‘Voices of Belonging’ exhibit opens in DeKalb

DeKALB – J Pappas of DeKalb always has felt a sense of belonging in DeKalb, and their personal story of finding community in the area is featured as part of an audio exhibit that opened Thursday at Northern Illinois University.

Pappas, who uses they/them pronouns, and their wife, Aiden Ford, were interviewed and are one of 11 locals featured in a new interactive audio exhibit, “Voices of Belonging.” Pappas is NIU’s interim director of social justice education.

What does belonging mean to them?

“The sense of feeling at home in a place, being welcomed wholly, as your whole self, without conditions,” Pappas said.

“I think everyone can learn from the exhibit,” Pappas said. “It’s encouraging conversations and action steps to truly create a sense of belonging. People need to be more open and willing to learn. They need to be curious and open-minded. One of my favorite quotes is ‘How lucky am I to have a mind that can be changed.’

“Voices of Belonging” is a collaboration between NIU’s Northern Public Radio WNIU and WNIJ, the university’s Divisions of Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development and Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and various campus and community partners, including the photography program of the School of Art and Design. The exhibit builds upon last year’s “Faces of Belonging” exhibit, and a third exhibit, “Words of Belonging,” is planned to launch this fall.

The exhibit is located on the main level of NIU’s Founders Memorial Library in DeKalb through April 14. Free disposable headphones are available at the exhibit, and the audio stories can be heard by scanning a QR code. There also will be three MP3 players available with the stories for listening.

The three-part series is meant to explore the greater NIU and DeKalb community’s residents, how they live and community inclusivity.

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Monique Bernoudy, (left) assistant vice president of Northern Illinois University’s Office of Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Jennifer Groce, co-coordinator of the Belonging Collaborative, speak during the opening reception for the Voices of Belonging exhibit Thursday, March 31, 2022, in Founders Memorial Library at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. The exhibit is an interactive audio experience promoting acceptance and understanding. (Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com/Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.co)

The interactive audio exhibit features 11 area residents and students who share their stories in their own voices, interviews with experts who define “belonging” and a rare recording of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaking to high school students about belonging. Others featured in the audio exhibit include some familiar faces, such as NIU Police Chief Darren Mitchell. DeKalb pastor Angela Baron-Jeffrey of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church serves as the audio host.

Emily Grobe, a 2021 NIU graduate who’s featured in the exhibit, said she’s felt a sense of community ever since she started school at NIU.

“At first, I thought DeKalb was a small town,” said Grobe, who is from Rockford. “But I’ve met so many wonderful people and organizations. The more people I meet, the more I’m convinced that DeKalb is a wonderful place to be.”

NIU graduate Tamara Boston of DeKalb, a PhD student who works as a project coordinator for NIU’s Office of Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, said she remembers the feeling of belonging she felt when she first visited NIU’s campus.

“I was standing outside the student center, and I guess I looked bewildered, because some students came up to me and asked if I was lost and if I needed help,” Boston said. “I’ve always felt like I belonged, not just at NIU, but also in the DeKalb community.”

To make DeKalb even more welcoming and to help others feel like they belong, Boston has simple advice: Smile.

“Creating a sense of belonging in the community doesn’t have to be anything big,” Boston said. “It can be as simple as a smile to a stranger, letting them know ‘I see you, and you belong.’ ”

Jennifer Groce and Monique Bernoudy, assistant vice president of NIU’s Office of Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, co-coordinated the Belonging Collaborative on campus.

“We’ve never had an exhibit like this on campus before, one that is this visual, auditory and engaging,” Bernoudy said. “It’s exceptional that so many people were a part of this project, building bridges and a belonging community here in DeKalb and at NIU.”

Traveling throughout the community

Three questions were asked of each interview participant. Visitors to the exhibit are invited to consider the questions and submit their own personal recording.

“Voices of Belonging” is a traveling exhibit. The installation will travel to the DeKalb Public Library April 25 through May 8 and to Kishwaukee College in the fall. The goal is for the exhibit to travel to various campus and community locations, including schools, houses of faith, public buildings and other locations throughout DeKalb County.

Those wishing to host the traveling exhibit can submit a request for review to Groce at jgroce@niu.edu or Monique Bernoudy at mbernoudy@niu.edu.

The exhibit can only be used indoors and must be in a safe and secure location that is monitored, and a staff member must be available to distribute and collect disposable headphones and MP3 players as needed.

Staci Hoste, the station general manager of 89.5 WNIJ, said the radio station’s role was to collect and share the stories. The exhibit’s audio was produced by Spencer Tritt, David Tallacksen and Jared Ortega.

“The interviews are raw, unedited and unrehearsed,” Hoste said. “But the interviews and this exhibit were just the beginning. The conversation doesn’t stop here.”