Three lectures will be presented over the next month to inform the Ball State community about ways to improve modern-day diversity.
The first of three lecture series will be tonight at 7 p.m. in TC 101. Associate professor of communication studies Beth Messner will be presenting "Voices of Intolerance: The Nature and Function of Hate Speech."
Messner said she is hoping many students will attend her lecture to learn more about hate speech as a whole.
"Although it is open to the university community, the lecture will be directed largely to students," Messner said. "It is to identify what qualifies as hate speech. It is also important to know the motives behind it to make more informed decisions about how to react."
Messner's speech is meant to bring light to hate speech, not just with organizations known for hate crimes, but hate speech that is used everyday by peers and others in students' everyday lives.
The lectures are sponsored by the Office of Institutional Diversity. The lectures are meant to define and support diversity in the areas of race, gender, ethnicity, physical capabilities and sexual orientation.
Two more lectures will be held in the diversity series. On Nov. 3, the second lecture will be presented about culture rhythms and design. A presentation about diversity and innovation will be held on Nov. 26, and it will be the final lecture in this year's diversity series.
Charles Payne, director of the lecture series, said the lecture series is a great way to make students realize how diversity is in their own lives.
"The idea is to show the importance of diversity in society and how comprehensive it is today," Payne said. "Sometimes kids don't realize what they say is a reflection of their attitudes."
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