OU-Tulsa community members joined the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the OU-Tulsa Staff Senate for some interactive fun focusing on learning and support at a recent Diversi-Tea event. During the lunch event, held as part of Staff Week on the Tulsa campus, participants got to know each other through a series of thought-provoking questions, followed by bingo.
“This was time for a diverse group of people from across campus and several clinic locations to come together, break bread together, learn about each other and have fun,” said Shawna Watkins, director of diversity, equity and inclusion at OU-Tulsa. “We all need opportunities to lay aside the demands of our jobs and have lunch with some people we might not otherwise interact with.”
Dr. Belinda Higgs Hyppolite, vice president and chief diversity officer, as well as Jonathan Still, associate director of research, assessment and special projects in the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, traveled to Tulsa from Norman to attend the event.
“The times that we get to spend together, getting to know one another on a deeper level, and reflecting on what diversity, equity and inclusion can look like lived out, are so important,” Hyppolite said. “People need to feel seen, heard and respected in their work environment and in their lives, and the best way to accomplish that is through knowing, and therefore understanding, each other better.”
Hyppolite and others who attended the event took a few minutes to share what the word “belonging” means to them in a short video. Be sure to check it out below.
