PSU announces title for campus-wide, diversity-based reading program 

  Wednesday, August 19, 2020 2:00 PM
  Academics, Campus Culture, News, People and Society

Pittsburg, KS

Tilford READ

As campuses across the nation grapple with how best to address issues like racism, diversity, and multiculturalism, the Tilford Group at Pittsburg State University has announced a timely title for its campus-wide reading program: The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir by Thi Bui. 

Numerous copies are available for check-out at Axe Library by staff, faculty, students at https://bit.ly/3hxTsFF . The community may participate by ordering the book online.  

READ, or Readings for Empowerment and Diversity, was launched last year by students, faculty, and staff as an outreach of the Tilford Group in cooperation with PSU’s Office of Diversity. The first selection, Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, was chosen for Fall 2019. Many of the first participants were able to hear the author speak, and later gathered to discuss the book and record a reaction video. 

This year's theme is timely for several reasons, said Jorgé Leon, learning outreach librarian. The story depicts the author’s personal experiences and her family’s journey from war-torn Vietnam to the U.S. 

“Beyond the themes of immigration, the author narrates her story of trying to connect with her family and discover her heritage. She narrates the struggle to connect with parents and being between two worlds. Tilford has been trying to match our READ titles to current social issues and multicultural issues.” 

The story also touches on family, intergenerational conflict, displacement, a sense of home, the Vietnam War, the refugee experience, and nationalism. 

Coordinators anticipate having book discussions in coming months and are encouraging faculty to integrate the title into their classes whenever possible. 

The Tilford Group was formed on campus in 2007 as a program of the Provost’s office. 

Details: https://www.pittstate.edu/office/provost/tilford/read.html 


Students participants in last year's Tilford READ program met and discussed Between the World and Me. Among the participants were these student leaders: Back (L to R): Navit’ Hill, Omar Brantley, DeMarcus Edwards, D'André Phillips, and Samantha Ruvalcaba. Front (L to R): Patricia Garcia, Kali Chatmon, Triniti Mulwa, Marisela Resendiz, and Cassandra Roque.