S2 Episode 6: Making Space for Queer Students at an HBCU

Collegeland

Making Space for Queer Students at an HBCU

This final episode of Collegeland takes us to North Carolina Central University, a Historically Black College and University, where we talk with three people who have been critical to developing the LGBTA Resource Center. Co-hosted by Lisa Levenstein and Tiffany Holland, the episode highlights the importance of dedicated spaces for queer students on college campuses. Our guests discuss the challenges and the joys involved in carving out space for difficult conversations and fostering supportive communities.

About our Guests:

Jennifer Williams serves as the Director of the Women’s Center at North Carolina Central University. She formerly served as the Associate Director for Diversity & Inclusion, and the Program Coordinator of the LGBTA Resource Center at NCCU, where she also teaches. She came to NCCentral in 2013 for a dual Masters in Clinical Mental Health and Career Counseling. She completed her studies in 2016.

Amber Esters is the Education Coordinator at the NCCU Women's Center. She graduated from NCCU with a BA in Public Health Education in 2014 and received her MA in Women’s and Gender Studies from UNC Greensboro in 2019.

Eric Martin is a former Lavender-Liaison and the current LGBTA Resource Center Coordinator and a member of the Diversity and Inclusion staff at NCCU. Eric earned his BS in Psychology in 2020 and his MS in Higher Education Administration in 2022 at NCCU.

For more information about the resources and programming provided by LGBTA Resource Center check out their website.

Looking to learn more about how HBCUs have cultivated cultures of LGBTQ+ inclusion, this recent study from Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation examines and highlights institutions that are doing exemplary work related to increasing LGBTQ+ student support.

For more information on HBCUs America and the threat of recent funding cuts discussed in this episode see this recent HBCU policy report. And for suggestions and resources on how to better support them check out this article.