Brown Center for Students of Color facts for kids
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Partridge Hall Entrance
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| Formation | 1976 |
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| Headquarters | Partridge Hall |
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Director
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Mary Grace Almandrez |
| Affiliations | Brown University |
| Website | https://www.brown.edu/campus-life/support/students-of-color/ |
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Formerly called
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Third World Center |
The Brown Center for Students of Color (BCSC) is a special place at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. It helps students of color feel welcome and supported. The center was started in 1972 and was first called the Third World Center.
The BCSC helps students explore their background, learn leadership skills, and build a strong community. It is a friendly and supportive space for everyone. The center also honors its history, which began with important student actions.
Staff and student leaders at the BCSC organize many events and workshops. These events encourage discussions and thinking about fairness and understanding for all people. They cover topics like unfair treatment based on race, social class, or gender.
Students can join programs like the Third World Transition Program. They can also become Minority Peer Counselors or help plan events. The BCSC is also a great place to study or hang out. It has lounges, classrooms, and special rooms for different student groups.
In 2014, the center changed its name from the Third World Center to the Brown Center for Students of Color. It is also creating a new program called the Social Justice Peer Educators Program.
Contents
History of the BCSC
The Brown Center for Students of Color was created after students spoke up for their rights in 1968 and 1975. During the Civil Rights Movement in the late 1960s and 1970s, Black students at Brown University faced many challenges.
In December 1968, a group of Black students, led by Black women from Pembroke College (then a separate women's college at Brown), walked out of the university. Sixty-five of the eighty-five Black students at the time marched to a nearby church. They had a list of requests for the university president.
These requests included having more Black students (11% of freshmen) and more Black teachers and staff. The university agreed to these requests. This led to the creation of the Transitional Summer Program in 1968. This program helped new students prepare for college. It later became the Third World Transition Program in 1975. The student requests also helped start the Rites and Reasons Theater in 1970. This is one of the oldest Black theaters in the country.
In 1972, more students, known as "Third World" students, pushed the university to keep its promises from 1968. This helped create the Minority Peer Counselor Program in 1973.
Student Protests in 1975
In 1975, students protested again. This time, it was about a new budget that would reduce financial aid and affect minority teachers. A group called the Third World Coalition took over University Hall. Forty Black, Asian, and Latino students stayed in the building for over 38 hours. They wanted the university to recommit to the 1968 requests.
This protest led to the Transitional Summer Program being renamed the Third World Transition Program. It also led to the creation of the Third World Center in the basement of Churchill House. The center was meant to serve all "Third World" students: Black, Latino, Asian, and Native students.
In 1985, the Third World Coalition protested again. They occupied the John Carter Brown Library. They wanted more minority students at the university. They also wanted to reclaim important historical documents. As a result of these requests, the Third World Center moved to its current home, Partridge Hall, in 1987.
In 1992, students again took over University Hall. They wanted the university to continue its commitment to the requests from the 1968, 1975, and 1985 protests.
Renaming the Center
A special plan was put in place that ended in 2014. Its goal was to create a new mission statement for the center. It also aimed to develop a five-year plan for student leadership, learning, and social justice. Part of this plan was to rename the center. The new name needed to reflect the history of student activism. Because of this plan, the Third World Center became the Brown Center for Students of Color.
Mission of the BCSC
The mission of the Brown Center for Students of Color has changed over time. Its current motto is "Visualize. Vocalize. Mobilize." The center continues to be a gathering place for students of color. It helps students build strong relationships and understand their racial and ethnic backgrounds. It also encourages them to make positive changes at Brown University and beyond.
The BCSC helps Brown University prepare students to be useful and respected citizens. It does this by supporting students of color, helping them become leaders, encouraging deep thinking, and promoting fairness for everyone.
Center Programs
Third World Transition Program
The Third World Transition Program (TWTP) started in 1969. It was first called the Transitional Summer Program. This program was created as part of the requests from the 1968 student walkouts.
Today, TWTP is a three-day program for new students before their first year of college. It includes workshops about different types of unfair treatment, like those based on race or social class. The program introduces students to support systems and resources at Brown. It encourages students to be open to new ideas and to think about history and their own identity. This helps them understand themselves and their new community. The name "Third World" here refers to a way of thinking about global issues, not specific countries.
Minority Peer Counselor Program
The Minority Peer Counselor Program (MPC) began in 1973. Black upperclassmen at Brown created it to help Black first-year students with their studies. Counselors offer support and help build a sense of community.
In the mid-1970s, the program grew to include students of Asian and Latino backgrounds. In the 1980s, Native and Multiracial students were also included. By 1995, Arab Americans could also apply. These counselors are often called MPCs.
In the 1990s, MPCs started offering workshops. These workshops encourage discussions about fairness and understanding on campus. They cover topics like unfair treatment based on race, social class, or gender. Workshops often explore how different parts of a person's identity connect. For example, they might discuss how food access affects people of different races and classes. MPCs live in first-year dorms at Brown. They serve as mentors and resources for all students, sharing their experiences as students of color.
ALANA Mentoring Program
ALANA is a mentoring program started in 1994. ALANA stands for the students it helps: African American, Latino, Asian/Asian American, and Native students. This program connects students of color with staff, graduate students, or alumni of color. They offer support and guidance to new students.
The program starts in a freshman's second semester and continues into their sophomore year. Mentors and mentees talk regularly. The program also hosts events throughout the year for mentors and mentees to connect and share ideas.
Heritage Series
The BCSC supports five different heritage series. These are the Black Heritage Series, the Latino Heritage Series, the Asian/Asian American Heritage Series, the Native American Heritage Series, and the Multiracial Heritage Series. These series organize student events. They also bring important speakers and performers to campus. These events celebrate the identities of each group.
Student Initiatives
The BCSC is also a meeting place for student-led groups called student initiatives. These groups help build community among smaller groups of students. They also help students develop leadership skills or connect with alumni.
Examples include the Black Student Initiative, which works closely with the Inman Page Black Alumni Council. The BCSC also supports BlackBoard and ONYX, a group that celebrates Black students graduating from Brown. The Latino Student Initiative and the Asian American Student Initiative work with their respective alumni groups. The BCSC also hosts Latino Leadership Gatherings and the Pan Asian Council.
Renaming the Center
The Brown Center for Students of Color changed its name from the Third World Center in the fall of 2014. Many possible names were discussed and voted on by teachers, staff, and students. The name change was part of a year-long review. This review reshaped the BCSC's mission, how it is organized, its resources, and its programs.
For example, the Minority Peer Counselor Friends program was replaced with the new Social Justice Peer Educator program. The review also led to a strategic plan. This plan outlined the center's main goals for the next five years.
