sport
mascots as symbols for sport teams. In Study 2, people high in right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) primed with Native American mascots were more likely to endorse negative
stereotypes of Native Americans, compared to people in a control condition. Additional analyses revealed that the endorsement of negative stereotypes partially mediated the
relationship between RWA and negative attitudes toward Native Americans in the priming condition. This research supports the view that the use of Native American sports
mascots primes negative stereotypes of Native Americans and negatively influences people's attitudes toward Native Americans.

Session B

1:15 pm - 2:00 pm

LUNCH

12 pm - 1:oo pm

Lissa and Cy Wagner Hall - Room 135

Thank you to Housing & Food and Coca-Cola
for their continued support

Room 235

El Estado de mi Agua: Norman Water

Quality and Spanish Speakers
Audra Brulc International Studies BA/MA Program

Arsenic-laden well water flowing into local lakes. Tap water with unregulated concentrations of carcinogenic hexavalent chromium. No, it's not a summary of Erin Brockovich
those are just a few of the recent concerns raised regarding Norman's municipal water supply. While Norman's water quality is a topic of conversation in both university and local
politics, most of the information available is only published and discussed in English. This presentation will discuss findings from interviews with Spanish-speaking Normanites
about their attitudes towards water quality information and activism. As activists, we must feel empowered to include all communities in our work, which sometimes requires
facing language and knowledge barriers. Lack of access to health information is an environmental and racial justice issue, and it hits especially close to home for the Norman
community. Norman's water quality information is a clear example of the ways that some communities are barred access to both knowledge and activism, with serious negative
impacts for the communities involved.

Room 240

Why OU does not recognize American Sign Language

as a Language?: Signs of Linguisticism and Audism
Among Speech Communities
Melanie McKay-Cody Linguistic Anthropology Graduate Student

Up to today, there are no signed languages classes being offered at the University of Oklahoma. American Signed Language has a long history of being misunderstood and
misconceptualized by the general public and academic universities. American Sign Language is the third largest language used in North America. The presentation will discuss
the importance of undoing the barrier set by the speech communities and to allow American Sign Language be part of the languages pool on OU's campus. The presenter is a
fluent ASL signer and strong advocate for Language Rights.

Room 250

Eradicating the Sooner Name

Ashley McCray History of Science Graduate Student,
Sydne Gray Philosophy Undergraduate Student,
Talon Claybrook Art Undergraduate Student,
Apollonia Pina Biology Undergraduate Student

Oklahoma is currently home to 38 federally recognized tribes, many of whom did not originally call Oklahoma their home. Historically known as Indian Territory, Oklahoma
became the proverbial dumping site for native tribes from the east who were affected by President Andrew Jackson's Termination Era Policies, specifically the Indian Removal Act
of 1830. While some tribes were forced to endure the Trail of Tears, other tribes were removed from several locations until finally rehomed in present-day Oklahoma. Many tribes in
Oklahoma endured an immeasurable level of trauma through forced displacement, cultural and actual genocide, and uncertainty regarding the future of their children and
people. The United States government then decided to open up these lands to non-native settlement, kicking off the Oklahoma Land Runs in 1889. Those who would take part in
the Land Runs came to be known as Boomers, while those who cheated and staked their claim before Indian Territory was officially opened to non-native settlement became
known as Sooners.

KEYNOTE
2:15PM 2:30PM
Faculty Keynote Speaker: Dr. Roksana Alavi
Assistant Professor, Interdisciplinary Studies, College of Liberal Studies
Affiliate Faculty, Women's and Gender Studies

Room 135

Session C

2:30 pm - 3:15 pm

Room 145

Tough Guise: Performing Masculinity

with the Boys of Fall
Hannah Blackwell Educational Studies Graduate Student

American football has captivated audiences and molded ideologies like few other things have. It is also a space where gender roles are clearly performed and solidified. From
sexualized rhetoric to the celebration and worship of dominance and violent aggression, football's illustration of masculinity both teaches and reinforces male attitudes and
behaviors in ways that are both destructive and dangerous. The purpose of this work is not to demonize football as it is a large part of the social fabric of college campuses. It is
instead an exploration into the performance of gender as it pertains to collective identity, rituals, sexuality, and aggression at football games in an attempt to better understand
gender socialization, reiteration, and fluidity. Through the lens of scholarly work on masculinity, participant observation, and media studies on football, this work looks to bring to
light masculine socialization, aggression, and why rhetoric such as tight end, touchdown, and end zone is both telling and desensitizing to us all. Being mindful consumers
who educate our students, friends, children, and the community so that the tough guise persona does not have to continue hurting us all is the first step toward a safer and more
understanding campus, community, and world.

