CMU’s Cultural Diversity Board will host its first “A Day Without Hate” event from 1–8 p.m. in front of the Academic Classroom Building on Wednesday.
“We want to try and accomplish a feeling of unity at CMU,” Gay-Straight Alliance President Donovan Haynie said. “We want people to feel like they belong, and that it’s safe for them to walk alone without fear of being harassed.”
Part of CDB’s mission is to strive to promote and support ethnic and cultural groups on campus and contribute to the process of dismantling the destructive power of prejudice and intolerance.
After hearing stories of both physical and verbal harassment to individuals on campus, CDB members sat down and began planning the event. They began earlier this month with each cultural club participating.
“We wanted to do this because that’s what CDB is here for, to educate on diversity,” Native American Student Council President Onyx Cly-Peek said. “It’s something to be proud of. When people are victims of hate crimes, they’re scared to be who they are.”
The event’s festivities will include taking photos, face painting, signing anti-hate petitions and spray-painting T-shirts. Students that wish to spray paint T-shirts are asked to bring a plain, white shirt to decorate to promote acceptance and peace.
“It takes more time and energy to discriminate than it does to just accept,” Cly-Peek said.
CDB will also tell various hate crime stories, and will have an open mic for students to share their own stories. There will be hate crime statistics written on the sidewalk around campus. The event will end with a glow stick vigil and a moment of silence for all victims of hate crimes.
“This is a really great event to promote awareness, and hopefully it’ll spread somewhere,” GSA Vice President Alex Claunch said.
CDB officials said they hope that A Day Without Hate will become a good reoccurring event for the school.
“We hope that people will see that hate crimes happen and to stick up for what they believe in,” Cly-Peek said.
For more information, call 248-1664 or visit the CDB on the second floor of the University Center.

acastro@mavs.coloradomesa.edu