The University of New Hampshire began its 18th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration on Thursday, January 24th, 2008. It featured a photo art exhibit entitled In Search of Democracy: A Refugee Story. It highlighted the stories of seven different families from seven different countries, including Rwanda, Somalia, Croatia, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Russia-Uzbekistan, Congo, and Kuwait. A member of one family spoke for all of the families and thanked America for providing a land of great opportunity, while stressing that there was no organization established to help refugees adapt in the United States after arriving. Many of the families had a similar story about how they thought it would be easier to live in the United States, however many found it more difficult to live here because our country has a steep learning curve. While the families have enjoyed living in the United States, many stressed that they felt as if they were being ignored or even fall under prejudice because of their race, and that the media does not cover the issue of diversity enough. It was a great way to celebrate the great legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., while also recognizing that diversity isn’t about one race versus another – it’s about people from different cultures and backgrounds being able to live the American dream together as friends and family.

University of New Hampshire – 18th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration – January 24-31, 2008

Holler if You Hear Me: Race, Culture, and Democracy

A Message from the Vice Provost for Diversity Initiatives – Democracy and Inclusion

Colleges and universities are laboratories for creative and innovative inquiry; hubs for cutting edge research; and learning communities for stimulating intellectual dialogue. But more importantly, institutions for higher education are places where people can be challenged beyond their expectations to achieve academic and career successes as well as transformative knowledge, not only for themselves, but for humankind in the interest of creating a true democracy. Dr. King challenged both the power brokers and the ordinary person to see the world as it really was, and encouraged them to work to bring about change. King knew that a plan of action was necessary to advance democracy and this is also true for institutions for higher education seeking quality and inclusion.

In the fall of 2004, the University of New Hampshire endorsed the adoption of implementation of the 2004-2009 Diversity Strategic Plan. This comprehensive diversity plan solidifies the University’s commitment to excellence in providing the highest quality, broad-based education for students in a diverse, inclusive and welcoming setting. Our action plan encourages us to move outside of our comfort zone to new areas of awareness and execution. As members of the UNH community, it is incumbent upon us to cultivate an environment that embraces all of its citizens. King stated that, “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality; tied in a single garment of destiny.” Therefore, faculty, staff, administrators and students understand that a diverse and inclusive education is the key to political and social awareness that will lead us to the sort of action that transforms an institution as well as a nation.

For the 18th consecutive year, the University of New Hampshire will celebrate the life and contributions of Dr. King. However, as a nation, we are witnessing setbacks regarding human rights and civil liberties, which indicate that Dr. King’s work and mass marches were bout things that still plague our nation today. He called us to take action to address issues of education, health care, voter registration, economic stability, changing public policy, affordable housing, fair hiring practices, and increases in minimum wages for the poor.

I invite your participation in the 2008 MLK Celebratory events commemorating the work and life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This week-long celebration that focuses on King’s work for a free and just democracy should, not only prompt us to take note of the social and political injustices, but move us to take action.

Wanda Mitchell
Vice Provost & Chief Diversity Officer

January 24, 6:00 PM
Strafford Room, Memorial Union Building

Historically, Americans have expressed their ambivalence towards immigrants and refugees who seek to resettle in the U.S. While some feel newcomers add a fresh cultural and political perspective, others suggest that those who seek refuge here exact too high a cost on American society and pose a threat to our democracy.

The fear that the dispossessed culture is “too different” from our common culture has fueled lively debate in New Hampshire beginning in the early 1980s when more than 6000 refugee seekers began to make New Hampshire their home. What do we know of these people – men, women, and children who had fled their homelands because of war, persecution, or political affiliation? How different are they from you and me? How committed are we to the American adage and invitation “give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”?

This photo exhibit featuring the work of students from the University of New Hampshire, McIntosh College, and the New Hampshire Institute of Art hopes to answer some of these questions as we introduce you to seven refugee families who have come in search of a more secure union and the ideal put forth by democracy: All people are created equal and have the right to security, liberty, prosperity, and the pursuit of happiness.

Credits

We offer our sincere thanks and appreciation to all those who worked on this project, especially our participating families who so graciously shared their stories.

Collaborators – McIntosh College, NH Institute of Art

Program Coordinator – JerriAnne Boggis, UNH Office of Diversity Initiatives

Photo Editors and Curators
Richard Haynes, Associate Director of Admissions, UNH
Christine Palie, Adjunct Professor, McIntosh College
Gary Sampson, Chairperson Photography, NH Institute of Art

Photographers
Steven DiMascio, McIntosh College, Class of 2008
Ian Hartsoe, New Hampshire Institute of Art, Class of 2008
Jennifer Hill, University of New Hampshire, Class of 2009
Sean Lamoureux, NH Institute of Art, Class of 2008
Gail Roberts, McIntosh College, Class of 2008
Wegene Wells-Bogue, University of New Hampshire, Class of 2009

Participating Families
The Gakuba and Rutagengwa Families of Nashua (Rwanda)
The Habibi Family of Concord (Somalia)
The Jokic Family of Concord (Croatia)
The Mackie Family of Manchester (Liberia and Sierra Leone)
The Muradov Family of Laconia (Russia-Uzbekistan)
The Simwrayi Family of Manchester (Congo)
The Yousef Family of Manchester (Kuwait)

Researcher – Maxwell Johnson, UNH Class of 2008

Interviewers
JerriAnne Boggis, UNH Office of Diversity Initiatives
Jason Carr, UNH Class of 2008

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