Room 235

Awareness Advocacy Action: What We Can

Do to Stop the Domestic Trafficking of Minors
Constanzia Nizza, MPA Social Work Graduate Student

Human trafficking is one of the most egregious violations of human rights currently being perpetrated in the modern world. Children are one of the most vulnerable groups in
society which makes them especially susceptible to the exploitation and oppression of trafficking. Foster children comprise approximately 68% of the youth who are trafficked
each year. The substantial presence of foster children in trafficking operations has had significant implications for the work of child welfare systems and staff. There are tools and
techniques currently being utilized by Child Welfare programs which can be adapted by champions of social justice to address, and help combat, the rise of this appalling human
rights violation. More broadly, societal action must take place through legal policy. The efforts of social justice champions cannot only focus on assisting trafficked survivors; we
must also work towards stronger punishments and restrictions for those who provide the demand for commercial child sex.
This presentation will provide participants with information, tools, and techniques which they can use to either help child trafficking victims directly through recognition and
resource connections. Or help child trafficking victims indirectly through social advocacy of policies which help to limit, and hopefully one day eliminate, the demand.

The American Indian and the Classroom

Room 240

Jason Felihkatubbe Educational Leadership & Policy Studies: Educational Studies Graduate Student
This project, in collaboration with the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), examined the portrayal of the American Indian in textbooks, published by some of the
largest US textbook publishers, used in Public Educational Systems nationwide. This project updated a study conducted by NMAI three years prior. In addition to updating the
original textbook study, an analysis was conducted of state-level policy with regard to American Indian education. Although policy is changing in some states, these textbooks
are not and in some instances the portrayal of the American Indian and discussion of Indigenous contributions to US culture and society are dwindling.

Room 250

Stop Serving Meat at your Social Justice Events

William Goree Philosophy and History Undergraduate Student

Though we might not always conceive of them as such, environmentalism and environmental justice are important components of social justice. Environmental catastrophes are
human catastrophes, and the degradation of the environment disproportionately affects certain communities, such as the inhabitants of islands swallowed by rising sea levels,
and victims of Indonesian human-induced forest fires. Animal agriculture has an enormous negative impact on the environment, and thus on many vulnerable communities
worldwide. Therefore, everyone in the world should immediately become a vegan. While all of the above statements are true, the conclusion is a bit hard to execute: many people
live in areas known as food deserts where a lack of access to nutritious foods makes a healthy vegan diet difficult to achieve. In addition, people in general have an extremely
hard time giving up meat: it's estimated about three-fourths of vegetarians eventually go back to eating meat. Social justice events, such as this one, are thus ideal circumstances
to avoid serving meat. Not only does serving meatless alternatives at your social justice events mean avoiding moral qualms, it also potentially can promote norms that encourage
more conscientious eating habits in the social justice movement.

Session D

3:30 pm - 4:15 pm

Room 145

What Fifth-Graders can Teach us about

Community Organizing: Building Social
Capital using an Inquiry-Based Outreach Curriculum
Madeleine Wiens Public Administration Graduate Student

