Programs and Events

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Ongoing Programs

Honoring Heritage: UA is Culture
United by the title UA is Culture, Crossroads’ many programs throughout the year offer individuals the opportunity to share their cultural traditions and learn about one another.  Most prominent among these programs are: African American Heritage Month, Scottish Tartan Week, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Hispanic Latino Heritage Month, International Education Week, and Native American Heritage Month. In this way, individuals can share the paths they have traveled to come here, sharing the many cultures and faiths that make us the great international university that we are and enhancing the richness of the student experience.  We invite students, faculty, and staff of all cultures and faiths to join in planning and presenting UA is Culture. Get engaged in the Crossroads Network.

Sustained Dialogue Groups:  Strengthening Relationships among People from Different Cultures.
Sustained Dialogue is a program that helps students discuss important social issues and get to know one another.  SD was founded at Princeton University by retired Ambassador Harold Saunders who worked on the Camp David Peace Accords, and the SD training program presents professional conflict resolution, negotiation, facilitation and mediation skills to exceptional students at the college level.  Student moderators are selected by The University of Alabama and trained by the national Sustained Dialogue Campus Network, a select group of 14 colleges and universities who are national leaders in the field of intercultural dialogue.  By offering their students experience with the SD model of dialogue, these colleges and universities improve their campus communities and enhance the professional and personal lives of their students in the years following their academic study.  After the training, these student moderators are assigned to one of the dialogue groups composed of UA students from different walks of life.  Sustained Dialogue has about 40 participants on our campus who gather into several dialogue groups (based on their schedules).  Each discussion group has two moderators representing different backgrounds, and topics are chosen by the students themselves.  Click here to see national Sustained Dialogue Website.

Spoken Secrets Poetry Jam
The Spoken Secrets Poetry Jam is a student-led initiative of the Crossroads Community Center that offers an atmosphere for students, faculty and staff to showcase their talents through poetry, music, dance, and art.  The multicultural gathering brings students of different backgrounds together to share their talents and listen to one another.  Held once a year in the Ferguson Theater, this popular program gives students, faculty, and staff a chance to find their voices and develop their confidence in declaring their culture, values, and personal experiences on stage before the public.  Spoken Secrets is a poetry showcase during National Poetry Month that welcomes nationally known artists such as Georgia Me (Poet from HBO’s Def Poetry Jam) and Nate Marshall (Poet featured in the film Louder than a Bomb). Through this student-led Crossroads Community Center initiative, students honor heritage, develop their Global Skills Set for today’s society and shape a positive environment on our campus.  See Trailer of Louder than a Bomb and video of Nate Marshall.

We Host the Conversations that Build Community.
Crossroads Community Center, an initiative of the Division of Community Affairs, serves as a resource for organizations regarding cross-cultural issues in our community and provides leadership and coordination for professionals in multicultural affairs on our campus.  Through its programs, Crossroads Community Center sponsors and cosponsors events throughout the year that celebrate the rich cultural traditions of the Capstone and the world: The Crossroads Network, UA is Culture, REALTALK, Sustained Dialogue Groups, and Community Conversations.  Further, Leadership Training challenges Crossroads student volunteers and employees to be responsive to the needs and contributions of all communities.  The University of Alabama created Crossroads Community Center to facilitate meaningful engagement among students, employees, and community.  Through our programs we welcome the many cultures and faiths that grace the Capstone and build a positive campus environment. Slide show about the birth of Crossroads, click here… Powerpoint icon



Past Events and Programs