The Interdisciplinary Center for Global Diversity will host another Community Coffee Hour from 4-5 p.m. Friday at Jackson Avenue Coffee, 708 Jackson Ave.

The Community Coffee Hour is an open forum where Eastern students, faculty and staff can meet and discuss issues of diversity with Charleston residents.

The first meeting this year was Nov. 7 and centered around the topic of race relations among students on campus.

During the previous forum, speakers such as President Bill Perry and Charleston Mayor Larry Rennels argued that the issue of racism was not as wide spread as many student commentators claimed.

Rennels also argued that the small population of racist Charleston residents reflects poorly on the rest of the city, which is then labeled as racist.

Connie Clarkson, the clerk of the Africana Studies department and one of the forum’s coordinators, said the Charleston residents who attended the Nov. 7 meeting have been receptive to the dialogue from Eastern’s faculty and students, and students have been receptive to them as well.

Clarkson said the main goal of the forums is that students, faculty and staff come together and open a dialogue with city residents.

Prior to the forum in November, the Coffee Hour had only been hosted once in September 2013.

Clarkson said the timing of the forums is based on having to coordinate with the JAC.

She also said the Interdisciplinary Center wanted to host another Coffee Hour before students leave for the holidays.

However, Clarkson said if interest is there, the Coffee Hour might become a monthly or even biweekly event.

Clarkson said the issues brought up last time will hopefully be tabled for additional discussion, but she said those attending the event cannot fix all of the issues presented in one hour.

“Not everything will be solved overnight,” Clarkson said. “If students, faculty and residents come together, then we can make baby steps to solving these problems.”

Issues of race may still play a part in the discussion, especially with the continued prominence of the Darren Wilson investigation in Ferguson, Mo., and the protests and demonstrations currently going on in and around that area.

Clarkson said the meetings are not just for discussion of racial issues; they are gatherings in which individuals can connect with people they may have never met before, both on and off campus.

“If you open up a dialogue and establish that connection, then you have a wonderful opportunity to continue that dialogue between people,” she said. “People can find others with similar interests and connect with each other based off of that.”

The Interdisciplinary Center for Global Diversity is an organization comprised of students in the Africana Studies, Asian Studies, Latin American and Latino(a) Studies and Women’s Studies programs.

According to the organization’s website, the goal of the organization is to “work with all colleges and departments across the EIU campus and the larger community to encourage a greater awareness of issues concerning global diversity, ethnic and gender identity.”

Jackson Mortka can be reached at 581-2812 or jnmortka@eiu.edu.