A diverse panel will discuss “Campus Race Relations” as part of the Unity in Diversity Week, which runs from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1.

The Rev. Eric Dale, from United Campus Ministries, and the Rev. Brenda Eatman, from the United Church of Christ in Chicago, are arranging the panel discussion to be held Sunday at 6:30 p.m. in the Holmes Student Center.

Dale said, “A general question will be given out for all panelists to consider and discuss, and later it will be opened up for discussion among the audience. The question is ‘Given your own experience that you perceive to be on the Northern Illinois University campus and city of DeKalb, what is the main factor contributing to the tension between ethnic and minority people and non-ethnic and non-minority people?'”

On the board will be Monique LaMaitre, a faculty member from the Latino community, and Stacy Dolby, NIU assistant director of Housing Services and a white faculty adviser for a number of black fraternities. Other members on the board, who have not been named yet, will be black alumni, a student who has not dealt with a mixed community before, and a community representative.

Eatman will serve as the event’s moderator. Each panelist will be given five minutes to respond to a question, followed by dialogue among panelists, and then questions from the audience will be asked.

Prior to the panel discussion will be a 15 to 20-minute speech by keynote speaker Rev. Theodore Erickson from New York. Erickson is the general secretary of the Division of the American Missionary Association of the United Church of Christ Board for Homeland Ministries.

Dale said, “The national officers on the United Church of Christ initiated the project and Erickson will be speaking about the church’s role, the campus’ role and the community’s role.”

The welcoming speeches will be by Jon Dalton, NIU vice president for Student Affairs, Pam Bozeman, representing the Black Student Union, and DeKalb Mayor Greg Sparrow. Dale said, “There may be more speakers added, but these are (the only ones) confirmed at this point.”

Before the discssion, Dale will give a 15-minute speech on the synopsis of a report that will appear in the Oct. 1 issue of the Chicago Reporter. In the spring, Dale and other campus ministers did research and compiled data on the status of minorities in the state of Illinois. The results of this report will be featured in the issue.

A workshop Monday morning discussing similar issues concerning racism will begin at 9 a.m. and officially starts at 9:30 a.m. in the student center’s Heritage Room. A film will be shown titled “From Harlem to Harvard,” produced by students at Harvard University.