The University of Oregon plans to start building its Black Cultural Center this summer. The $2.2 million building is expected to open before the 2019-2020 school year. KLCC’s Deonna Anderson reports.
In the new center, students will be able to socialize and receive academic assistance. UO’s Vice President of Student Life Dr. Kevin Marbury anticipates that the space will serve as a home base for black students.
“It’ll just be that kind of landing or touch down spot for students, which I think always helps when you talk about an individual feeling a sense of belonging or a sense of community in a location that maybe six months before, a year or two before they hadn’t been in,” he says.
The center meets a 2015 demand from the UO Black Student Task Force. Student leaders had 12 other demands. Some have been met while others haven’t. Students still want the university to change the name of a campus building, hire more black faculty, and establish scholarships for black students.