Do You Even Know Me? Diversity at Westminster
The current Fellow for Intercultural Engagement at Westminster, Abdullah Al-Hadeethi ’14 began working on a project last fall to encourage the understanding of diversity and cultural differences. The result was “Do You Even Know Me?” – an on-campus photography exhibit that showcased photos of Westminster community members of different backgrounds. Al-Hadeethi recently took that work online and developed a web site to display his project.
The “Do You Even Know Me?” web site features the stories and photos of more than 20 Westminster students and faculty members.
The project holds two main purposes, according to Al-Hadeethi. The first is to show the meaning of diversity. The second is to raise awareness about the importance of not judging people based on prejudice, stereotypes, and appearances.
“Diversity isn’t only about which country we are from,” says Al-Hadeethi. “It also includes age, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, gender, race, ability, and many more aspects of what makes us human.”
In the project, each photograph is paired with a personal account. By first looking at the picture, and then reading the account, viewers get the chance to think about how they sometimes create preconceived ideas about people before truly getting to know them. Al-Hadeethi hopes the project will lead people to be more accepting of diversity.
Students and faculty examine photos on display during the fall 2014 “Do You Even Know Me?” exhibit.
Feature photo and information provided by the project’s official website.
I meet two Iran sister at Westminster who went to William Woods. They proceed to tell me how much they hated the United States even though they were going to school here. A few month later the Shah of Iran was overthrown. This is my first real encounter with diversity at Westminster.