MLK Keynote speaker Dr. Aminata Cairo speaks to students about the importance of building a community. Photo by Hallie West
Western Carolina’s Martin Luther King Jr. week long celebration continued with Dr. Aminata Cairo speaking to an audience of students and faculty about the importance of diversity and building a community.
To a crowd of around 130 people in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center, Cairo engaged with her audience in a native Suriname call and response song with the audience meaning, “we come together, right here, right now.”
Dr. Aminata Cairo presented her address about the importance of inclusion in both academia and the community. Cairo told her audience that achieving such a community would require hard work and listening.
Cairo was born in the Netherlands to Surinamese parents. As a lecturer on inclusive education at The Hauge University of Applied Statistics in The Netherlands, she works to promote inclusion in the academic level as well as in the community. For her work, she has received the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award in 2013 as well as the Honorary Order of the Palm in 2016.
Cairo’s talk, titled “Re-Defining Us in All of Our Richness,” related to this year’s campus wide theme of “defining America.” Cairo said “theme” is a vision but that “defining” was an action word.
“The idea of taping into whatever inspires us and acting upon it,” said Cairo.
Cairo also spoke about the importance of discussing topics that often make us uncomfortable and likened it to blues music, claiming that it is painful but also beautiful.
“You have to go through the pain to end up in the good place,” she said.
Cairo also acknowledged that building a community will not come overnight.
“We have mechanisms to maintain the difference,” she said.
This difference to which Cairo is referring is all inequalities that are so often ignored and not discussed out of fear of having such conversations. Yet, Cairo encourages students to be brave and start the conversation.
“That’s the kind of space that we have to create,” she said.
Cairo also discussed how often only one voice is heard and encouraged the audience to speak up and help those whose voices are ignored.
“Do not speak for them or over them, but include them in the process,” she said.
Later, Cairo answered questions from the audience about current events and how they relate to her message. One audience member asked Cairo about her thoughts on the recent news story about high school students disrespecting a Native American man.
She answered that instead of reacting too quickly with violence and anger, there must be room for discussion. She also encouraged listeners to start with forgiveness.
“Forgiveness forces you to see people as people,” she said.
Cairo’s words were well received by audience members who found a lot of truth in her message.
“I think it’s something everyone needs to hear,” said student John Palmieri.
Anthropology professor, Dr. Katie Zejdlik, agreed that Cairo’s message about building a community was one that many needed to hear.
“She said a lot of things that I wish we were hearing a lot,” Zejdlik said.
Cairo’s speech comes as one of many events happening around campus for Martin Luther King Jr. celebration week.
Dates for other events during the week can be found here.
