Community activists speak at Pitt’s annual diversity forum

Feminista Jones, feminist writer, public speaker and community activist, shared her thoughts on what diversity looks like in institutions during her speech at the Diversity Forum on Wednesday. 

“The goal of diversity is unity, and that unity can only happen when we recognize each other as valuable because of our differences, not in spite of them,” Jones said. 

Jones was the closing speaker at Pitt’s Diversity Forum, an annual event which took place from Jan. 23-24 as part of MLK Social Justice Week at University of Pittsburgh.

This year’s Diversity Forum theme was “amplifying voices through active listening and constructive dialogue.” Speakers from various backgrounds came together to discuss the importance of listening to others.

Zuly Inirio, a scholar, activist and social worker who has presented throughout the U.S and Europe, spoke at Wednesday’s event. Inirio said she wanted the panel discussion to explore how artistic expression is important to amplifying voices and can facilitate difficult conversation along with the power behind art.

“I was motivated to share the perspectives of Black women in Pittsburgh and how they utilize art as a vehicle for social justice and equity in this city,” Inirio said.

Inirio also emphasized the importance of events like the Diversity Forum because they can expose people to different perspectives and encourage them to speak up about causes that are important to them. 

Tushita Mayanil, a child psychiatrist at the Western Psychiatric Hospital, presented about the cultural and systemic issues in mental health care that can affect an individual’s identity.

“Mental health issues have been talked about more on campus as well, which is very encouraging,” Mayanil said. “However, the mental health care system has not been very equitable so far, and a lot of the mental health community is realizing the need to address that.”

Jones closed the Diversity Forum events with a speech about the importance of diversity and listening to others.

“When we talk about diversity, as buzz-wordy as it has become, we have to remember it is all about creating an environment in which all individuals are treated fairly and respectfully,” Jones said. “What we are seeing happen in the U.S. right now, in regard to attacks on efforts to promote these ideals, is some of the worst that I have ever seen.”

Jones went on to say that diversity has become a word surrounded by fear.

“We are in a time where people are afraid to even say or use the word ‘diversity’ for fear of backlash, losing funding, being shut down, losing their jobs,” Jones said. 

It is crucial to recognize and embrace diversity, according to Jones.

“The goal of diversity is unity, and that unity can only happen when we recognize each other as valuable because of our differences, not in spite of them,” Jones said. “We can’t talk about living in a colorblind society because that erases the differences that we all have.” 

Jones went on to discuss why it is important to strengthen diversity through dedicating time and resources to figuring out how to listen to others. 

“Diversity isn’t just about race and gender. While those two remain incredibly important areas to focus on, we also have to consider things like gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disabilities, social class and background,” Jones said. “These are all things that give people a unique lens on how they experience the world.”

Jones said these kinds of conversations make us think about ways individuals have been harmful to others, and as individuals, we may not want to hear what we did wrong, but it is crucial to grow as individuals.

Jones also said while it is important to have these conversations, action is still very important in speaking about diversity and amplifying other’s voices.

“We can have these conversations, we can get together and have our breakout rooms, we can have our sessions, we can do all of this kind of stuff,” Jones said. “But we have to make sure we are following through with the implementation of those things.”

Jones went on to discuss how sometimes she is discouraged and questions if we are losing a sense of implementation, but when she looks online, she is able to see how important that media can be in activism.

“I see people showing up. They are courageous. They’re exercising their rights, even in some places where they don’t have the right to that kind of protest and they’re doing it anyway. And that is what it is going to take,” Jones said. “We have to put people first. We have to remember that we are not products to be consumed.”