Diversity quilts: Promoting multicultural awareness
Journal of College Student Development

Gordon and Bonner II, (1998) maintain that "multiculturalism and diversity are issues which are mentioned in every classroom, boardroom and hidden alcove within the confines of the ivory tower" (p. 40). Pope and Reynolds (1997) parallel and extend this assertion by stating that the growing multicultural dynamics of many higher educational institutions dictate the need for student affairs professionals to address multicultural issues and acquire skills to work with diverse populations. Further-more, Sutton (1998) states that as student populations grow more ethnically and culturally diverse, university professionals are challenged to create campus environments that are welcoming and inclusive.

Again and again, promotion of multiculturalism, multicultural awareness, and diversity has cropped up in the literature (Howard-- Hamilton, Richardson, and Shuford, 1998), as tasks for higher educational officials to embrace (Grieger, 1996; Sutton 1998; Brown 1998). Addressing multicultural issues has been on the agenda of higher educational institutions for several decades, and, fortunately, campuses have invested energy toward developing multi-- culturally sensitive and affirming environments that support an appreciation of cultural differences (Pope & Reynolds, 1997). Cultural diversity can be recognized and promoted through specific activities, programs, and projects. A project that can be added to the ever-- growing list of programs that promote multi-- cultural awareness is the Diversity Quilt. This culturally embrasive piece of art is a collection of quilt squares that have each been designed to represent some cultural component of the designer.

Quilts have long been a historical document, a form of communication, and a work of fine art. Their history can be traced from Africa to the Caribbean and into the Americas (Jackson, 1999). As Dr. Mazloomi writes, "Quilts... serve as the primary transmitters of the cultural, political, social, and spiritual values by which their artists live" (as cited in Dodson, 1999, p. 41). When perceived in this way, it becomes evident that quilts can be used to display, embrace, and preserve the vast cultural diversities that exist and continue to grow on college campuses today. Furthermore, using a quilt to promote multiculturalism provides a simultaneous symbol of unity and individualism.