'Multiversity' on air: Nightly show spotlights Boulder's cultural diversity

Guests include, top to bottom, Adrian Gaskins of the CU Department of Ethnic Studies, Nino Gallo of the Boulder Human Relations Commission and CU Minority Arts & Sciences Program Director Alphonse Keasley.

CU-Boulder researchers and administrators who work on issues of race, ethnicity and class were given a new resource in February when Professor Bella Mody launched the "Multiversity" television series.

The 30-minute programs are broadcast nightly at 9:30 p.m., except on Saturdays, on Boulder cable Channel 63 and CU-Boulder campus Channel 22. They are available as streaming video at multiversity.colorado.edu.

"The purpose of the TV series is to showcase strengths and contributions in race and ethnicity research and teaching in order to help the community and students know about local resources," said Mody, who is the deCastro Chair in Global Media Studies at the School.

Mody said topics for the shows include the racial and ethnic composition of the city of Boulder, faculty expertise and activities on race and ethnicity, and what CU-Boulder is doing to address racism.

 Journalism faculty members Assistant Dean Stephen Jones and Instructor Paul Daugherty and their students handled the production of the series. The theme music was composed by CU ethnomusicology Professor Brenda Romero and her doctoral students. Journalism doctoral student Christopher Bell edited the show.

The topics and guest experts are selected by an executive committee composed of Mody, ethnic studies adjunct faculty member Harry Reed and sociology Professor Thomas Mayer. Mody and Reed participated in a similar community TV production while teaching at Michigan State University.

Funding for the 2005-06 series was provided by CU-Boulder's Office of the Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity. Organizers are seeking donations for funding of the 2006-2007 season.