January DEI Updates
LATEST DEI NEWS
Parental Leave Policy: Earlier this month, Walton Arts Center enacted a parental leave policy to support the new and growing families of our full-time staff. This policy was designed by the Executive Committee in conjunction with discussion and advice from members of the DEI Committee. We are excited to have this policy in place as we work towards making WAC a more inclusive work environment. You can read and review the policy here:
Home for the Holidays Drive: Thank you to those who participated in our Home for the Holidays Drive, bringing in holiday objects of significance and donating household items to the Peace at Home Shelter! We plan to make this an annual tradition at WAC, so stay tuned for next year’s drive.
DEI Education Corner
“I am an artist because I am endlessly fascinated by the raw edge of
physical beauty.” - Andrew Kilgore
This month’s education lesson is an assignment. For over 50 years, photographer Andrew Kilgore has captured genuine moments of openness and vulnerability in special groups of people who share the quality of being marginalized or “unseen” by the general public. Historically Andrew has intentionally sought out diverse subjects to photograph to ensure his fine art images represent the underrepresented diversity of those who live in the State of Arkansas. Take a few minutes to visit the Kilgore exhibit this month.
Joy Pratt Markham Gallery, Walton Arts Center
January 6 – March 19, 2023
January Holiday Highlights:
January is International Brain Teaser Month: Mental stimulation by doing puzzles and riddles is known to prevent cognitive decline as we get older. They can help memory and focus. Riddles date all the way back to the 5th century
How to Observe:
Plan a daily mental challenge - Try out a Rubix cube or a book of brain teasers
Solve puzzles you typically wouldn’t - Attempt working out things that you wouldn’t normally try like word games or math problems
Create online challenges - Send invites and play games with friends and family on your phone.
National Pizza Week - January 8-14: This is a week-long celebration that starts on the second Sunday in January. It’s thought to be that the Egyptians and Greeks made the first pizza in the form of a flatbread with olive oil and herbs. Then when Roman armies entered Greece and Egypt, they adopted some of their cuisines, including this flatbread pizza. During the occupation of Italy by allied forces, American soldiers ate lots of Italian food and when the war ended, they brought back the recipe for pizza to America. There are reports that state 350 slices of pizza are eaten every second in the U.S.
How to Observe:
Make your own pizza - Grab some ingredients from the store and make it your own
Host a pizza party - Invite some friends over and try out a variety of everyone’s favorite pizzas
Share the goodness with the homeless - Share a slice with someone in need. Many pizza places have a “buy a slice/take a slice” policy to help those with food insecurity - ask at the counter!
National Arkansas Day - January 11 - Arkansas is the 25th state to become part of the Union. It is called the Wonder State or Natural State because of its abundance of parks and water. The capital is Little Rock, the mockingbird is the state insignia, the flower is the apple blossom, and its tree is the pine. Arkansas originated from the word “acansaw” and its territory initially was occupied by the Osage, Caddo, and Quapaw. In 1541, the first European explorer to visit Arkansas was Spaniard Hernando De Soto and then was later explored by Frenchmen, the first to settle down was Henri De Tonty in 1681. He created a European settlement in the Quapaw village called The Arkansas Post.
How to Observe:
Visit Arkansas - Or, in our case, visit someplace new in Arkansas.
Read up on its history - hop online or go find out what your local library has and learn more about Arkansas.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day - January 16: Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed on the 3rd Monday of January every year. The idea of the holiday was first promoted by labor unions. After King’s death, U.S. Representative John Conyers and U.S. Senator Edward Brooke introduced a bill in Congress to make King’s birthday a national holiday. When it came to vote in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1979 it failed. In 1981 Stevie Wonder hosted the Rally for Peace Press conference and six million signatures were collected for a petition for Congress to pass the law. It’s considered the largest petition in favor of an issue. President Reagan signed a bill, proposed by Rep Katie Hall, on November 2, 1983. It passed Senate by 78 to 22 and the House by 338 to 90. The first observation was January 20, 1986. It is observed on the 3rd Monday instead of directly on his birthday to follow the guidelines of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.
How to Observe:
Learn MLK’s full history and narrative - Take some time to become more informed about MLK. Read his works as well as the ones written by his family.
Support the Black community and racial justice - Take time to understand and support civil rights and the issues facing communities of color. Despite the progress MLK and his contemporaries made in the civil rights movement, there is still much more work to be done.
Have a conversation - Having discussions about racial injustice is important. These conversations can educate each other, share experiences with one another, and work to create a better future.
Korean New Year - January 22: The Korean New Year or “Seollal” is a festival and national holiday marking the first day of the Korean calendar. It is the most important traditional Korean holiday. It occurs in January or February on the second new moon after the winter solstice unless there is an intercalary 11th or 12th month in the lead-up to the New Year. Seollal has its roots in traditional Chinese Confucianism and usually lasts 3 days - The day before, the New Year itself, and the day after. Like the Chinese New Year, each year celebrates a different animal - mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. The order is thought to be based on the sequence in which they were invited to see Buddha. The first recorded history that celebrated Seollal dates back to 57 B.C. in Silla, an old kingdom. '
How to Observe:
“Saehae bok mani badeuseyo” in Korean means “Please receive a lot of luck in the new year”
Give gifts - It is customary to give and receive gifts which extend beyond homes to workplaces. Companies usually give their employees gifts.
Play folk games - Folk games are a big part of the New Year. The most popular game is “Yut Nori,” a traditional board game. Men sometimes go out and fly kites while women participate in “Neolttwigi,” a game similar to seesaw except participants stand on each end and propel the other person into the air.
Eat Korean Food - Most large gatherings in any culture revolve largely around food, and Korea is no exception. Tteokguk (rice cake soup) is a popular comfort food. Check out some of the local Korean restaurants in the area to try out something new, like Spoon Fusion Korea Oh K-Dog right on Dickson St.
Thanks to Leslie Cowles for this month’s Holiday Highlights!
INTERESTED IN JOINING DEI?
Have a look at our Vision, Values and Agreements statement. Each member, new and existing, will be required to sign the agreement before their first meeting. The statement outlines expectations for all members of the committee, and guidelines for participation in projects and meetings. You can view the statement here: