Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Resource Library

The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry assures that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities, and employment and is committed to serving all people -- regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, or sexual orientation. To fulfill this mission, we all must confront our biases and actively pursue the goal of equity and inclusion for all. This page offers resources to help you learn, grow and change. 

These videos have been curated by the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee to guide you along the journey of creating a better and more just School of Dentistry.

Anthony Peterson, an educator and diversity consultant, gives a frank talk about race and how we discuss it in "What I am learning from my white grandchildren - truths about race." Peterson researches, designs and facilitates workshops on diversity and inclusion.

In this TED Talk, Vernā Myers, VP of Inclusion Strategy for Netflix and author of “Moving Diversity Forward,” makes a plea in this funny and poignant video "How to come overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them."

The University of Minnesota Office of Academic Clinical Affairs assembled four experts in the fields of public health, policy, global health, and law to discuss racism as a public health crisis in the United States in "Addressing Racial Inequities in Health Outcomes During COVID and Beyond."

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Juneteenth

Juneteenth Freedom Day - June 19

On June 19, 1865 in Galveston, Texas, Major General Gordon Granger read General Order No. 3 that stated all slaves were free. This was more than two years after the formal issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, but slavery was still rampant, especially in Texas where there were few Union troops. When Granger read the order, there were more than 250,000 slaves in the state. The news of freedom was long delayed by the slaveholders, in a state under Confederate control until the end of the war, and it set off wide ranging celebrations among the enslaved Black people in Texas. From Junetheenth.com:

“Juneteenth today, celebrates African American freedom and achievement, while encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures. As it takes on a more national, symbolic and even global perspective, the events of 1865 in Texas are not forgotten, for all of the roots tie back to this fertile soil from which a national day of pride is growing." 

We will all observe Juneteenth each in our own way, but for those of us who wish to learn more, do more, and more deeply understand why Juneteenth matters, I wish to share some resources, information and events. If you have something you wish to share with the School of Dentistry community please do - the more we learn the more we grow.

Learn about Juneteenth:

Local Events and Resources

Juneteenth Celebration - June 18, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Commemorative March at Willard Park, Block party at Plymouth and Penn

Join the University of Minnesota Juneteenth Celebration: https://juneteenth.umn.edu/ or volunteer!
Minneapolis Parks and Recreation – Celebrating Freedom Day
Celebrate JUNETEENTH with CHOOSE LOVE MINNESOTA and LIFETIME
Juneteenth - Hennepin County Library

Pride Month

Minnesota pride

June kicks off Pride month, during which we celebrate our LGBTQ+ community. The University will be represented at Twin Cities Pride events. Other events are also planned in the coming months across Minnesota.

Pride commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City. More than 50 years later, the movement has continued the fight for equal rights. As we celebrate the progress that has been made, we are particularly aware of recent struggles and harm experienced by transgender, Black, Indigenous, and community members of color. Pride month calls on us to recommit to the work of ensuring the protection of all members of our community, and to recognize with appreciation the important contributions of our University’s LGBTQ+ family.

Learn More and Get Involved

  • Join the School of Dentistry’s LGBTQ+ meetup on the third Thursday of every month, 12:15-1:00pm via Zoom. Join other faculty, staff, students, and alumni in a space that provides advocacy, support and celebration. Contact Elizabeth at [email protected] for the Zoom link.
  • Join [email protected]. Pride @ Work is the UofM’s affinity group for LGBTQIA employees. Housed in the Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life, Pride @ work links together LGBTQIA employees at the UofM through monthly luncheons, critical coffee chats and/or after-work socials. Join this incredible group of LGBTQIA employees who link together across the University of Minnesota to engage in social and professional networking, creating campus-wide change, and discussing critical topics that impact LGBTQIA employees.  
  • Library of Congress - LGBTQ+ Pride Month

University Resources

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

AAPI month

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month takes place from May 1st to May 31st. It is a celebration of the historical and cultural contributions of the people of Asian American and Pacific Islander descent in the US. The AAPI term includes cultures from the entire Asian continent—including East, Southeast and South Asia—and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Explore how to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month. 

Visit the Asian American Pacific Islander Resource Center. The Asian Pacific American Resource Center (APARC) is a community committed to affirming the experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students and their diverse communities. http://aparc.umn.edu/ 

Visit the AAPI Resource Library. The APARC Library is located in Appleby Hall room 311 in the Asian Pacific American Resource Center (APARC). It is an Asian American Pacific Islander resource library filled with fiction, non-fiction, poetry, biographies, graphic novels, children’s literature, academic research, documentaries and movies surrounding Asian American identity. Read more!