Engaging youth adds value to a social change project, even when it is done on a small scale. A program known as NeighborWalk, which was implemented at Oklahoma City
Public Schools in 2013, 2014 and 2015, is a replicable example of elementary school outreach. On Thursdays and Fridays throughout May, a group of city planners, community
organizers, neighborhood association leaders, and public health practitioners introduced fifth-graders to basic principles of community planning and civic engagement. Three
fifth-grade classes at seven schools spent six hours walking their schools' neighborhoods and using a survey sheet to document the condition of surrounding parks, streets, and
public spaces. Students then debriefed in the classroom, asking volunteers about our collective and individual responsibilities for implementing social change. Activities varied;
at one school, students wrote letters to City Council representatives requesting new sidewalk installations, while at another school, a planner taught students how zoning
ordinances can improve food access. After completing the activities, participants presented their findings to city officials and toured City Hall. By sharing best practices for
volunteer recruitment and management, summarizing curriculum materials, and highlighting program outcomes, this presentation will demonstrate how to include a public
outreach component in advocacy and organizing.

Room 235

The Wish to be a Red Indian:

The Meanings of Indianthusiasm and Volksgeist
in Germany and Eastern Europe
Kelly LaFramboise Anthropology Graduate Student

Throughout Germany, groups of mostly men gather in restaurants and follow the wagon train to powwows in surrounding countries to recreate historical Native American
cultures. Dedicated to constructing meaningful identities inspired by Native Americans, the rise of Indianers followed the World Wars when many Germans sought to regain a
sense of national pride in the wake of mass destruction and genocide. Indianers considered Native American cultures pure, anti-modern, and close to nature, and an antidote to
the ills that led to the wars. At present, Indianthusiasm is found throughout Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland, where German and Polish hobbyists recreate a
powwow circuit, and compete for who speaks the most Native languages, and has the most authentic regalia, Native foods, dances, and music. By understanding the profound
meanings that Central Europeans find in their appropriations of Native American cultures, and how these meanings both draw on and contribute to racial ideologies, this
presentation will contribute to a nuanced understanding of the meanings of race and ethnicity as they are deployed in thoroughly modern ways.

Educating Girls Break Social Barriers

Room 240

Kayla Effinger Criminology and English w/ Spanish minor Undergraduate Student

Guadalupe Garcia Biology w/ Spanish Minor Undergraduate Student
Janette Armenta Pre-occupational Therapy Undergraduate Student
We will be forming a panel of about 30 minute total. Each of our three presenters will either present with a PowerPoint or give a lecture component; these will last about 7-8
minutes each. Our presentation will revolve around the organization GirlUp and its goals. This organization works to provide an education to the hardest-to-reach adolescent girls
in Third World countries. Our plan is to focus on Guatemala, Liberia, and India. The second presenter will explain how education will ultimately affect these girls both personally
and socially. Our presentation will propose that girl's education is the root of positive societal change. We propose that giving women in these countries access to education will
ultimately be a tool in fighting that country's poverty rates. The third presenter will demonstrate how organizations like GirlUp are striving to make these positive changes in each
of the three countries, and give the audience details on the organization.

Room 250

The Do's and Don'ts of Communicating

with OU International Students
Delphine Piguet Music Graduate Student

The goal of my presentation is to create a better understanding of the dynamics between students from different countries by teaching the audience how to kindly and effectively
communicate with international students on our campus. Stereotypes exist about international students. Some of these stereotypes are true for certain individuals; however, few
apply to an entire group. Many people are swayed to perceive these stigmatized groups into homogeny when rather, they should be considered as they are; Individuals. Neither
every culture, nor every international student are the same. While they all may feel similarly stigmatized as non-United States citizens, they all come from different cultures with
various languages and backgrounds. An awareness talk is a good way to educate students and to promote a healthy way of communicating. The bottom line is that despite all of
our differences we are all alike in the fact that we all want to be accepted and loved. Therefore, we need to build tolerance among people, and among students, starting right here
on campus.

Closing Remarks
4:20PM 4:30PM
Lissa and Cy Wagner Hall Room 135

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learn more

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The College of
International Studies
is proud to support

The Mosaic:
Social Justice
Symposium

ernati

www.ou.edu/international

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The Purpose of Price

The Michael F. Price College of Business
ensures the enduring global
competitiveness of Oklahoma
and the nation.

WGS

307 W. Brooks | Norman, OK 73019

(405) 325-3611 | price.ou.edu

Thank You
For Your
Support!
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