Endangered Sanctuaries: Relevance of Black Cultural Centers Today
- Lynn Lundy Evans (Iowa State University)
Abstract
Black Cultural Centers (BCC) across the nation sprang from the civil rights era as safe havens for African and African American students and later functioned as critical components of education on college campuses seeking to embrace the black experience, intercultural dialogue, and understanding. Due to marginalization, demographic shifts in higher education, lack of preservation, and other issues, BCCs are, over time, becoming “endangered sanctuaries.” In this session, we will examine the historic symbolism, politics, and identity of BCCs; assert their value and significance to the retention of African American students at predominantly white institutions; and examine how BCCs can serve the wider student community utilizing a critical anti-oppressive and social justice framework.