Our evening with Deidre McCalla went off without a hitch. Deidre was extremely easy to work with. Her performance was flawless. Her lyrics are poignant and touch on issues of social justice; she was a great choice as part of our Women’s History Month programming. - Nicolette A. Yevich - Director, Women's Center - Shippensburg University
Deidre was fantastic! She probably is the best songwriter we've had for our coffeehouse series! … Definitely a great artist for our school! - Steven Mencarini, Director of Student Activities - Lake Forest College (IL)
Everything went really well… and I only heard positive comments. She did a great job of motivating students to take political action while emphasizing the positive. Also, she balanced the music and lecture portion beautifully. - Beth Hoag, Director of Student Activities, University of Illinois at Springfield - Springfield, IL
I would like to thank you for contacting me and introducing me to Deidre…In all honesty, the sound byte online of Deidre's performance does her no justice, and it's very good. However, she is an AWESOME performer, worth every cent and then some. - Tamara Carter, Coordinator of Multicultural Affairs, William Woods University - Fulton, MO
I just wanted to let you know that Deidre McCalla was great! She was a great addition to our celebration of Black History Month. She would be great for any event. … The students and staff really liked her performance. You can tell she really loves what she does. It showed in her performance. - Helen Manley, Coordinator of Student Life, Prairie State College – Chicago Heights, IL
We thoroughly enjoyed our day with Deidre. She engaged the students in conversation in the discussion session we planned, and the students from my class, "Women: Images, Realities, and Choices," who attended the concert had very positive comments. Thank you. - Dr. Vivia Lawton Fowler, R. Wright Spears Professor of Religion, Director of the Center for Engaged Learning, Columbia College, SC
We had a wonderful experience with Deidre last Wednesday at MCC. Deidre's wit and talent provided us with a warm welcome to the beginning of Spring Quarter… She also was a great kick-off to Women's History Month Activities…The student population was traditional. Sometimes with such an audience, the students do not pay a lot of attention, but I noted that everyone was connecting with her message. I received many positive notes from Deans, faculty and others. - Barbara Velazquez, Coordinator of International/Intercultural Education, Metropolitan Community College, Elkhorn, NE
Deidre's performance went pretty well received. … I enjoyed the performance and… since we’re a community college, our students aren’t’t exposed to a lot of folk singers. I feel that it was a success just because they heard someone with a different perspective than their own & a different type of music. - Lisa Last, DSA, Neosho County Community College - Chanute, KS
Deidre is amazing- outstanding and a gift to the world!!! She did great job. - Mary Sam, Director of Diversity, Equity and Tribal Relations, Central Lakes College, Brainerd, MN
All of the feedback we received was extremely positive. Especially for our LGBT students and staff, just having her perform was a huge deal - affirming their identities and creating an inclusive environment. - Monica Erling, Sociology Instructor & Diversity Committee Chair, Hennepin Technical College - Eden Prairie, MN
Deidre was awesome! Her performance (with our Social Problems class) was perfect for the type of environment we wanted to create…. Her music is wonderful, as is her persona. –all very worthwhile! - Doug Frazier, Educational Advisor, Des Moines Area Community College - Newton, IA
Outside the Lines: Reflections on Race, Gender, Sexuality, Art, and Politics
Deidre McCalla’s performances provide a unique opportunity for women, LGBT students, and students of color to increase diversity awareness on campus and promote the building of an inclusive community.
Deidre McCalla's mature perspective enhances a student’s ability to:
• Develop a sense of historical empathy
• Appreciate the importance of cultural diversity
• Show sensitivity and tolerance for those different than themselves
• Acknowledge their responsibility for forging cultural alliances
• Explore and reflect on the importance of an informed, aware citizenship
• Verbalize a personalized perspective of their place in the world
In addition to five recorded albums, Deidre’s written work has been published in Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology, The Original Coming Out Stories, and Chrysalis: A Feminist Quarterly and she is a featured artist in The Power of Words: A Transformative Language Arts Reader.
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