When Mona Davenport was a sophomore at Eastern, she was placed for the first time with a white roommate.

Davenport, director of minority affairs, said she and the roommate were always finding out something different about each other.

“It took me about probably about four weeks to ask, ‘Why are you washing your hair every day?'” Davenport said. “It was just little things like that that you never know.”

She said she and her roommate made a point of doing something together at least once a month.

But there were requirements.

They had to do something they would never do with people of the same race.

Whether that was a movie with an all African-American cast or a night of country music, Davenport and her roommate learned not only about each other, but also about their different cultures.

“We just really, to me, opened each other’s mind,” Davenport said. “It was so different.”

Davenport went to a predominately African-American high school and elementary school in Chicago.

“When you step on a campus like Eastern Illinois University, you’re like, ‘Wow,'” Davenport said.

She understands what it is like for students today when they walk onto Eastern’s campus, and they see and experience something different than they are used to.

This is why the Office of Minority Affairs has four different months devoted to showing the campus another culture.

This month is Asian Heritage Month, with activities and events throughout the entire month of April.

Latino Heritage Month, Native-American Heritage Month and African-American Heritage Month are the other cultures celebrated on campus.

“One should know about people different than themselves,” Davenport said.

She said the celebratory months give people the opportunity to learn something different about someone else – just like Davenport did with her roommate.

She said she knows it is hard for college students especially to attend all the events, but she said imagine the cultural awareness students could have if they went to just one event for each month.

A history with Eastern

Davenport graduated from Eastern with a bachelor’s degree in African-American studies and sociology. She then went on to get her master’s degree at Eastern as well.

Johnetta Jones, the previous director of minority affairs, was Davenport’s adviser at Eastern, but ended up becoming her mentor.

After Davenport graduated from Eastern with her master’s degree, she went back to Chicago to work at a social service agency with runaways and people who attempted suicide.

Following that, in February of 1990, Davenport received a call from her mentor Jones asking her to come back to Eastern to start the Minority Admissions Program.

It would be Davenport’s first time working with college students.

Davenport worked in that position for seven years and she said she never thought she would truly ever leave Eastern.

Professionally, though, she wanted to progress.

Davenport said when in higher education, even though one may love working at one institution, it’s better to gain experience from other institutions.

In 1997, she took a job at Governors State University, a school for juniors, seniors and graduate students, and where the average student is 35 years old.

Working there made her realize she wanted to work with traditional-aged students.

“As much as I loved that job, to me you don’t have the opportunity to truly help mold students,” Davenport said.

Davenport next took a job at Illinois State University, which has more traditional students but a larger population than Eastern.

At ISU, Davenport worked in housing – was another first for her.

Davenport said it gave her a true appreciation for what housing does and the dedication involved with the housing department.

“I think all of that helped me or prepared me, I hope, to when I interviewed for this position,” she said. “It was a diverse amount of experience in working with different folk.”

When Jones died suddenly in October 2003, Davenport came in as interim director of minority affairs at Eastern. She got offered the position in April 2004 and has been here ever since.

What Davenport likes most about her job is helping students; although, she can’t see them as much as she’d like.

“With administration, sometimes, I am so removed,” she said.

She said she sometimes her calendar is full with meetings.

She said she knows those meetings are benefiting students, but wishes she could see students more.

An inspiration to students

Maggie L. Burkhead is the director of TRiO, one of the programs housed under the Minority Affairs department, and she said Davenport is passionate about working with underrepresented students.

She said Davenport wants to see people grow and develop into the people they want and strive to be.

Burkhead said students know they can go to Davenport if they have a problem, want an internship, are applying for graduate school or anything in general.

B. James Griffin, a sophomore accounting and finance major, has worked with Davenport many times when being involved with the Black Student Union and EIUnity.

But when Griffin transferred to Eastern last spring as a freshman, Davenport was one of the first people he met on campus.

He said ever since, she has been like an adviser to him.

“She’s a great person,” Griffin said.

He added she is always there to help students and knows if he needs anything, he can call her.

He said she encouraged him to get involved and make a difference.

“She makes me want to do something – do more – on this campus,” Griffin said.

He said Davenport has made him want to be a better person and be a leader on campus.

“For me, she’s just been that guide that, I guess, I needed when I got here,” Griffin said.

Burkhead said Davenport encourages students to get involved in a positive way on campus.

“I think being able to identify with a minority person who’s positive in doing good things, I think that helps students and impacts them in a lot of ways,” Burkhead said.

Emily Zulz can be reached at 581-7942 or at [email protected].