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.”
