Spatial tactics of belonging for people of color at Southwestern
The first students of color at Southwestern were forced to assimilate to its dominant culture as a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). As such, they were usually either domestic students of color who were White-passing or White-adjacent or international students who were simultaneously welcomed for their diversity while being othered as "foreign." Students of color who have enrolled since the 1960s, who have not been able to pass as White, have had to develop different tactics. In particular, Latina/o/x students and Black students at Southwestern have worked to create a series of student organizations focused on creating safe spaces for Black and Latin/a/o/x students and advocating for social justice and inclusion on campus and beyond.
Significantly, until very recently, the safe spaces these organizations have created have been metaphorical, as none of them have ever had a physical space on campus to call their own.
Remembering “the Black Room” in Mood Hall
Amid a challenging social climate, early Black students at Southwestern created a space of their own in the dormant Mood Hall that they called “the Black Room.”
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, as Southwestern University began enrolling its first Black students, the broader campus climate remained challenging. Formalized social avenues such as fraternities, sororities, and other traditional student organizations, had long been defined by white students’…
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The Kappa Delta Chi Chapter Room as Memory Place
Nurturing a legacy of Latine sisterhood, service, and social justice
Southwestern University is home to the Alpha Tau chapter of Kappa Delta Chi, which resides in the Caskey building alongside other sorority chapter rooms. Every week, active members of the multicultural sorority meet for chapter to plan academic, service, social, and philanthropic events. This entry…
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International House Off-Campus
A Moving House, Home to Displaced People, Moved One Last Time Before Being Burned Down.
This is the second location of the International House (or I-House), and its final location as a stand-alone building. The I-House was a living-learning community for international students, third-culture students (students whose parents are from the US but who have grown up abroad), and students…
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Remembering Latinos Unidos
Multiple generations of Latina/o/x students have worked to create spaces of belonging for Latine students.
Latine students at Southwestern University have worked to create numerous student organizations focused on creating safe spaces for Latine students within our predominantly white institution (PWI), by creating community and advocating for social justice and change on campus. The safe spaces these organizations have been able to create have been metaphorical, as none of them have ever had a…
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Remembering Ebony
A brief history of Black student organizations at Southwestern.
Black students at Southwestern have worked to create a series of strong student organizations focused on creating safe spaces for Black students within this Predominantly White Institution (PWI) and advocating for social justice and inclusion on campus and beyond. Significantly, the safe spaces these organizations have created have been metaphorical, as none of them have ever had a physical space…
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JEDI Center
An Office Focused on Social Justice That is Also a Safe Space for People With Marginalized Identities
The Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Center was created in 2022 by Malissa Ismaila, Director of Student Inclusion and Diversity. The JEDI center is located on the 3rd floor of the McCombs Campus Center. Its predecessor, the Office of Diversity Education (ODE), led by Terri…
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International House Reboot
I-House Re-created as a Living-Learning Community Within Mabee Residence Hall in the 1990s.
The final version of the International House (or I-House) brought the concept back to campus within a wing of Mabee Hall. The I-House was a living-learning community for international students, third-culture students (students whose parents are from the US but who have grown up abroad), and…
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International House
An Enduring Concept, Though Not an Enduring Place
The International House (or I-House) was a living-learning community that had several locations in its years of operation. It was established at this site on campus in the old President’s home (Griffith House) in 1974. Interestingly, that building itself had been moved once before in the Spring of…
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Remembering the Gender Awareness Center, or GAC
The Gender Awareness Center (GAC) began in 1989 as the first space at Southwestern University dedicated to gender-related resources, activism, and discussion.
The Gender Awareness Center (GAC) was the first physical space for gender related issues and resources at Southwestern University. It moved around a lot in its years at SU, and was opened, closed, and re-opened several times before it eventually disappeared a few years ago. In each iteration, it…
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