The University of Minnesota’s Chroma Collective student group provides an exclusive space for students who identify as Black, Indigenous or a person of color within the College of Design.
The group meets twice a month and hosts affinity events, which are events open to only students who are Black, Indigenous people or people of color, to come together and speak about their experiences as well as open events that any undergraduate or graduate students can attend.
The group is a part of the College of Design’s Design Justice initiative, which is led by a collective of students, staff and faculty. These groups offer affinity spaces, certificate programs and consulting services to promote justice-centered design education and practice.
Neha Shyam Aramkuni, a fourth-year student and the club’s president, said one of the events the group hosts is called “Spill the Tea,” where members can share their feelings about things going on within the College of Design.
“During our last session, we got really into it, and we were just talking about our grievances with how things are being run in the college,” Shyam Aramkuni said. “We just don’t feel heard sometimes, and it is nice to have that community where you can be heard and just talk about things.”
Shyam Aramkuni said the College of Design is a predominantly white space and knowing there are other people out there who share similar experiences as them has been beneficial.
The group recently hosted a cultural potluck where people brought in food from their cultures and got to try food from others, according to Shyam Aramkuni.
Luzia Stern, a third-year student and the club’s vice president, said they were inspired by the Director of Design Justice Terresa Moses, who works directly with the group. They came across Moses during a speech she gave their first year.
“The ideas that she was sharing with us, her speech, all of it aligned with me so much that it kind of inspired me to go down the path I am today, which is a direct connection between social and political activism and art,” Stern said.
Shyam Aramkuni said the group has allowed them to feel more free to incorporate activism into their design.
“I moved here when I was 14 from India, and my parents told me to not get involved politically,” Shyam Aramkuni. “I have opinions, and I was not really allowed to state them.”
Now, after being more involved in the Chroma Collective, Shyam Aramkuni is more open to activism and doing designs they believe will have more of an impact.
Irene Zeng, a fourth-year student and the club’s secretary, said the club provides her with a calm, relaxing space.
“I never feel stressed when I am around these very cool people, and I feel like our events are very inclusive,” Zeng said. “Everybody always feels comfortable speaking, and even if we don’t know each other, we make it a very welcoming space.”
Stern said the group is also planning a community food drive and a collage event where they will be creating art about issues they each personally care about.
Stern said they enjoy the multilingual aspect of the club.
“It is nice to see people come together from different language-speaking countries and be able to speak to each other in that language as well,” Stern said. “I think it is just beautiful to see.”
Mark Perry
Nov 17, 2024 at 1:49 pm
Based on evidence provided in the article, UMN’s unlawful “no whites allowed” Chroma Collective is being legally challenged for violating Title VI’s prohibition of race-based discrimination by an organization I work for — the Equal Protection Project.
Search for “Repeat-Offender U. Minnesota’s BIPOC-Only Design Justice Initiative Challenged by Equal Protection Project.”
Operating a BIPOC-only no whites allowed program is just as unlawful and unethical as a Whites-only, no BIPOCs allowed program. Title VI protects all Americans from discrimination, both BIPOCs and non-BIPOCs. It’s the law….
TA
Nov 15, 2024 at 9:58 am
clownshoes –
lol you’re a nobody and no one on the face of the earth cares what you think about anything.
clownshoes
Nov 14, 2024 at 7:16 am
@Ta – that’s right, get it out of your system here in the very brave space of the comment section Daily. Hopefully it’ll save you time and money at the therapist.
Ta
Nov 13, 2024 at 2:17 pm
clownshoes –
So brave!!! You’re such a good, moral person.
People like you *definitely* aren’t one of the main reasons we just lost an election.
clownshoes
Nov 13, 2024 at 8:49 am
Pardon the typos in my first comment.
Upon reflection, it’s sadly obvious that people like Mark Perry and Ta are living with anti-social disorders, personality disorders and perhaps other disabilities that lead them make ridiculous comments out loud and in print. Mr. Perry has gone so far as to file lawsuits and get his wild thoughts published in journals of some repute. It’s good to have the crazy out in the open so we can all steer clear and/or offer support for the mentally unstable among us.
Fwiw, Ta, I’ve received some clear preferential treatment over my long academic career – I’m a white, cishet woman after all; I’ve been and am privileged in all sorts of ways. However, I am for sure at the bottom of the status spectrum at the U which is what I prefer. All I do is teach undergrads full time, never taken a sabbatical or leave, not had a cost of living increase in over 20 years. I show up and put in the work because I love what I do. You’re right, though, I get testy when old white men try to control spaces non-old white men create. Exactly zero harm is done by groups like Chroma Collective. Anyone who has a problem with groups like this should seek therapy.
Ta
Nov 12, 2024 at 4:02 pm
clownshoes –
Sounds like someone is a little testy over the fact that they’ve received clear preferential treatment for their entire academic career and that may be coming to an end.
clownshoes
Nov 11, 2024 at 9:04 am
Mark Perry, you are an embarrassment to yourself, your colleagues and your ex-profession. It’s embarrassing to even respond to you here. Please go enjoy your retirement, let the rest of us get on with the real work of reconnecting with equity and equality. You and people like you just want to ruin things for people you because you are so envious you can barely breath. Give it rest, go touch grass, dip your feet in some water, do some deep breathing.
Mark Perry
Nov 9, 2024 at 7:19 am
This is an illegal violation of Title VI, which prohibits racial segregation and discrimination based on race. To have a BIPOC-ONLY program is just as illegal and immoral as having a Whites-only program. Both are racist and unlawful.