Denise Green is eager to lay the groundwork to help educate people about diversity.

Green, associate vice president for Institutional Diversity, said laying a foundation is especially important following the uproar from the four nooses hung in the Engineering and Technology Building on Nov. 12.

“In order to get past the hostile climate, it’s important for the community to understand these incidents,” Green said. “We want people to be themselves – to live comfortable without being threatened.”

Green and others took steps Thursday toward a campus forum titled “Hate Symbols, Bias Incidents and Campus Climate: What’s The Big Deal?”

The two-hour presentation in Warriner Hall, sponsored by the Academic Senate and the Office of Institutional Diversity, allowed seven professors to discuss hate crimes.

“It makes me feel unsafe and I’m not even in the minority,” said Mount Pleasant junior Ashley Whitten.

The presentation aimed to inform attendees about behaviors facing people of color, Native Americans, people with different sexual preferences and other minorities.

Statistics presented during the forum showed that the CMU experience is less positive for people of color than it is for whites.

“The statistics were my favorite part,” said Saline junior Andrea Thornton. “They were pretty shocking.”

Green said it is easy to think the issues facing minorities are not a big deal. She said she hopes this presentation will begin to open up an understanding and encourage people to think about it more and ask questions.

“It seems like it was a good idea because it’s not brought up a lot on campus,” Thornton said.

The panel answered questions at the end of the presentation, including one about finding ways to help people cope. The panel said the best way to cope with prejudices is to find similar people to associate with and talk to.

During an introduction speech, University President Michael Rao said people must live together without harming each other.

“Our differences help us succeed together if we treat them in the right way,” Rao said.

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