Indiana University East’s “One Book, Many Voices” project this year focuses on the selected book, This Far by Faith, by the Rev. Faith Fowler.

Faith Fowler
Photo by readthespirit.com

Fowler will present at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 24, in Vivian Auditorium, located in Whitewater Hall on the IU East campus. The event is free and open to the public, but a reservation is requested and can be completed online at faithfowler-onebook2018.eventbrite.com.

The book and topic presentation will focus on her work in the Cass Community in Detroit, Michigan.

This is the seventh annual year for IU East’s “One Book, Many Voices” project. The project’s mission is to foster a campus and community discussion about themes and ideas inspired by a common text in an effort to develop camaraderie, inform knowledge, and inspire action towards positive civic engagement and improvement.

Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs TJ Rivard is the chair of the “One Book, Many Voices” committee.

“We are very excited to have Faith Fowler on our campus, not only because of her accomplishments with the Cass Community and the passion she has for her work in Detroit, but also because of what the workshop and the evening presentation could inspire for our own community,” Rivard said. “Her book doesn’t preach but simply lays out the stories that informed her experience, reminding us that while there is always something that needs to be done, our first task is to break down the barriers that sometimes define us: ‘The workers are black and white, young and old, gay and straight, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish. They are the anti-wall, symbolically reminding us…that we can decide to make walls a thing of the past.’”

Frances Yates, director of the Campus Library and interim Chief Diversity Officer, said that Fowler’s books are both inspirational and practical. Yates is a member of the “One Book, Many Voices” committee.

“Her insights and experiences can inform our campus-community dialogue about local challenges,” Yates said.

Fowler is the senior pastor of Cass Community United Methodist Church and executive director of Cass Community Social Services (CCSS), a Detroit nonprofit agency which responds to poverty with programs for food, health care, housing and employment. She has held these roles since 1994.

Beyond her work at CCSS, Fowler has served as a board member for the Cass Corridor Neighborhood Development Corporation (CCNDC), an advisory board member of the Detroit Area Agency on Aging, as well as a board member and trustee for the General Board of Church and Society. She currently is a trustee at Albion College.

Prior to coming to Cass Community, from 1986 until 1994 Fowler was the pastor of William S. Ford Memorial United Methodist Church in Detroit. From 1983 to 1986, she worked with the Catholic Chaplaincy Team at Walpole Maximum Security Prison in Massachusetts.

Fowler graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Albion College. She received a Master of Divinity degree from the Boston University School of Theology and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She currently serves as an adjunct professor for the University of Michigan – Dearborn.

Her interests include reading, running, the environment and travel. Fowler has finished the Boston Marathon four times. She has visited Zimbabwe, Africa; Sydney, Australia; Seoul, Korea; Russia; as well as several countries in Europe and England.

Prior to Fowler’s presentation, IU East will host several events on campus.

For more information, visit iue.edu/onebook. Additionally, the Campus Library has developed a resource guide with information about the author, the book, and other resources for readers. The resource guide is available at iue.libguides.com.

“One Book, Many Voices” Schedule Events on October 24
Student Posters
All day
Whitewater Hall, Meijer Artway
Student posters presenting community problems and solutions will be available for perusal.

Film: The Last Days of Chinatown
11 a.m.
Whitewater Hall, First Bank Richmond Community Room
Filmmaker and artist Nicole McDonald traces the history and gentrification of the Cass Corridor’s south end, which was partially razed in 2017 to build a sports arena. This film addresses longstanding issues in the neighborhood such as poverty, disability and eminent domain laws which have been used many times in Detroit’s history.

Building Blocks: Community Action to End Homelessness
2 p.m.
Whitewater Hall, First Bank Richmond Community Room
RSVP Required: To reserve your seat for this event, visit https://onebook2018workshop.eventbrite.com. Maximum 50 participants.

Faith Fowler’s second book, Tiny Homes in the Big City, specifically focuses on the tiny homes project. This workshop will bring together community members, students, faculty, and staff to:
•    Learn about innovative solutions to homelessness and some of the challenges involved
•    Provide an opportunity to discuss problems and solutions, specific to our community.
•    A copy of both the “One Book, Many Voices” book, This Far by Faith and Tiny Homes in a Big City, will be distributed to workshop participants.

Writer’s Circle
4:30 p.m.
Whitewater Hall, First Bank Richmond Community Room
Led by Kelly Blewett, visiting assistant professor of English, this hands-on exercise allows participants to explore community issues through writing.

“One Book, Many Voices” Presentation by Rev. Faith Fowler, author of This Far by Faith
7 p.m.
Whitewater Hall, Vivian Auditorium
RSVP: Free and open to the public. Reservations requested at faithfowler-onebook2018.eventbrite.com
Rev. Faith Fowler’s work on homelessness, hunger, joblessness and other endemic issues in the Cass Community has been duly recognized both in her hometown of Detroit, Michigan and nationally. Please join community members and IU East students, staff and faculty as Faith discusses her struggles and successes with resolving community problems, plus lessons we can take away from her work.  Faith’s talk will be followed by an autograph session.