Bucket List

IDS FILE PHOTO BY MATT BEGALA The LGBTQ+ Culture Center is located at 705 E. Seventh St. The center partnered with Indiana University Student Government to organize educational programs and social events celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month.

Culture centers provide education, serve as welcoming space

By Christy Avery

averycm@iu.edu | @christym_avery

IU’s campus is home to six culture centers, which are inclusive spaces where students can get involved in and learn more about different cultures.

Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center

The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center supports the growth and success of Black students, faculty and staff. It provides academic and other resources to help students navigate college.

Programming at the NMBCC includes the Freshman Pinning Ceremony, which welcomes first-year students into IU, monthly Mid-Day House Parties to gather and check in with students and Black History Month celebrations.

Asian Culture Center

Through advocacy, institutional resources and community outreach, the Asian Culture Center strives to promote understanding and acceptance of Asian American and Pacific Islander cultures and issues. The Asian Culture Center offers programs such as AAPI Heritage Month and Lunar New Year celebrations, Asian language learning, discussion programs and an Asian American Film Series. The Center, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2018, is located across from the Collins Living-Learning Center, near the corner of 10th Street and Woodlawn Avenue.

Jewish Culture Center

A newer addition to campus, the Jewish Culture Center focuses on educating the IU community about Jewish culture and supporting Jewish students. The Center provides opportunities for Jewish students to develop leadership skills and connect with Judaism. It was launched in part as a way to combat antisemitism and create a welcoming space.

Located in the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center, the Jewish Culture Center puts on events and activities such as Shabbat dinner and services, community advocacy initiatives and travel abroad programs to Israel. Included in the Center are a kosher dining hall, a chapel, a library and learning center, and more.

First Nations Educational and Cultural Center

The First Nations Educational and Cultural Center supports Native American and Indigenous students at IU. Located on Eighth Street, the FNECC offers programs like Native American Heritage Month celebrations, Native film screenings, an annual Powwow and more. The FNECC promotes the “Indigenize Indiana” initiative, which amplifies the voices of Indigenous people and developed a land acknowledgement statement recognizing that IU was built upon land of the Miami, Delaware, Potawatomi and Shawnee people.

La Casa/Latino Cultural Center

The La Casa/Latino Cultural Center serves Latino students on campus. La Casa offers a weekend Latino Retreat in the fall, puts on monthly Colectiva Dinners and celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month and Dia de los Muertos. La Casa is located on Seventh Street next to the LGBTQ+ Culture Center.

LGBTQ+ Culture Center

The LGBTQ+ Culture Center is a safe and welcoming environment dedicated to advocating for students of all genders and sexual orientations. The center, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019, provides counseling, free supplies for safe sex, free HIV/STI testing, an LGBTQ Library, a Gender Affirming Closet where students can access free clothing and more. There are also LGBTQ student groups where students can find community and resources for transitioning at IU. The LGBTQ+ Culture Center is located on Seventh Street across from Dunn Meadow and next to La Casa.