NIU’s Unity in Diversity program won an award in a national competition for encouraging cultural expression.

The diversity program was one of the top three winners in the “multicultural programming” competition held at the National Association for Campus Activities’ 1991 convention held in Nashville, Tenn. Michelle Emmett, director of University Programming and Activities, and NIU students accepted the award.

“I feel that the program has been very successful due to the fact that people have become much more aware of the activities that we have,” said Assistant Housing Director Willard Draper. Draper co-chaired the Unity and Diversity program with senior Christy Nosek, a communications major.

Unity in Diversity began as a week-long program after NIU President John La Tourette named a Task Force on Discrimination in the late 1980s to identify racial campus problems.

“Because the student newspaper continued to publish positive and negative reactions for more than a month after Unity in Diversity Week, it was clear there was a heightened level of awareness on campus,” said Barbara Henley, vice president for Student Affairs.

Some of the events held as part of the Unity in Diversity program included a “Hands-Across-Campus” rally, a multi-culture fashion show, and a fall 1990 lecture by 1960s activist Angela Davis.

As for future plans for the program, Draper said, “There is still a lot more work to be done.”