Spatial tactics of belonging for people of color at Southwestern

6 Locations | Curated by Placing Memory

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.

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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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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