Listen to podcasts. 

  • At the Moment: Asian American News “What You Need to Know About Anit-Asian Violence”
  • Asian Enough “Margaret Cho”
  • Culturally Relevant w/ David Chen “Diary: The Murders in Georgia”
  • Asian Americana “Helpers in the Time of Coronavirus”

Explore and Learn.

Fun Facts.

  • The Four Great inventions of ancient China (四大發明) are celebrated in Chinese culture for their historical significance and as symbols of ancient China's advanced science and technology. They are papermaking, printing, gunpowder, and the compass.
  • 4.72 billion people live in Asia as of April 2022! (out of 7.9 billion worldwide)
  • Hiram Leong Fong became the first Asian-American US Senator in 1959. An American businessman, lawyer and politician, he is the son of Cantonese immigrants.
  • Sir Rabindranath Tagore was the first Asian Nobel laureate, winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.
  • Steel was first produced by Indian metalworkers in 400 BC.
  • Tu Youyou won the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her discovery of artemisinin, a malaria treatment which has saved millions of lives worldwide. She used ancient Chinese medical texts from the Zhou, Qing and Han dynasties to isolate this compound from traditional herbal remedies.
  • Mamie Tape was an 8-year-old Chinese-American girl who helped desegregate San Francisco schools in 1885 through her bid to the California Supreme Court seven decades before Brown v. Board of Education.
  • Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee became the first Chinese woman to earn a PhD in economics from Columbia University. Dr. Lee published her research as a book called “The Economic History of China” in 1921.
  • Thelma G. Buchholdt was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives becoming the first Filipinx American legislator elected in the US. In 2009, she was inducted into the Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame.
  • In 1964, Patsy Mink was the first woman of color elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. During her Congressional career, Mink introduced the Early Childhood Education Act and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and was a co-author for Title IX.
  • Dalip Singh Saund was the first Sikh and first Asian American to be elected to the the U.S. House of Representatives, where he advocated for farmers and was a fierce supporter of the 1957 Civil Rights bill.

Women's History Month

Women's History Month

Women's History Month is a dedicated month to reflect on the often-overlooked contributions of women to United States history. The month of March and International Women’s Day, celebrated March 8, are dedicated to remembering the glass-ceiling shattering suffragists, visionaries, and trailblazing women who have fought for equality on behalf of women today and women of the future. 

How to celebrate Women’s History Month

Learn more! 

Listen to podcasts who have a female host. Here’s a list of the 7 podcasts hosted by women.

Watch films about famous women. The best way to honor history is to understand it. Learn about the women who cracked the glass ceiling or completely shattered in all sectors of life.

Recognize, Share & Uplift. One of the ways to celebrate Women’s History Month beyond March is to connect and uplift an inspiring woman in your life. If you’re a mother to a young girl or have a niece, how can you share a woman's history with her? Help her recognize that National Women’s History Week and International Women’s Day are celebrations of the ideas, experiences, and shared history of females around the globe with these activities. 

International Women’s Day. Celebrate women's achievement. Raise awareness against bias. Take action for equality.

Black History Month

Black History Month web header

Visit Where it Starts for stories of U of M students, faculty, staff, and alums. 

Visit University of Minnesota Events for a  non-comprehensive list of events taking place systemwide throughout Black History Month, 2023

Friends of the University Libraries recently hosted a series of three events under the umbrella of Amplifying Black Narratives. Learn more by watching the recordings below. 

  1. Past, Present and Future 
  2. Black Publishers and Black Bookstores
  3. The Creation of Black Narratives 

ELM resources for Black History Month:February is Black History Month, an annual celebration of the achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history.

Many eLibrary Minnesota databases offer information, articles, images, and other resources in their collections around this topic:

Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month! Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 to October 15, celebrates contributions to the United States' society and culture made by Americans with roots from Latin American countries. Originally started with one week of commemoration  in 1968, and expanded to one month in 1988. Its timing is aligned with the independence anniversaries of several Latin American countries, many of which fall between September 15 and 18.

Here at the School of Dentistry we encourage you to take some time to self-educate, support local business and celebrate the rich contributions of our Latinx community.

Latinx (Hispanic) Heritage Month Resources:

Video Resources

National Hispanic Heritage Month

Food