The Cultural Center at DU is dedicated to providing minority students with the resources and support that many predominantly white institutions lack. With diverse programming for students across different identity spectrums, safe spaces for students to have a home away from home on campus and events to help ease the transition into college, the Cultural Center is doing right by its commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity.
“When students feel like they belong, their academic performance and overall well-being flourishes,” said Emily Martinez, a current fourth-year student majoring in communication studies and criminology student.
The essence of the Cultural Center is to celebrate and advocate for students who identify as part of a marginalized community. The two main focuses of the Cultural Center are to support BIPOC students, individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, or person of color and students who identify as LGBTQ+. Their mission is to holistically empower students to better their undergraduate experience.
The Cultural Center provides students with several lounge spaces where they can feel safe and understood. The BIPOC and Pride Lounges can be found on the third floor of the Community Commons, where each lounge hosts a different event every week. The Center also recently opened the Pride Closet on the first floor of Driscoll South, where gender-affirming clothing is available to all students.
Upon beginning her collegiate journey at the University of Denver, Martinez was unaware of all that the Cultural Center does for students. It was not until her third year that she started learning more about the Cultural Center in the Student Inclusion and Belonging (SIB) suite. Martinez joined the Cultural Center as the Assistant Program Intern this year, a position that she helped curate as an alternative for her senior capstone.
“The Cultural Center is one of the key parts for BIPOC students, as it is authentically inclusive to all students,” said Martinez. “Not all BIPOC students are in First@DU programs, not all of them are first-gen students [and] not all of them are from Denver or ESTEM students. [The Cultural Center serves] as a broader place for all BIPOC students [regardless] of their socioeconomic status… what unites students is their shared identity of belonging to a marginalized community.”
The Cultural Center supports affinity-based groups on campus by assisting them with funding and often hosting joint events with them. For example, the Center collaborated with Latine Student Alliance (LSA) to celebrate Día de Los Muertos on campus with a variety of activities and an assortment of traditional Mexican foods.
A key aspect of the Cultural Center that sets it apart from other campus-wide offices is that it places student involvement at the heart of its operations. Not only are undergraduate students like Martinez involved in programming and assistance but there are also graduate students who play a vital role in the success of the Center.
Jully Dong, a current second-year higher education student at the Morgridge College of Education, is a graduate Student Assistant at the Cultural Center. Dong’s role entails Affinity Group Support, an experience she regards as highly rewarding.
Dong is intentional with the relationships and connections she fosters with students. She actively asks them about their experiences and ways the Cultural Center can help. “[I ask questions like] how can we support you? How can we support you in your programming? Especially if they are in an affinity group. How can we make this bigger? How can we make the institution more aware of the minority experience at DU?” she said.
Dong is originally from the East Coast and attended Florida State University for undergrad before beginning her graduate experience at DU. She emphasized how different the two student communities are, and mentioned how the Cultural Center plays a big role in setting DU apart from FSU.
“The Cultural Center is very intentional with the work they are doing… the conversations are so different here at DU. [Advocating for DEI] has been my passion and the Cultural Center allows me to pursue that passion,” Dong mentioned.
The Cultural Center is an integral part of the undergraduate experience for minority students. By cultivating a community that celebrates different identities and advocates for the underrepresented, the Center empowers and elevates its students so that they are heard, seen and represented.
“Institutions have to recognize that they can no longer cater towards one student experience, and that’s what I think is really nice about the Cultural Center,” said Dong. “We are fostering and building a sense of belonging and community with students of color… if we are not able to provide students with that space, we are not doing the students justice,” she continued.
To stay up to date with the Cultural Center’s events, be sure to follow their Instagram.
